Course Outline: SP 314U-001: Persuasion
Fall 2005; CRN 13314
M, W, F, 10:15-11:20
NH 350

Instructor: J. David Kennamer, Ph.D.
Department of Communication
Office: Neuberger Hall, 37
Telephone: (503) 725-3534; E-mail: jdkenna@pdx.edu
Fall Office Hours: MW, 11:30-12:30; T, 4-5, Th, 12-1, and by appointment

TA: Amanda Weseloh, TENSHICHAN@comcast.net
Required Textbook

Borchers, Timothy A. Persuasion in the Media Age (2nd Ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. (Available at PSU Bookstore)

Materials related to the course can also be found on WebCT at www.psuonline.pdx.edu . Check this frequently for announcements, links to related sites, notes related to lectures, and grades.

Course Purpose and Objectives

As the mass media have expanded their reach into our lives, they have become pervasive purveyors of information, influence and entertainment for most people. Any consideration of the ways in which individuals are persuaded to adopt or change values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors must focus on the media's powerful role.

In a democracy, power is usually exercised, not by force, but by persuasion. Those who have the power to persuade us form the most important force in our democracy and in our market-based economy. Those who would persuade us - people in advertising and public relations, politicians, journalists, leaders of interest groups and organizations - have learned to use the media to persuade us that their version of reality is correct and reasonable, that we should act in ways supportive of their interests, that we should acquiesce to certain corporate or government policies, and that we should expend our resources on particular services and products.

While there is still a place for traditional means of persuasion - through interpersonal influence and public speaking - these often take place through mass media or against a powerful backdrop or context provided by mass media. Thus, this course will blend traditional theories of persuasion, rooted in the theories and practice of the ancient Greeks, with theories and processes of persuasion developed in response to the media environment. It will study persuasion in interpersonal and group settings, as well as persuasion through journalism, advertising and public relations. This will be done within the context of recent research and theory about the way people use and respond to media.

As a result of the course, students should be able to:

  1. Identify and understand traditional theories of persuasion as developed for interpersonal and group settings.
  2. Understand the structure of individual belief systems and how they are formed and changed.
  3. Understand theories of media influence on people.
  4. Understand important theories of attitude change and formation.
  5. Understand the different roles of verbal and visual messages in persuasion.
  6. Understand the "new" medium of the Internet in the persuasion process.
  7. Learn effective techniques of persuasion.
  8. Understand the ethical implications of the persuasion process.

After completing the course you should be more effective and ethical in your persuasive efforts, by understanding the interpersonal, social and media contexts in which such efforts occur. You may also more clearly understand attempts to persuade you.

Requirements

Aside from doing the assigned readings, attending class and participating in discussions, you will be required to take two exams and participate in a group project in which your group prepares written and oral reports describing and critiquing a public persuasive campaign. You will also be required to write a short essay relating to the ethics of a public persuasion campaign. More thorough descriptions of these writing assignments are presented at the end of this syllabus. Percent of grade and due dates for assignments are listed below:

Task Due Date Percent of Grade
Midterm Exam Oct. 26 25%
Persuasive campaign critique    
    Progress reports Oct. 17, Nov.7  
    Written report (draft) Nov. 21  
    Written report (final) Dec. 2 15%
    Oral presentation Week of Nov. 28 15%
Final Exam Wed., Dec. 7, 10:15-12:05 25%
Ethics Essay Dec. 9, Noon 10%
Attendance   10%


Grading Scale: 94-100 = A, 90-93 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 84-86 = B, 80-83 = B-, 77-79 = C+, 74-76 = C, 70-73 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 64-66 = D,60-63 = D-, 59 and below = F.

  • Extensions on assignments and make up exams will be given only under dire and documented circumstances (i.e. serious illness or accident, family crisis, etc.).
  • Remember that final exam week is a part of the term. You are expected to be present for the final exam. I will administer the exam at an alternative time only under very serious and unavoidable circumstances.
  • Incomplete Grades. Incompletes will only be given when students are affected by difficult circumstances that prevent them from completing the course, such as serious illness, accident, or family crisis. To be eligible for an incomplete, the student must show satisfactory progress. Satisfactory progress includes, but is not limited to, a grade of C or better, completion of most coursework (approx. 75%) and a displayed commitment to the policies set forth in the course syllabus. The student and the instructor are required to complete a contract in which both parties agree to the essential work to be done. The student is required to also complete a justification statement. The contract and justification statement must be filed with the department. According to the 2003-2004 Portland State University Bulletin, "The deadline for completion of an Incomplete can be no longer than one year. The instructor may set a shorter deadline which shall be binding" (p. 49).

Course policies

Class attendance is very important and will be taken during every class period. Formally, it accounts for 10 percent of your grade, but in reality much more, since it is only by attending class that you will hear the instructor's explanations of the readings, his introduction of material not in the textbook, discussions among students, and instructions concerning course logistics. You must also attend regularly to maintain your participation in your group project. Be on time, and if you must leave early, do so in a way that does not disrupt the class.

Civility and respect among faculty and students are also very important for the learning process. While you are encouraged to vigorously express your opinions, you must do so in ways that respect the opinions and feelings of others. This includes turning off cell phones, not carrying on side conversations, and refraining from eating in class or leaving the room during the middle of lectures. We will often engage in vigorous, even heated, discussions. Make sure your contributions are constructive and respectful. Avoid rude, crass and insulting comments aimed at your colleagues or the instructor.

Communication with the instructor. Please feel free to meet with me during posted office hours or at other times by appointment. Also feel free to communicate via phone and e-mail. I try to respond to both promptly. On e-mails, please identify yourself as a student in the class. Otherwise, I may delete your e-mail unread. Do not expect to submit assignments via e-mail.

Students with documented disabilities who need accommodation must inform me during the first week of class to receive such consideration

Take advantage of the Communication Mentors program. Experienced communication students are available to assist you in a variety of ways, including preparing for exams, selecting paper topics, and answering your questions about your major and the department. They are located in NH 57, and can be contacted at (503) 725-3252 and comm-mentors@lists.pdx.edu

I will do my best to keep you informed about course developments through announcements in class and on WebCT. If you frequently miss class, come in late or leave early, and don't check the WebCT site, you may miss important information, and this is entirely your responsibility.

A commitment to high ethical standards is expected. Cheating, plagiarism and other lapses of honesty and integrity will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as your own without citation or attribution. The 2003-2004 Portland State University Bulletin states, "The Student Conduct Code, which applies to all students, prohibits all forms of academic cheating, fraud, and dishonesty. These acts include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, buying and selling of course assignments and research papers, performing academic assignments (including tests and examinations) for other persons, unauthorized disclosure and receipt of academic information, and other practices commonly understood to be academically dishonest" (p. 29). Acts of academic dishonesty in this course may result in failure for the assignment and/or possible suspension from the university for up to two years.

Group Project: Description and Critique of Persuasive Campaign or Program

You will be organized into groups of 4-6 students. As a group you should choose, describe and critique a persuasive campaign. You are to produce a written report and to make an oral presentation to the class. You should expect your presentation to take 15-20 minutes. Your written report should be about 20-25 pages in addition to any exhibits of materials used in the campaign, research findings used to design it, etc.

Your reports should include the following information, more or less in this order:
  1. A description of the campaign, clearly identifying it, noting when it was conducted, who sponsored it, and where a reader, viewer or listener might have encountered it.
  2. What was/is its purpose? What issue or problem was it addressing? Or what product is it selling? Who was it aimed at and what was it trying to persuade them to do?
  3. What underlying theory of persuasion seems to have guided it, if any, and what leads you to this conclusion?
  4. What were some of the materials that were produced for it? How would you assess those materials in terms of their professionalism and effectiveness in reaching the target population?
  5. To what degree was it successful in reaching its goals? How would you assess its effectiveness? Is there evidence concerning its success or failure?
  6. What can be learned about persuasion from its success or failure?
  7. What can you say about the ethics of the campaign?

The following are just a few possibilities. Don't let this list limit you.
  1. Decades-long efforts to get people to behave better -To quit smoking, wear seat belts, to not litter or start forest fires.
  2. Any number of advertising campaigns for products or services, most appropriately for this assignment, those that have extended over a long period of time - Don't squeeze the Charmin; It keeps going and going and going; Drivers Wanted; Just Do It. Intel Inside.
  3. Campaigns to affect public policy via public opinion - Repeal of Estate Tax, No/Yes on 36
  4. Political campaigns at any level.
  5. A famous example from history - FDR fireside chats; Propaganda efforts in WWI and WWII.

Previous reports have been done on: Subway, LA Weight Loss, Volkswagen, Got Milk, DARE, Japanese Internment in WWII, Click It or Ticket, Geico, iPod, Bud Light, and Mastercard, among others.

Your written report will be assessed based upon the degree to which it has fulfilled the expectations laid out above, its organization, the clarity and quality of its writing, and the degree to which it flows together as a unit. Your presentation will be judged on its clarity and organization, the degree to which it gives an adequate summary of your written report, and the adequacy of any audiovisual materials you use, including your competence in presenting them.

All group members are expected to participate significantly in both the written report and the class presentation.,

A very serious note about working in groups

I will make efforts to assess the value of your contribution to this group project. It is imperative that you participate fully and responsibly in your group . This is not only fair to other group members, but it is also important training for the professional world, where group work is quite common. You simply must learn to participate fully and constructively in groups. To be a productive group member, you must:
  • Do your fair share of the work.
  • Fill in cheerfully for others when necessary.
  • Be willing to not always get your own way.
  • Be willing to not always be in control
  • Be tolerant of others' quirks and deficiencies
  • Be thankful that others are tolerant of your quirks and deficiencies
  • Be respectful of others by returning phone calls, attending meetings, being on time, etc.
  • Not ride on the good work of others.

Slackers, procrastinators, egomaniacs, and control freaks are all equally destructive of group processes. Be on the lookout for these characteristics in yourself. Be careful that you don't get a reputation as any of these among your colleagues and professors.

Pay particular attention to the following group process procedures:
  • If you decide to withdraw from the class, please inform your group, the TA for the class, or the instructor.
  • If you "disappear" from the class and your group for more than two weeks with no communication, you may be removed from your group with no opportunity to join another.
  • If you are so disruptive of group processes that your group cannot get its work done, the group has the right to eject you. Midway through the term, each group will be given the opportunity to remove unproductive or disruptive members from the group. This vote must be unanimous (except for the person potentially to be removed) and must receive my approval.
  • Please don't use this to punish someone you simply don't like or who has disagreed with you, or to "get even."
  • Either case - an extended "disappearance" or being voted out -- will result in a grade of 0 for this portion of the course.
  • To try to prevent procrastination, I have incorporated two brief (1 page) progress reports to be submitted during the course of the term. These are part of the group work and will be part of the project grade. So if they are not turned in, or if no progress is shown, the group grade will suffer.
  • The TA will be in contact with group members on a regular basis to assess progress and to identify problems. Any group member at any time can contact her or the instructor with issues, problems or complaints. These will be kept confidential.

Grading of the project. Grading for this project is complex. It has four components for each of you: Overall oral report grade + Individual oral report grade + Overall written report grade + Individual written report grade. In other words, half your individual grade is based on the quality of the group products and half is based on the quality of your individual contributions.

Ethics Essay

The last assignment you will turn in is a comment on the ethics involved in one of the persuasive campaigns presented by one of the groups (other than yours). Using content and concepts from our discussions of ethics, discuss the ethical implications of the campaign and/or the way it was conducted. This should be short - about 3-4 pages, double-spaced, 12 point type, 1-inch margins - and turned in by noon on Dec. 9. It will be judged on the quality of the writing, the understanding and application of the relevant concepts, and the degree of attention paid to the group presentation. Important: This is not an evaluation of the ethics of the group but of the campaign they studied.