Changing Behavior through Communication

3 Credits.

The goal of many communication initiatives is to encourage some type of behavior change. Communication professionals who understand how people change their behavior can createmore successful campaigns. This course surveys major theories used to predict when and under what circumstances individuals are most likely to change their behavior. Behavior changeincludes a variety of actions, such as voting for a candidate, purchasing a product, joining a social networking group, or adopting a new health habit. Individual-level, interpersonal level, and community-level models of change are covered. By becoming familiar with specific theories and the empirical support for those theories, students learn how to use social sciencebased models to guide their communication strategies effectively. Prerequisite: Research and Writing Methods