COMM
4314
•

Persuasion
•

Fall
2010





TR
2:30‐3:45
•
JO
4.502




Instructor:
Lisa
Bell
 
Office
hours:
W
2:00‐4:00


1
Email:
lisa.bell@utdallas.edu 
 and
by
appointment
(http://tungle.me/LisaBell
)

IM:
LBellVOH
(Google2)
 Virtual
(IM)
office
hours:
ping
me

Office:
972.883.2052
∙
JO
5.608E
 



Course
website:
https://sites.google.com/site/persuasionf10/

General
Course
Information

Pre‐/Co‐ COMM
4314
carries
no
pre‐
or
co‐requisites,
and
I
do
not
assume
that
you
bring
any
formal

requisites,
 knowledge
of
persuasion
as
they
begin
the
class.

I
also
expect
you
to
demonstrate
advanced
college

&
other
 level
writing
skills
on
all
assignments.
restrictions

Persuasion
lies
at
the
heart
of
our
personal
and
professional
lives,
appearing
whenever
a

communicator
attempts
to
change
an
audience’s
knowledge,
attitudes,
or
behavior
–
whether
the

goal
is
to
sway
a
single
person,
convince
a
small
group
in
a
meeting,
influence
an
entire

organization,
or
win
over
the
public.

This
course
will
equip
you
to
be
both
an
effective
and
ethical

Course

practitioner
of
persuasion
and
also
a
critical
and
savvy
consumer
of
persuasion.
These
goals
will
be

Description
accomplished
by
surveying
research,
theory,
and
practice
from
interpersonal
and
rhetorical

perspectives
of
communication.

The
interpersonal
perspectives
will
focus
on
social
influence
and

compliance
gaining
while
rhetorical
perspectives
will
focus
on
persuasion,
argumentation,
and

evidence.





Students
who
successfully
complete
COMM
4314
will
develop
the
ability
to:



• Enhance
their
credibility
though
persuasive
appeals
that
adhere
to
professional
and
ethical

norms.

Learning
 • Understand
the
dynamics
of
attitude
formation
and
variables
likely
to
influence
attitudes.


Outcomes • Analyze
opportunities
for
influence
and
implement
effective
strategies
for
building
support.

• Adapt
persuasive
messages
to
different
audiences,
media,
and
constraints.

• Analyze
the
ethical
quality
of
a
persuasive
message,
whether
critically
assessing
someone

else’s
message
or
determining
how
to
craft
an
original
persuasive
appeal.



This
course
requires
one
textbook,
which
you
may
purchase
at
the
campus
bookstore
and
both
off‐
campus
bookstores:



Charles
U.
Larson,
Persuasion:
Reception
and
Responsibility,
12e.

Wadsworth,
2010.


ISBN:
978‐0‐495‐56750‐9

Required

You
also
may
rent
the
textbook
in
paper
or
electronic
format
at
http://tinyurl.com/23awcbx



Text
You
should
complete
the
assigned
reading
before
coming
to
class
to
benefit
from
class
activities.

We

will
not
use
class
time
to
reiterate
what
you
can
learn
from
the
text
–
to
do
so
would
waste
your
time

and
money.

Instead,
we
will
use
class
time
to
master
skills
and
concepts
through
activities
that
depend

on
your
comprehending
and
remembering
what
you
have
read.



1

You
will
have
the
best
response
of
a
quick
response
if
you
email
me.

2

I
do
not
monitor
the
associated
Gmail
address.

Send
all
email
to
lisa.bell@utdallas.edu.




Fall 2010 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 1

Assignments
&
Academic
Calendar



The
following
table
lists
course
assignments
and
their
due
dates.

You
can
find
a
more
detailed
course
schedule,
including

reading
assignments
and
daily
class
topics,
on
the
course
website.



ASSIGNMENT VALUE DUE
DATE
Exam
1
 150
 
September
30

Exam
2
 150
 October
26

Final
Exam
 150
 December
14

Critical
Analysis
Paper
 250
 December
6


Minor
Assignments
 200
 As
scheduled

Communication
Competency
 100
 Daily

TOTAL
POINTS 1000


Minor
Assignments
allow
you
to
work
with
concepts
and
practice
persuasive
skills
as
we
introduce
them
throughout
the

semester;
therefore,
you
will
not
receive
credit
for
any
of
these
assignments
that
you
miss
or
fail
to
submit
punctually
or

properly.









Course
Policies

I
use
a
criteria‐based
rather
than
norm‐based
(curved)
grading
system
and
do
not
award
extra

points
at
the
end
of
the
semester
to
raise
final
grades.

Each
assignment
includes
specific

criteria,
but
I
generally
assess
your
work
according
to
the
resourcefulness
with
which
it:


• fulfills
the
criteria
set
out
in
the
assignment
specifications,

• demonstrates
a
strong
understanding
of
the
practical
and
theoretical
implications
of

persuasive
strategies,
and


• employs
rhetorical
strategies
that
develop
logical
arguments,
strong
claims,
and

adequate
supporting
evidence.



All
work
should
conform
to
professional
and
ethical
standards,
including
proofreading
and

editing
carefully
all
work
you
submit
in
this
class.

Professionalism
also
means
that
you
use

appropriate
source
citation
wherever
and
whenever
necessary
so
that
you
avoid
violations
of

copyright
–
even
if
you
make
those
violations
inadvertently.

You
should
use
APA
citation

formats
for
all
reference
citations.

The
Purdue
OWL
provides
a
convenient
summary
of
APA

guidelines
at
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
.

Grading
Criteria


You
may
consult
with
the
writing
center
on
any
assignment
(call
972.883.6707

to
schedule
an
appointment),
but
don’t
expect
them
to
copyedit
your

documents.

Similarly,
you
should
not
expect
(or
ask)
them
to
predict
what

grade
your
work
might
receive.

They
help,
but
they
cannot
guarantee
results.


You
bear
the
responsibility
for
the
work
that
you
submit.





I
will
assign
final
grades
according
to
the
2008‐2010
UTD
Undergraduate
Catalog
scale:



B+
 870‐899 C+
 770‐799 D+
 670‐699
A
 930‐1000 B
 830‐869 C
 730‐769 D
 630‐669 F
 0‐599
A‐
 900‐929 B‐
 800‐829 C‐
 700‐729 D‐
 600‐629



Fall 2010 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 2

 The
following
descriptions
may
help
you
understand
how
I
view
the
different
grade
levels.





A






Exceptional
work
that
brings
insight,
perceptiveness,
and
originality
to
a
nuanced

understanding
of
the
persuasive
theories
at
play
in
the
assignment.

Exhibits
a
polished,

professional
style
that
contributes
to
the
strong
sense
of
professionalism
that
characterizes

the
assignment.




B






A
good
response
to
an
assignment
will
typically
have
a
thorough,
well‐organized
response

supported
with
concrete
evidence
and
an
interesting,
precise,
and
clear
style.

Work
quality

indicates
original
application
of
course
materials
that
exceeds
minimum
requirements
but

contains
minor
problems
in
understanding
or
applying
persuasive
concepts
that
would
not

appear
in
an
exceptional
work
product.




C






Submission
meets
all
basic
requirements
and
demonstrates
reasonable
competence
in

content
and
style;
however,
it
may
contain
repeated
errors
that
detract
from
the

assignment’s
effectiveness
even
though
they
may
not
constitute
serious
errors.

This

satisfactory
work
product
meets
minimal
assignment
requirements
but
does
not
provide

sufficient
evidence
or
fails
to
implement
concepts
effectively.




D





Work
product
does
not
complete
the
assignment
satisfactorily,
containing
significant

problems
in
content,
organization,
style,
or
mechanics
that
distract
the
audience
or

interfere
with
the
reception
of
the
message.




F






The
submission
fails
to
meet
one
or
more
basic
assignment
requirements;
lacks
adequate

organization
or
shows
confusion/misunderstanding
of
concepts;
fails
to
develop
and

support
strong
arguments;
uses
an
inappropriate
tone,
poor
word
choice,
or
other
stylistic

problems;
or
contains
frequent
and
distracting
mechanical
or
grammatical
problems.




Exams
and
in‐class
assignments
can
be
made
up
only
under
university‐specified
circumstances,

Make‐up
Exams such
as
religious
holidays.

Students
who
find
themselves
in
such
a
situation
need
to
arrange
an

alternate
exam
date
at
least
one
week
in
advance.



I
do
not
curve
individual
items,
nor
do
I
offer
“special
consideration”
to
allow
students
a
chance

to
raise
their
grade.

If
a
personal
situation
arises
during
the
semester
that
may
affect
your

Extra
Credit classroom
performance,
please
talk
to
me
sooner
rather
than
later.
If
you
wait
until
the
end
of

the
semester,
I
won’t
be
able
to
help
you.
I
can
work
with
you
more
easily
if
you
speak
to
me

when
the
situation
arises.

I
can’t
help
you
if
I
don’t
know
you
need
help.


Late,
incomplete,
or
improperly
submitted
work
is
not
acceptable
in
this
course.

I
will
not
accept

late
or
make‐up
work
for
any
minor
assignments,
except
under
university‐specified

Late
Work circumstances.

I
will
only
accept
the
Critical
Analysis
Paper
as
a
late
assignment,
but
the

assignment
will
lose
25%
of
the
possible
assignment
points
each
day
the
assignment
is
late,

tolled
as
the
24
hour
period
following
the
submission
deadline.





• You
 should
 make
 a
 habit
 of
 monitoring
 the
 course
 website
 on
 a
 regular
 basis
 for

announcements,
assignments,
discussions,
and
other
important
information.


Technology
 • Technological
problems
do
not
excuse
late
work,
so
plan
accordingly.


Requirements

• To
 protect
 your
 privacy
 rights,
 I
 will
 only
 send
 email
 through
 your
 official
 UT
 Dallas

email
address.




Fall 2010 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 3

 You
must
attend
class
regularly,
prepare
the
assigned
readings,
and
actively
participate
in

class.
Work
assigned
for
this
class
carries
no
less
priority
than
work
you
may
have
to
complete

for
any
other
class
or
job.

Classroom
lectures,
discussions,
and
activities
do
not
generally
lend

themselves
to
summary
after
the
fact.

Moreover,
class
participation
is
a
vital
part
of
your

learning
process.




Class
 I
allow
up
to
two
absences
for
any
reason
without
penalty.
Your
third
absence
(and
each

Attendance absence
thereafter)
will
decrease
your
Communication
Competency
grade
by
10
points.


Excessive
absences
and
tardiness
may
result
in
larger
penalties
to
the
Communication

Competency
grade.

However,
I
reward
attendance
and
participation.

Perfect
attendance
will

add
20
points,
and
missing
only
one
class
will
add
10
points
to
your
Communication
Competency

grade.


Notice
that
no
adjectives
modify
“absences.”

I
make
no
distinction
between
“excused”

and
“unexcused”
absences.

Unless
you
have
a
disability
or
other
university‐specified

accommodation,
the
excellence
of
your
excuse
is
not
a
factor
–
you
either
attend
class
or
not.



Civility
in
all
course
communication
and
behavior
is
explicitly
part
of
our
Communication

Competency
assignment.

This
civility
includes
respecting
others’
opinions,
working
together
in
a

spirit
of
cooperation,
and
actively
listening
to
those
who
are
speaking.

I
expect
you
to
be

considerate
and
demonstrate
integrity.

Some
of
the
ways
you
can
demonstrate
your
skills
in

this
area
include
(but
certainly
are
not
limited
to):

• Keeping
the
class
in
the
foreground
of
your
attention.

Multitasking
inhibits
focused

concentration,
disrupts
communication,
and
may
distract
your
peers.

Therefore,

while
you
may
bring
technical
devices
to
class,
you
should
only
use
them
to
facilitate

course
goals.

If
you
relegate
class
to
the
background,
your
communication

competency
grade
will
suffer,
and
you
will
receive
an
absence
for
the
day
if
I
find
the

Communication

backgrounding
activity
excessive
or
distracting
to
your
fellow
students.


Competency
Backgrounding
activity
may
include
sleeping,
texting
or
IMing,
social
networking,

listening
to
headphones,
or
attending
to
material
not
related
to
class
content
–

including
working
on
assignments
for
other
classes.

• Showing
respect
to
your
peers
and
to
the
instructor
in
your
listening
and

communicating
behaviors.



• Participating
actively
in
class
rather
than
simply
waiting
to
be
called
on.




• Bringing
interesting,
topical
information
to
share
with
the
class.

• Taking
responsibility
for
the
consequences
of
your
choices
and
actions.




• Do
 not
 tamper
 with
 or
 destroy
 any
 of
 the
 computers,
 printers,
 Smart
 Board,
 white

boards,
 networks
 or
 wiring
 in
 the
 classroom.
 Violations
 will
 result
 in
 a
 disciplinary

referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.

Classroom
and

Equipment
Use
 • Silence
 electronic
 device
 notification
 settings
 before
 class
 begins
 and
 refrain
 from

Policies accepting
calls
in
class.


• Use
 the
 classroom
 and
 equipment
 only
 for
 COMM
 4314‐related
 activities.
 Violations

will
result
in
a
disciplinary
referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.





You
should
also
familiarize
yourself
with
the
UT
Dallas
Syllabus
Procedures
and
Policies
available

at
http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus‐policies





These
descriptions
and
timelines
are
subject
to
change
at
the
discretion
of
the
Professor.




Fall 2010 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 4

 FALL
2010
COMM
4314
COURSE
SCHEDULE



Please
complete
assigned
readings
before
coming
to
class
on
Tuesday
unless
otherwise
noted.



WEEK
 DATES
 TOPICS
 ASSIGNMENTS

1
 August
19
 Course
Introduction
 

THEORETICAL
PREMISES

August
24

2
 Persuasion
in
Today’s
Changing
World
 Read
Chapter
1


August
26

August
31

3
 Perspectives
on
Ethics
in
Persuasion
 Read
Chapter
2

September
2


 
 FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER
3:
Last
day
to
drop
without
a
W
 

September
7
 Traditional,
Artistic,
and
Humanistic
Approaches

4
 Read
Chapters
3
and
4

September
9
 Social
Scientific
Approaches
to
Persuasion

September
14

5
 The
Making,
Use,
and
Misuse
of
Symbols
 Read
Chapter
5

September
16


 
 THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER
16:
WP/WF
period
begins
 

September
21
 Tools
for
Analyzing
Language
and
Other
Persuasive

6
 Read
Chapter
6

September
23
 Symbols

IDENTIFYING
PERSUASIVE
FIRST
PREMISES

Read
Chapter
7


September
28
 Psychological
or
Process
Premises:
The
tools
of

7
 EXAM
1:
SEPTEMBER
30

September
30
 motivation
and
emotion

(Chapters
1‐
6)

October
5

8
 Content
or
Logical
Premises
in
Persuasion
 Read
Chapter
8

October
7

October
12

9
 Cultural
Premises
in
Persuasion
 Read
Chapter
9

October
14

October
19

10
 Nonverbal
Messages
in
Persuasion
 Read
Chapter
10

October
21


 
 MONDAY,
OCTOBER
25:
Last
day
to
drop
WP/WF
 

APPLICATION
OF
PERSUASIVE
PREMISES

EXAM
2:
OCTOBER
26

October
26

11
 Persuasive
Campaigns
and
Movements

 (Chapters
7‐10)

October
28

Read
Chapter
11
for
Thursday

November
2

12
 Persuasive
Campaigns
and
Movements,
continued
 

November
4

November
9

13
 Becoming
a
Persuader
 Read
Chapter
12

November
11

November
16

14
 Becoming
a
Persuader,
continued
 

November
18

Modern
Media
and
Persuasion

15
 November
23
 Read
Chapter
13

No
class
on
Thursday,
November
25
(Thanksgiving)

Critical
Analysis
Paper
due

November
30

16
 Modern
Media
and
Persuasion,
continued
 Monday,
December
6
at
5:00

December
2

pm


 
 FINAL
EXAM:
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER
14,
2:00‐4:45
PM
 



Additional
exercises
and
homework
assignments
will
be
announced
in
class
and
on
the
course
site.


Fall 2010 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 8.18.2010 5