This book is about how people are affected by their perceptions of the collective opinions of others.

List of figures; List of tables; Preface; Acknowledgments; Part I. Theory and Historical Context: 1. The generalized other: social influence in contemporary American politics; 2. Beyond personal Influence: the rise of impersonal associations; 3. The origin of perceptions of mass collectives: mass media's role; Part II. Effects of Perceptions of Mass Experience: 4. The politicization of personal and collective experience; 5. Connecting the personal and the political: media as facilitator or inhibitor?; Part III. Effects of Perceptions of Mass Opinion: 6. When does success succeed? A review of the evidence; 7. The social psychology of impersonal influence from collective opinion; 8. The role of collective opinion in individual judgment: processes and effects; Part IV. Conclusion; 9. Impersonal influence and the mass society tradition; Appendix: Methodology; References; Index.