Proof and Reasoning

So, let's talk about this. Whistleblower or traitor?


Proof is a preponderance of evidence connected through reasoning to lead one to take a persuader's advice.

Direct Experience - the most relative and yet when it's need is dire, the most difficult to come by.
Dramatic or Vicarious Experience (Second -hand testimony, witness) - the power of the narrative.

• Narratives

"The narrative will carry more persuasive freight than any other form of evidence."

• Testimony

As receivers we live vicariously through what witnesses experienced when we hear direct testimony. Studies show that testimony is more often unreliable or incorrect, because we see and hear what we want to see instead of the truth that exists outside our frame of reference.

• Anecdotal

Short narratives that make a point in a hurry. An example from Wikipedia’s article:

“There’s abundant proof that God exists and is still performing miracles today. Just last week I read about a girl who was dying of cancer. Her whole family went to church and prayed for her, and she was cured."

• Participation and Demonstration

350 Cubic Inches v. Friends



Types of Reasoning

Reasoning within an argument gives the rationale behind why one choice should be selected over another. Types of reasoning include:

• Abduction: the process of creating explanatory hypotheses.
• Analogical reasoning: relating things to novel other situations.
• Cause-and-effect reasoning: showing causes and resulting effect.
  
  • Cause-to-effects reasoning: starting from the cause and going forward.
  • Effects-to-cause reasoning: starting from the effect and working backward.
• Comparative reasoning: comparing one thing against another.
• Conditional reasoning: using if...then...
• Criteria reasoning: comparing against established criteria.
• Decompositional reasoning: understand the parts to understand the whole.
• Deductive reasoning: starting from the general rule and moving to specifics.
• Inductive reasoning: starting from specifics and deriving a general rule.
• Modal logic: arguing about necessity and possibility.
• Traditional logic: assuming premises are correct.
• Pros-vs-cons reasoning: using arguments both for and against a case.
• Set-based reasoning: based on categories and membership relationships.
• Systemic reasoning: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Syllogistic reasoning: drawing conclusions from premises.

Note that these are not all mutually exclusive methods and several give different lenses onto overlapping areas. In classical argument, for example, all arguments are framed as either inductive or deductive.


Abuses of Reasoning
Statistics
Testimony

The Future of Learning

Persuasive Framing with Russell Brand

Theoretical Premise Presentation Rubric

Specified Objectives for Activity

• Understand the importance of attending and listening to the other person, and portray listening behaviors that demonstrate your understanding.
• Transfer an understanding of communication fundamentals to the social contexts experienced in everyday life.
• Understand the axioms of persuasive communication and its principles and ethics.
• Evaluate the interplay between the persuasive source and the responsive audience.

Point Value: 100

Activity Description
You will be assigned a theoretical premise to present in class. The presentation should show an application of your topic. Application suggestions include artifacts from the media, commercials, magazine ads, spam approaches, public display advertising, anything that attempts to persuade. Apply to your artifact a theory drawn from any of the following:

Ethical Responsibility
Dialogic, Epistemic or Narrative Approaches
Dual Process
Compliance Gaining
Semiotics and Semantics

Outline your presentation. An integrated presentation, meaning some level of technology and produced media, is highly encouraged.

Use your book for initial research and at least two additional outside sources and be sure to site your sources in your presentation. Your outline should also include a source-cited page.


Activity Rubric
The learner executed a cogent presentation on a specific premise of persuasion theory and applied to a viable artifact. 40 points

The learner showed apt understanding of their premise and source material and their artifact upheld the applied premise. 30 points

The learner included at least three sources, a minimum of two drawn from outside research, within their presentation. 15 points

A presentation outline was submitted including sources cited within the presentation.
15 points

Semiotics