Persuasion and Argumentation
Persuasion and Argumentation,
Dr. Sharon Avital
Course Description: Have you ever felt manipulated by a smooth-talking politician, a slick TV commercial, or a Girl Scout selling cookies? We will explore the strategies of persuasion and influence people use to manipulate our attitudes and behaviors, and discuss social scientific theories that explain when and why these strategies work. We will learn about the structure of arguments and the ways in which fallacies are used to manipulate opinion. The third part of the class will be dedicated to the use of emotions (humor and fear) and PR campaigns (campaigns for and against smoking, alcohol, pills for depression and war). The fourth part of the class will explore the concept of “persuasive technologies”, that is the ways in which the architecture of technologies such as avatars, online dating, and gambling machines manipulate our behaviour and needs.
Objectives: By the end of the class you will be able to recognize a variety of psychological and communicative processes involved specific persuasion topics such as compliance, conformity, cults, obedience, propaganda, and subliminal persuasion, among others. You will also learn how to think independently, systematically, and skeptically about social scientific research. The latter goal will require that you take an active role in the learning process
Readings:
We will use excerpts from the following books:
Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Influence: Science and practice (4th edition). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. (Kindle edition is available through Amazon).
Perloff, Richard. The Dynamics of Persuasion: Communication and Attitudes in the Twenty-First Century. 4th edition. Routledge, 2010.
Daly, John. Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others. Yale University Press, 2011
Natacha Dow Schul, Addiction by Design-Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, Princeton University Press, 2012
Films:
Wag the Dog (Barry Levinson, 1997), available in the library
Assignments: 7 quizes (covering the material of the previous week)- choose the top 5 quizzes and keep the higher grade: each quiz 12%- total 60%
One midterm paper (writing a pamphlet for an absurd cacus using the techniques learned in class): 20 %.
4FB posts (examples of material learned in class)- total of 20%
There is no final exam in this class.
