COMM
4314
•

Persuasion
•

Spring
2011


Mondays
7:00‐9:45
•
JO
4.502






Instructor:
Lisa
Bell
 
Office
hours:
Wednesdays,
4:00‐6:00

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

@subcontrary
 Office:
972.883.2052
∙
JO
5.608E






Course
website:
lisabell.pbworks.com


General
Course
Information

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

Pre‐/Co‐ knowledge
of
persuasion
as
you
begin
the
class.

However,
I
do
expect
you
to
demonstrate

requisites advanced
college
level
writing
skills
on
all
assignments.

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.



Spring 2011 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 1.9.2011 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
 February
7

Exam
2
 150
 March
21

Speech
 150
 April
18‐25

1
Critical
Analysis
Paper
 400
 May
9
at
5:00
pm 


Participation
 150
 Daily

TOTAL
POINTS 1000


Course
Policies

The
following
course‐specific
policies
supplement
the
standard
UTDallas
policies
that
you



must
know
and
follow
(available
at
http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus‐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


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






1

Submit
your
Critical
Analysis
Paper
to
lbell_7wm@sendtodropbox.com.



Spring 2011 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 1.9.2011 2
 A






Exceptional
work
that
brings
insight
and
originality
to
a
nuanced
understanding
of
the

rhetorical
theories
at
play
in
the
assignment
to
demonstrate
a
superior
aptitude
and

initiative
in
coursework.

Exhibits
a
polished,
professional
style
characterized
by
accuracy

and
polish
that
enhances
credibility.




B






High
quality
work
that
indicates
original
application
of
course
materials
that
exceeds

minimum
requirements
and
occasionally
demonstrates
excellence
in
exceptional

characteristics
but
does
so
inconsistently.

B‐level
work
may
also
contain
minor
problems
in

understanding
or
applying
concepts
that
would
not
appear
in
an
exceptional
work
product.




C






Acceptable
work
that
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





Unsatisfactory
work
product
that
does
not
meet
particular
assignment
requirements
and

contains
significant
problems
in
content,
organization,
style,
or
mechanics
that
distract
the

audience
or
interfere
with
the
reception
of
the
message.




F






Unacceptable
work
that
fails
to
meet
multiple
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.




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

I
will
not
accept

late
or
make‐up
work
for
any
assignments,
except
for
university‐specified
circumstances.

If
you

Late
Work
and
 must
miss
class
or
deadlines
for
such
reasons,
you
should
make
arrangements
with
me
in

Make‐up
Exams advance.




Technological
problems
do
not
excuse
late
or
missing
work,

so
plan
your
work
schedule
to
allow
time
for
mishaps.

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.


Woody
Allen
might
argue
that
80%
of
success
is
showing
up,
but
simply
showing
up
won’t

generate
80%
of
the
possible
participation
points.

Your
participation
grade
explicitly
includes

civility
and
professionalism
in
all
course
communication
and
behavior.

This
civility
includes

contributing
to
conversations,
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.




Participation

• 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.


• Adding
value
with
your
contributions
to
discussion,
such
as
connecting
disparate

ideas,
bringing
topical
information
to
the
table,
and
asking
insightful
questions.

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




Spring 2011 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 1.9.2011 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.




I
allow
one
absence
for
any
reason
without
penalty,
but
each
subsequent
absence
will
decrease

Class

your
participation
grade.

Notice
that
no
adjectives
modify
“absence.”

I
make
no
distinction

Attendance
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.

Excessive
absences
will
have
significant
impacts
on
your
course
grade
and
may
result
in

failure.


The
class
attendance
policy
is
not
strictly
punitive,
though.
I
will
add
20
points
to
your
course

total
if
you
attend
every
class.





You
may
use
laptops,
tablets,
cell
phones,
and
other
digital
devices
so
long
as
you
use
them

responsibly
and
respectfully.

If
your
digital
device
disturbs
other
students
or
interferes
with

Digital
Devices
 your
ability
to
participate
meaningfully
in
class
activities,
you
may
be
asked
to
remove
the

distraction
and/or
leave
class,
thus
losing
credit
for
any
of
the
day’s
activities.


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

announcements,
assignments,
discussions,
and
other
important
information.

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

Technology
 email
address.



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

and

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

Classroom
 referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.

Equipment

• 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.




Spring 2011 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 1.9.2011 4

 SPRING
2011
COMM
4314
COURSE
SCHEDULE



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





DATE
 TOPIC
 READING
DUE


 THEORETICAL
PREMISES
 

January
10
 Introduction
to
Persuasion
 Chapters
1
and
2

January
17
 MLK
Holiday
 

January
24
 Analytical
Approaches
to
Persuasion
 Chapters
3
and
4


January
31
 Symbolic
Approaches
to
Persuasion
 Chapters
5
and
6


February
7
 EXAM
1
 


 IDENTIFYING
PERSUASIVE
FIRST
PREMISES
 

February
14
 Psychological
Premises
 Chapter
7


February
21
 Logical
Premises
 Chapter
8


February
28
 Cultural
Premises

 Chapter
9


March
7
 Nonverbal
Premises
 Chapter
10


March
14
 SPRING
BREAK
 

March
21
 EXAM
2
 


 APPLICATIONS
OF
PERSUASIVE
PREMISES
 

March
28
 Persuasive
Campaigns
and
Movements
 Chapter
11


April
4
 Paper
Workshop
Day
 


April
11
 Becoming
a
Persuader
 Chapter
12


April
18
 Persuasive
Speeches

 


April
25
 Persuasive
Speeches
 


May
2
 Advertising
and
IMC
 Chapter
14


May
9
 Critical
Analysis
Paper
Due,
7:00
pm
 

No
seated
final
exam.





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


Spring 2011 COMM 4314 Syllabus, Rev. 1.9.2011 5