Investigates the effects an assigned audience has on undergraduates' attitudes, composing strategies, and persuasive writing. Finds that while assigning an audience had a limited effect on essay scores, it increased students' interest, effort, use of audience-based strategies, and ability to persuade. (SR)

Considers Walter Fisher's criticisms of the "rational-world" paradigm, as well as his defense of the narrative paradigm. Concludes that a useful argumentative tradition, best represented by the informal logic movement, avoids the dangers identified by narrative proponents. Notes that the narrative paradigm largely fails to fulfill its…

Examines the legend Eugene Debs fostered, calling for a renewal of American virtue. Argues that a more sympathetic view of Debs' radicalism is achieved by looking at him against the Judeo-Christian tradition of Old Testament prophecy. (RAE)

Explores the relationship between current theoretical definitions of risk communication, the unique national role that EPA plays in defining health and environmental risks, and possible explanations for EPA's inability to persuade Aspen, Colorado, to accept a cleanup plan. Explores ownership messages conveyed through metacommunication conflict…

Presents guidelines for creating a language center newsletter. These include detailed planning, budgeting, defining your mission and its audience, projecting your image, dividing duties, finding people to work on your newsletter, adhering to a production schedule, careful editing, conducting interviews to gather information for stories, and…

Notes the instructional impact of cash games and describes how to play a game that focuses on persuasive communication. Discusses the cost-effectiveness, attention getting, and incentives associated with cash games. Two figures present the purpose, learning areas, game time, participants, supplies, equipment of the "Best Use" cash game,…

Proposes a view of music video as persuasive argument. Presents results from a study of viewers' perceptions of music videos, finding that viewers discriminate between persuasive argument videos and nonargument videos. Reveals that viewers see social and political content in videos, and videos' potential to influence viewers. (SR)

This article proposes that within the discipline of logic, college students can learn the important elements of persuasive writing. Characteristics of and distinctions between deductive and inductive logic are outlined, and the appropriateness and usefulness of each for different kinds of persuasion are discussed. (MSE)

Analyzed message strategies used by teachers while intervening in toddler disputes. Found that teachers rarely requested information from toddlers during or following conflicts, thus not allowing disputes to be resolved through negotiation. Instead teachers usually used "stop" commands. Teachers intervened in disputes every five minutes,…

Referee design offers a rich field for social and cultural analysis. The preponderance of foreign-dialect advertisements in New Zealand (NZ) broadcasting is discussed and concluded to reflect a small nation's focus on the prestige of other culturally powerful nations and the comparative lack of NZ linguistic diversity. (24 references) (LB)

Describes an assignment that introduces students to argument through a collaborative process of data collection and problem solving. States that the goal of the assignment is to build students' confidence in their ability to apply the kinds of thinking and writing strategies they will need to succeed in college. (PRA)

Presents analysis of argumentative discourse by students, revealing that it involves both dialogical and argumentative operations. Reports that dialogical and argumentative operations are functionally linked. Concludes that the percentage of markers of utterance involvement, axiological forms, and modalizations is much higher in argumentative…

Psychological and pedagogical benefits of studying and promoting speech culture are discussed, particularly as they affect the formation of personality in young people. Ethical and moral implications are mentioned. (15 references) (LB)

Describes a two-week unit on the language of advertising. Maintains that students can learn to imitate the language of advertising to their advantage as writers of arguments. (SR)

Posits a critical approach to the study of contemporary social controversy. Examines objectives to the use of fur as oppositional argument, rhetoric that veers from the goal of persuasion to block conventional associations and refashion communication norms. Shows how pro-fur responses illustrate strategies available to bolster, alter, or abandon…