As teachers of political theory, our goal is not merely to help students understand the abstract reasoning behind key ideas and texts of our discipline. We also wish to convey the historical contexts that informed these ideas and texts, including the political aims of their authors. But the traditional lecture-and-discussion approach tends to…

Describes the Persuasive Arguments Theory (PAT), a noninteractional theory of group decision-making that predicts postdiscussion shifts from prediscussion cognitive arguments, elaborates on it, and advances two models to test the PAT perspective on argument. Finds the second model demonstrates superior predictive ability to the PAT model at some…

Business undergraduates wrote unfavorable and persuasive letters either individually (121 controls) or in groups of 4 (92 experimentals). Analysis of variance tests revealed the group writing projects to be of higher quality, significantly for unfavorable letters. Both controls and experimentals wrote better persuasive letters than unfavorable…

Proposes a synthesis based on persuasive argument theories but including a revised social comparison component to account for group polarization. Indicates that group members first lean toward risk or caution based on the proportion of arguments on "both sides" but henceforth argue for the "correct side" using their…

Assesses Persuasive Arguments Theory (PAT) assumptions about argument and argument influence. Reviews and critiques PAT, advancing five hypotheses to test its assumptions. Finds little correspondence between cognitive and discussion arguments in number, content, or persuasiveness. Discusses implications for PAT and for the role of communication in…

Identifies patterns of argument that characterize majority and minority communication in 34 discussions among small groups of students in decision-making situations. Finds that winning and losing subgroups argue differently (as do minority and majority subgroups overall) and that consistency in argument is a strong predictor of subgroup success.…

Investigates the effects of consultation among collegiate debate judges prior to balloting. Results suggest that such interaction produces stronger bases for and confidence in final decisions. (MH)

Examines how individual status characteristics (expertise, occupational status, physical attractiveness, and majority and minority argument quality) influence minority member persuasiveness. Demonstrates that, although all variables influenced perceived status, only relative argument quality had a direct impact on attitude change. (SR)

Views a concept of sharing and interplay between being and being as a necessary factor in the persuasion process. Two constituents of conviviality are discussed in terms of rhetorical operants. (MH)

Posits a theoretical process model of group argument. Uses the Group Valence Model and two versions of the Distribution of Valence Model to investigate argument-outcome links. Finds that both frameworks were good predictors of group outcomes, and that all argument acts tested were good predictors of group decision choices except those of…

Examines the rhetoric of "popular" atheists in the U.S. and argues that their rhetoric possesses distinctive features that are the natural results of existential failure. (MH)

While a number of feature films can be used in group-process instruction, "Twelve Angry Men" and "The Breakfast Club" are particularly valuable for analyzing group communication patterns and strategies. "Twelve Angry Men" demonstrates that persuasion in groups can take place through a variety of methods. Exercises…

Investigated how majority and minority arguments are positively or negatively responded to by group members and the effects of such responses on the polarization process. Demonstrated that reactions to minority arguments, not the forwarding of minority arguments per se, were significantly correlated with the degree of group polarization. (PD)

This study involved a teaching experiment in which academic argumentation was practiced during a ten-week email course in a Finnish university. During the course, two working methods were used: free debate and role play. The aim of the study was to clarify how these two working methods activated students in mutual argumentative dialogue and…

A need exists for development of communication competence as a part of management. Although public relations literature has dealt with the nature of management counseling and when and why it should be practiced, the literature has not clearly defined the importance of audience analysis, location of the management counseling sessions, and…