This review synthesizes relevant research dealing with the processes of learning and suggests its applications to compliance gaining. The two major issues addressed are: ( I ) to what degree can learning theories explain the acquisition of new attitudes and behaviors, and ( 2 ) to what degree are attitudinal and behavioral changes governed by learning theory principles? The learning theories discussed are grouped into three categories: stimulus-response or connectionist approaches; cognitive approaches; and stochastic, mathematical, and cybernetic approaches. The stimulus-response models, which encompass most of the research examined in this paper, are further broken down into four types: (1) classical conditioning, (2) contiguity models, (3) instrumental (or operant) conditioning and (4) models including drive and drive reduction. Principles and major research evidence from numerous learning theories are reviewed and analyzed, and suggestions are made as to how this evidence may aid in the construction of more complete theories of persuasion and attitude change.Traditionally, the efforts of learning and persuasion theorists have not been closely integrated, and with but few exceptions, research in each area has progressed with little systematic application of theoretical and empirical advances in the other. In the field of communication, this situation has been further exacerbated by the recent trend toward more complex, cognitive, and processual explanations of human behavior and the concomitant dismissal of learning theories as too simplistic and mechanistic. Such a dismissal, however, seems premature. There Judee K . Burgoon (Ed.D., West Virginia University, 1974) is associate professor of communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Michael Burgoon (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1970) is professor of communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. GeraldR. Miller (Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1961) is professor of communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Michael Sunnafronk (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1979) is assistant professor of rhetoric, University of California, Davis.are many insights into communication generally and persuasion specifically to be gained from learning theories and research. In many instances, persuasion researchers and learning researchers are studying similar phenomena under different labels and can therefore profit from the advances made in the other domain. Moreover, many of the predominant learning theories have significantly shaped the communication and persuasion research that has occurred during the last two decades and should be recognized for their implicit and explicit influences on our thinking. Even those who subscribe to systemic, constructivist, or nonbehavioristic approaches to compliance gaining will find among the learning theories relevant concepts, if not complete explanations of behavior. For these reasons, we have attempted in this manuscript to examine the interface betwee...