Full Description
Provides a comprehensive account of inoculation theory across multiple disciplines and applied contexts worldwide
Inoculation theory has become one of the most influential frameworks for understanding how people resist persuasion, misinformation, and undue influence. Despite its wide-ranging application in fields as diverse as political communication, health promotion, advertising, organizational management, law, and public relations, much of the available literature on inoculation remains scattered across journal articles and limited book chapters. The Handbook of Inoculation Theory and Practice addresses this critical gap by offering a single, authoritative resource that brings together the full scope of theory, research, and application.
Spanning 35 chapters organized into three major sections, the Handbook provides unparalleled depth and breadth. The opening section traces the foundations of inoculation theory, its historical development, and evolving conceptual frameworks. The second section addresses issues of study design, measurement, and analytic strategies essential to advancing inoculation research. The volume concludes by highlighting applications across a wide spectrum of contexts, including politics, health, sports, crisis communication, gaming, education, journalism, public policy, and beyond. Featuring contributions from leading scholars, each chapter delivers both rigorous theoretical grounding and forward-looking perspectives that reveal how inoculation continues to shape communication practice and research.
Mapping what inoculation theory has achieved while exploring its enduring potential in confronting today's complex communication challenges, The Handbook of Inoculation:
Integrates classical perspectives with cutting-edge research and applications
Explores a wide range of real-world contexts, from misinformation and conspiracy theories to health and political messaging
Offers practical strategies for designing effective inoculation-based communication interventions
Identifies emerging questions and future directions for inoculation research and practice
The Handbook of Inoculation: Theory and Practice is an essential reference for graduate students, scholars, and practitioners working in communication, psychology, sociology, political science, marketing, public health, and related disciplines. It is especially relevant for advanced courses in persuasion, social influence, communication theory, social psychology, and resistance to persuasion, and serves as a foundational resource for researchers and professionals seeking to apply inoculation strategies in diverse contexts.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Origins of Inoculation Theory
Chapter 2 Threat
Chapter 3 Inoculation Theory and Counterarguing
Chapter 4 Inoculation Theory Then and Now: Extending the Boundaries of Theory and Practice
Chapter 5 Beyond Threat and Counterarguing: A Consideration of Additional Inoculation Theory Mechanisms
Chapter 6 The Nature of Resistance: Mechanisms in Inoculation Theory vis-à-vis Alternative Theories/Models
Chapter 7 Exploring the Interplay of Temporal Factors and Resistance within Inoculation Theory
Chapter 8 Persuasive Inoculation Message Design Features: Style, Language, Content, and Structure
Chapter 9 Inoculation: Length and Modality
Chapter 10 (Mis)Matching in Inoculation: The Impact of Composition, Strength, Structure, and Modality Between and Within Established Positions and Messages
Chapter 11 The Use of Humor and Narratives in the Inoculation Process
Chapter 12 Affect, Motivation, and Resistance in Inoculation
Chapter 13 After Inoculation: Persuasive Attack as the Understudied Second Pillar
Chapter 14 Inoculation Study Designs, Methods, and Procedures
Chapter 15 Best Practices for Modeling the Inoculation Process
Chapter 16 Inoculation Message Design and Strategic Application
Chapter 17 Consumer Inoculation: The Inoculation Paradigm at the Consumer-Organization Interface Chapter 18 Public Relations and Corporate Image: Leveraging Inoculation to Build Trust, Foster Relationships, and Navigate Reputational Crisis
Chapter 19 Inoculation Theory and Politics
Chapter 20 Preventing Violence through Inoculation: Strategic Counter-Messaging to Undermine Beliefs and Attitudes that Justify Harm
Chapter 21 Inoculation Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy and the Prevention of Risky Behaviors
Chapter 22 Inoculation Against Misinformation: Theoretical and Practical Implications
Chapter 23 Inoculation Theory at the Intersection of Disasters and Catastrophes
Chapter 24 Inoculation Theory, Family, and Interpersonal Relationships
Chapter 25 Inoculation Theory and the Media
Chapter 26 Inoculation and Culture
Chapter 27 Inoculation Theory and Legal Communication
Chapter 28 Inoculation in Education, Instruction, and Training Contexts
Chapter 29 Inoculation Theory and Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity
Chapter 30 Inoculation in Organizations, the Workplace, and Small Groups: Current and Future Directions
Chapter 31 Inoculation Theory and the Communication of Scientific Findings
Chapter 32 Inoculation Theory and Public Policy
Chapter 33 Additional Issues and Topics in Inoculation Theory Research
Conclusion
