SPC 367
Persuasion Theories
Winter
2005. Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00-11:50 a.m. Old
Instructor: Dr. Steve Macek Office
Hours: Monday 2-5 p.m.; Tuesday
Home Phone:
630-718-0836 8:30-10 a.m.; Thursday 2-5 p.m. and by
Campus Phone: 630-637-5369 appointment.
E-mail: shmacek@noctrl.edu
Webpage: http://stephen.macek.faculty.noctrl.edu
Office: Pfeiffer Hall, Room
40
Campus Mailbox: #403.
Course
Description
In our society, persuasive communication is impossible to avoid. Every
year the average American sees more than 38,000 TV commercials and several
100,000 advertisements of other kinds. We’re bombarded by persuasive messages
every time we open a newspaper or magazine, drive by a billboard, listen to
talk radio, see a poster cautioning us not to drive
drunk, or get handed a flyer for a political cause. Even our conversations with friends are
likely to involve (sometimes unconscious) efforts to influence their behavior
and persuade them to see things our way.
This course aims to provide you with
a solid grounding in the theories, principles, strategies, and techniques of
social influence as they apply to various modes and contexts of communication.
Special emphasis will be placed in this class on propaganda and techniques of
mass persuasion in the media and advertising.
And, throughout, we’ll pay special attention to the central role of
persuasive communication in a democratic society.
Required
Texts
Gass,
R. H. & Seiter, J.S.. Persuasion, Social Influence and
Compliance Gaining (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999).
Pratkanis,
A.R. & Aronson, E. . Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion
(
Procedures,
Requirements and Expectations
Course Format. This is a discussion-based, seminar-style
course. I will give occasional lectures
and from time to time we will look at videos or other media in class. However,
the majority of class time will be given over to class discussion of the
concepts and issues raised by the readings and lectures. As such, the success of the course depends on
your participation and thorough preparation. I expect you to do the required
reading, to come to class with questions for discussion and to make an effort
to participate. In class discussions, it will be my job to facilitate and to
keep the conversation flowing.
Assignments. The assignments for the
course include short papers and reviews as well as a more elaborate term
project. You’ll complete six short (1-2 page) “theory-in-action” papers in
which you analyze concrete, real world examples, illustrations or applications
of a particular theory or model we’re studying.
You’ll write a 3-5 page critical analysis of the film, Wag the Dog, and discuss what it can
tell us about techniques of propaganda. Finally, you’ll complete an
end-of-the-term project in which you design a persuasive campaign for a
product, political candidate or social cause. For this final project, you’ll be
asked to a) make a persuasive speech promoting your product, candidate or cause
to the class (in the 10th week of the course), b) create examples of
sales or campaign “literature” and advertisements, and c) write a final report
(roughly 5-6 pages) explaining the strategies you used and rhetorical decisions
you made in planning your campaign. All
writing assignments should be typed or printed in 12 point Times or New York
font, double-spaced, have one-inch margins and be stapled together. They should
also be relatively free of mechanical and grammatical error. If you write on a
computer, be sure to back-up your work. Put your name, the date and the name of
the class on all assignments. See the attached Guidelines and Standards for
Written Work for more details about the writing assignments.
In-class Midterm Exam. In
addition to the writing assignments listed above, there will be an in-class
midterm in the 6th week of the course. The exam will cover the readings
and lectures and will consist of multiple choice, fill
in the blank and short answer questions.
Electronic Submissions. If
you like, you may submit your writing assignments by e-mail. Electronic
submissions should arrive in my in-box prior to the listed due date. Send them
to me as attachments, preferably in the form of Microsoft Word files.
Class Participation and
Attendance. It will be extremely
difficult for you to do well in this course if you don't come to class. I
expect you to attend class regularly, to be on time and to stay for the entire
session. Your record of attendance and your contributions to class discussion
will determine 10% of your final grade. To receive a high score for your
participation, you should not only do the reading for class but also come
prepared to say something. It might help if you came to class with a list of
questions or a passage from the readings you'd like to discuss.
Grades. Your grade for the course
will be based on the your papers, the midterm, your
final project and your participation in class.
The “theory in
action” papers are each worth 5% of your final grade. The film
review is worth 10% of your grade, the mid-term exam will count for 15% and the
various parts of the final project will together count for 35%. Class
participation and attendance will count for 10% of your grade for the course.
To make it easier for me to calculate final grades, each assignment or grade
component will receive both a letter grade and a corresponding point score. On
my grading scale, an A is 93% to 100% of the possible points, 90 to 92% is an
A-, 87% to 89% is a B+, 83% to 86% is a B, 80% to 82% is a B-, 77% to 79% is a
C +, 73% to 76% is a C, 70% to 72% is a C-, 67% to 69% is a D+, 60% to 68% is a
D and anything less than 59% is an F.
Below
is a breakdown of the points for each assignment or final grade component:
6
“theory-in-action” papers
@ 50 points= 300
points
1
review of “Wag the Dog” @ 100 points= 100 points
1
in-class mid-term exam @ 150 points= 150
points
1
final persuasion project:
1 presentation @100 points
Examples of campaign literature and ads @ 100 points
1 report @150 points
Project total= 350
points
Class
participation= 100
points
________________________________________________________________
1000
total points possible
To figure out how you are doing in the course at any time during the term, simply divide the points you've earned so far by the number of points you could've earned.
Late Work. The
due dates for each of the writing assignments are clearly listed on the
schedule below. Grades on late work will be lowered one letter grade for each
week the assignment is overdue.
Course
Schedule
Week 1.
Tuesday, January 4. Why
study persuasion?; Overview of the course.
Thursday, January 6. The
classical origins of the study of persuasion; What is propaganda?
Week 2.
Tuesday, January 11. The drive to be consistent and the “rationalization trap”.
Thursday, January 13. Setting the stage for persuasion.
Theory in Action Paper # 1
Due.
Week 3.
Tuesday, January 18.
Credibility
Thursday, January 20. Social
and psychological characteristics and persuasibility
Theory in Action Paper # 2
Due.
Week 4.
Tuesday, January 25. The
urge to conform
Thursday, January 27. Language and the persuasive message.
Reading: Gass & Seiter, Chapter 7 ;
Pratkanis & Aronson Chapter 17-21.
Theory in Action Paper # 3
Due.
Week 5.
Tuesday, February 1. Designing an effective persuasive message.
Thursday, February 3. Designing an effective message (continued).
Theory in Action Paper # 4
Due.
Week 6.
Tuesday, February 8. Midterm.
Thursday, February 10. Appealing to emotions.
Reading: Gass & Seiter, Chapter
13 ; Pratkanis & Aronson Chapters 24-30.
Week 7.
Tuesday, February 15. Visual
persuasion.
Reading: Gass & Seiter, Chapter
14.
Thursday, February 17. The
art of the lie.
Reading: Gass & Seiter, Chapter
12.
Theory in Action Paper # 5
Due.
Week 8.
Tuesday, February 22. Movie
day.
Screening: Wag the Dog
Theory in Action Paper # 6
Due.
Thursday, February 24.
Discuss Wag the Dog.
Also today: Meet with me about final
projects.
Week 9.
Tuesday, March 1. The ethics
of persuasive communication.
Reading: Gass & Seiter, Chapter
16.
Thursday, March 3. The
limits of persuasion and techniques of mental self-defense.
Reading: Pratkanis & Aronson 31-33 and 35-40
Wag the Dog review due.
Week 10.
Tuesday, March 8. Final
Project Presentations.
Thursday, March 10. Final
Project Presentations & Course Evaluations.
Finals Week.
Tuesday, March 15. Final Project (report & examples of campaign literature) due in my e-mail inbox or campus mailbox by 4 p.m.
Guidelines and
Standards for Written Work
• All written work must be typed or printed in dark ink, double-spaced, stapled (not paper clipped) together, in 12 point Times or New York font with one inch margins and should have a title page. It must be responsive to all aspects of the assignment, including length, and should use the Modern Language Association (MLA) system of documentation and style.
• Written work should be relatively free of mechanical and grammatical error.
• Document every reference, including page numbers whenever possible. Refer to a writer’s manual if you need guidance about how to do this.
• Support claims not common knowledge with evidence and conclusions with argument. Take time to plan your papers and devote some time to rewriting them. Always keep a second copy of your work.
• Assume your reader has not taken this course. Define all terms whose definitions are controversial or obscure. Take time to explain the theories you are using. Include as much detail as you need to support your argument. Illustrations (diagrams, storyboards, photographs, photos of still frames, etc.) are always welcome.
• Avoid racist or sexist language and cliches.
• Grades: Failure to follow any of the above guidelines will result in a lower grade. Otherwise, here are my standards:
An "A" paper demonstrates that the writer has not only mastered the concepts of the course, but has applied them in an original, imaginative and incisive manner. The paper shows a command of the language that allows the writer to express ideas and observations clearly, effectively, in detail and with virtually no mechanical errors. The paper includes adequate documentation. "A"s are reserved for exceptional essays.
A "B" paper demonstrates that the writer has understood the concepts of the course and has applied them with some originality. The paper shows the writer can organize a coherent essay with few errors. The paper for the most part includes adequate documentation.
A "C" paper demonstrates that the writer has understood most of the concepts of the course but needs to pay more attention to reading or writing. Documentation is erratic.
A "D" paper demonstrates that the writer has only a minimal understanding of the concepts of the course. Significant gaps in the writer's comprehension indicate the need for more study. The paper shows the writer's basic compositional skills are below satisfactory. Documentation is unsatisfactory.
A "F" paper demonstrates that the writer has little, if any, understanding of the concepts of the course. Because of the writer's lack of skill or concern, the work includes gross errors as well as a lack of content. Documentation is negligible. The paper may also fail to address parts of the assignment.
A paper may combine characteristics of different levels of work. In that case, the grade will depend on the paper's overall demonstration of knowledge of the material and of college writing skills.
Please see me if you have questions about my standards or about any of your grades for the course.