There are three systems of ethics applicable to forensics programs. The classical conception borrows from Quintilian's reference to a "good man speaking well." A second approach starts from the context of a democratic society and builds on the principles that should govern a speaker in that setting, among which are the obligation to…

A three-phased writing assignment in Freshman Composition helps students move from writing narration and description to producing writing which supports and argues a point. In the first phase, the students are asked to write a paper which clearly states a point. In the second phase, students alter their first paper to conform to the needs of a…

A case study investigated how writers use information from reading for writing. Specifically, it examined what happens when writers are asked to read about an unfamiliar topic and then use that information to write an argument. A student was requested to complete four tasks that represented stages one might go through to write an argumentative…

In light of increasing concern over media portrayals of women as willing victims of violence, a study examined images of violence against women in advertising, with the goal of determining to what extent advertisers were aware of the implied violence against women in the ads they sponsor, and, if advertisers were aware of the underlying…

As a result of the overwhelming amount of print and electronic advertisements which compete for consumer attention, advertisers must find effective methods to get through the ad clutter and capture their audience's interest. Several tactics can accomplish this strategy, including the tactic of breaking or reversing audience expectations or…

Since South Africa declared the first "State of Emergency" in July 1985, the issue of South African apartheid has sparked direct and sustained debates between Jerry Falwell and Jesse Jackson at Lynchburg, Virginia, as well as on ABC's "Nightline." On "Nightline," while Falwell's position on disinvestment (after a…

The standards used to evaluate after-dinner speech in forensic contests are explored in this paper. The central thesis of this theoretical article suggests that the standards generated by the Second National Conference on Forensics for the evaluation of public address are applicable to the contest event of after-dinner speaking. The paper argues…

A general theory of bargaining that is applicable to all types of bargaining situations and that provides a framework for analyzing the stages of the bargaining process is presented. Bargaining theory is critiqued with special attention directed to theories of Zeuthen, Hicks, Pen, and Chamberlain. The proposed framework in bargaining power is…

William G. Perry, Jr.'s, ideas on the development of student writers were used as a frame of reference for a study of the discursive development of students enrolled in writing seminars at Skidmore College (New York). Perry posits that students execute a series of maneuvers in which they first try to assimilate new perspectives they are…

Student congress is a speech activity in which students act as a legislative assembly, write and debate bills, and learn parliamentary procedure. It allows the teacher to make points about advocacy, ethics in persuasion, contemporary issues, and the workings of a democracy at the same time that students develop a feeling of control and mastery,…

The emergence of a modern or "new" rhetoric has been characterized by its attempt both to recover and reexamine the concepts of classical rhetoric and to define itself against that classical tradition. The distinctions that are persistently drawn between classical and modern rhetoric fall under four related heads: images of man and…

Uniting research on parental control techniques with studies examining adolescents' perceptions of conjugal and parental power, this study investigates adolescent perceptions of parental persuasive communication. One hundred ninety adolescents from two small midwestern high schools were asked to complete a questionnaire. The first four sections of…

Awareness of audience is of major importance in rhetoric, but most students who come to a writing center need help in recognizing and accommodating an audience for their work. Standard warnings from rhetoric texts and writing instructors not to write for the instructor not withstanding, it is the job of the writing center staff to help the student…

A forensics background offers the greatest advantages for attorneys who engage in trial and appelate work. Successful lawyers build upon a few basic qualities: (1) the ability to view objectively the arguments on both sides of the case, (2) adequate research and preparation, (3) correct choices as to which arguments to press, (4) a well-conceived…

This investigation attempted to determine if subjects' cognitive responses to a persuasive communication are more highly correlated with attitude change than the recall of arguments presented in the communication. Subjects (79 students enrolled in several sections of an elementary science methods course) were exposed to a systematically designed…