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Viviane Seyranian

Viviane Seyranian

Dr. Viviane Seyranian's research primarily falls within the domain of persuasion and social influence. Her research examines the role of specific communication tactics and source types (e.g., majorities, minorities, leaders, ingroup-outgroups) on attitudes, emotions, knowledge, cognitive processing, and behaviors. Along with her colleagues, she is testing a theory called social identity framing (Seyranian, 2010; Seyranian, 2012a, b; Seyranian & Bligh, 2008), which outlines a series of communication tactics related to social identity that may help to encourage attitudinal and behavioral change. This theory is being tested in a variety of settings including during leader communication of crises, in environmental disaster narratives, and in promoting sustainable consumption. Her research utilizes diverse methodologies ranging from lab and field experiments to qualitative methods such as manual and computerized content analysis.

Primary Interests:

  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Attitudes and Beliefs
  • Communication, Language
  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Helping, Prosocial Behavior
  • Intergroup Relations
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Persuasion, Social Influence
  • Political Psychology
  • Self and Identity

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Journal Articles:

  • Atuel, H., Seyranian, V., & Crano, W. D. (2007). Media representations of majority and minority groups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 37, 561-572.
  • Crano, W. D., & Seyranian, V. (2009). How minorities prevail: The context/comparison-leniency contract model, Journal of Social Issues, 65, 335-363.
  • Crano, W. D., & Seyranian, V. (2007). Majority and minority influence. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1, 572-589.
  • Lombardi, D., Seyranian, V., & Sinatra, G. M. (2014). Source effects and plausibility judgments when reading about climate change. Discourse Processes, 51 (1/2), 75-92. doi: 10.1080/0163853X.2013.855049.
  • Seyranian, V. (2014). Social Identity Framing communication strategies for mobilizing social change. The Leadership Quarterly, 25, 468-486. doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.10.013
  • Seyranian, V., Atuel, H., & Crano, W. D. (2008). Dimensions of majority and minority groups. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 11, 21-37.
  • Seyranian, V., & Bligh, M. C. (2008). Presidential charismatic leadership: Exploring the rhetoric of social change. The Leadership Quarterly, 19, 54-76.
  • Seyranian, V., Sinatra, G., & Polikoff, M. (2015). Persuasive communication strategies to promote water conservation. The Journal of Environmental Psychology, 41, 81-95.

Other Publications:

  • Seyranian, V. (2013). Social Identity Framing: A strategy of social influence for social change. In R.E. Riggio & S. J. Tan (Eds.), Leader interpersonal and influence skills: The soft skills of leadership (pp. 207-242). New York, NY: Taylor and Francis.
  • Seyranian, V. (2012). Constructing extremism: Uncertainty provocation and reduction by extremist leaders. In M.A. Hogg & D. Blaylock (Eds.), The Psychology of Uncertainty and Extremism (pp. 228-245). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Seyranian, V. (2010). Contingency theories of leadership. In J. Levine & M.A. Hogg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Seyranian, V. (2010). Interactionist theories of leadership. In J. Levine & M.A. Hogg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Seyranian, V. (2010). Transactional leadership theories. In J. Levine & M.A. Hogg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Sinatra, G., & Seyranian, V. (in press). Warm change about hot topics: The role of motivation and emotion in attitude and conceptual change. APA Handbook for Educational Psychology.

Courses Taught:

  • Conservation Psychology
  • Consumer Psychology (graduate)
  • Enviromental Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • Intergroup Relations
  • Introduction to Statistics in Psychology
  • Organizational Behavior (graduate)
  • Personality Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Viviane Seyranian
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Psychology and Sociology Department
3801 West Temple Avenue
Pomona, California 91768
United States of America

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