Persuasion

The persuasive communication class presents the major persuasive theories and helps students apply and analyze them in interpersonal communication, social contexts, and business persuasion. Key topic areas include credibility, motivation, social campaigns, manipulation, audience analysis, and adaptation. Additional activities include analyzing persuasive theories, fallacies, writing credibility arguments and using logic to support a position. 

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Comparing and contrasting persuasive theories. 
• Describing the different kinds of fallacies. 
• Identifying, describing, and analyzing fallacious arguments in the media. 
• Writing credibility arguments to persuade an audience, improving interpersonal relationships. 
• Hypothesizing how emotions can be used to influence audiences. 
• Using logic to support a position on a controversial topic. 
• Using information literacy skills to support credibility, emotional, and logic arguments. 
• Discussing methods of audience analysis and adaptation. 
• Analyzing and evaluating persuasive nonverbal behaviors. 
• Examining persuasive messages and speeches in politics, in organizations, and business. 
• Applying the theory of the stages of a social campaign to a movement that affects business. 
• Discussing and analyzing the rhetoric of a campaign. 
• Analyzing the process of manipulation—the unethical side of persuasion. 
• Assessing the characteristics of unethical manipulators. 
• Determining how a manipulator gains control over an audience. 
• Applying information literacy skills to research unethical persuasion. 
• Utilizing effective argumentation skills and techniques to persuade and influence an audience. 
• Developing a personal code of ethics for persuasion. 
• Understanding how artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the creation of messages in business, political, and social contexts.

ACQUIRED SKILLS 

• Persuasion Analysis
• Logical Reasoning
• Information Literacy
• Nonverbal Communication
• Personal Ethics Development