Browsing by Subject "Persuasion"
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Item Appeals to reason : negotiating rhetorical responsibility and dialectical constraints in church-state separation discourse(2014-05) Battistelli, Todd Joseph; Roberts-Miller, Patricia, 1959-This dissertation explores how argumentation theory can supplement models of responsible persuasion in rhetoric and writing studies. In particular, it demonstrates how reasoning as envisioned in the pragma-dialectical approach of argumentation can provide an alternative to exclusionary, unethical operations of reason. Despite longstanding work with models of argument from Aristotle to Stephen Toulmin, rhetoric and writing has paid little attention to the potential uses of dialectical argumentation theory. Such theory deserves greater consideration given its ability to meet the ethical demands voiced by rhetorical critiques of traditional ways of arguing. Critiques of reason demonstrate how the abstractions necessary for logical certainty exist in tension with the inherent ambiguity of human arguments. In attempting to strip away that ambiguity, some discussants unfairly exclude relevant details from others and may exclude entire populations who should be included in a fair deliberation. Goals of understanding and inclusion unite the variety of calls for new ways of arguing made in rhetoric and writing under titles of Rogerian, non-agonistic, listening, and invitational rhetorics. Nevertheless, as Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca describe, even as our arguments involve irresolvable ambiguities, they must also function as stable and coherent viewpoints such that our interlocutors can hold us accountable to agreement or disagreement. In this way, we responsibly argue questions of ethics, politics and law. Though no final resolution of ambiguity is possible in such questions, we can reason together for a better understanding of each other's positions and craft pragmatic policies to deal with our disagreements. In order to explore the disciplinary questions about the relationship between rhetoric and argumentation, the dissertation examines a series of case studies drawn from judicial disputes over church-state separation in the United States. In examining problematic rhetoric of these disputes, the dissertation builds an understanding of responsible reason informed by dialectical argumentation and demonstrates its utility for both critical and pedagogical applications.Item Consumer psychology in a virtual store : the impact of automatic priming and assimilation/contrast effect on shoppers’ perceptions and behaviors(2012-08) Yoo, Seung Chul 1976-; Drumwright, Minette E.; Close, Angeline G; Williams, Jerome D; Peña, Jorge F; Atkinson, Lucy; Falbo, ToniThe goal of this dissertation is to understand unconscious effects in a 3D virtual store by examining how environmental cues in a store prime consumers and change their perceptions and behaviors automatically. By replicating and extending Bargh’s (1996) priming study, it was hypothesized and confirmed that age stereotypical avatars activate stereotype related concepts and influence shoppers’ walking speed as well as their choice of a product in a 3D virtual store setting. Further, the study proved that priming through elderly avatars can positively affect participants’ intentions to donate and to volunteer for a charity organization. The results supported the predictions of an automatic priming effect and an assimilation/contrast effect with important qualifications related to preexisting prejudices. The findings of this dissertation provide directions for future research and practical insights for online retailers and marketers of nonprofit organizations that will help them design and use virtual environments to maximize marketing outcomes.Item Cross-pressured by issue ownership : a new theory of persuasion and campaign tageting(2023-08-07) Heise, Sarah; Shaw, Daron R., 1966-; Wlezien, Chris; McDaniel, Eric; Jessee, Stephen; McDermott, MonikaIn the hyper-polarized environment of modern U.S. elections, how can campaigns persuade voters? While persuasion has been considered a key part of a functioning democracy (Berelson et al, 2950, Key 1966), with stronger party attachments, how many individual voters are movable? Furter, is it worth it for campaigns to focus on persuasion when identifying and mobilizing like-minded partisans seems so much easier, cost effective, and efficient (Panagopoulos 2021)? This dissertation is focused on what persuasion might look like in the context of contemporary American electoral politics. First, I introduce a new theory of voting behavior that combines issue ownership and theories of cross-pressures. I argue that these voters are persuadable, and that campaigns can target them to increase partisan defection. Second, I find that about seven percent of Americans are cross-pressured in this way, and that they are more likely to defect on Election Day. Third, I utilize a survey experiment to explore how candidates can campaign on owned issues to increase their electoral vote share. Finally, I explore the findings from a field experiment conducted in Texas during the 2022 Gubernatorial Election.Item Hate the sin, blame the sinner : the effects of language on attitudes toward substance use disorders(2020-06-23) Tinlin, Charles Ryan; McGlone, Matthew S., 1966-The reported study aims to explain the role syntactic choices, such as noun form, can have on the perceived persuasiveness of arguments related to opioid use disorders. In addition to these syntactical choices, the author was also interested in how semantic differences, such as argument frames, can influence persuasiveness. Participants (N=764) were exposed to one of eight op-ed style essays using different argument frames (health crisis vs. moral crisis), different noun forms referred to as actor nouns (addicts) and activity nouns (addiction), and different diagnostic labels (addiction vs. abuse). This study found that argument frames and nominal form can influence audience perceptions of agency and responsibility in people living with opioid use disorders. These differing perceptions of agency appeared to influence the persuasiveness of essays prescribing differing degrees of punishments for individuals’ living with substance use disorders.Item Humor as a persuasive tool for social change(2019-09-11) Fox, Kaelah Jean; Daly, John A. (John Augustine), 1952-This report was undertaken to explore how humor may be an underprized tool for social change. An examination of research from multiple disciplines revealed that humor is a multifaceted construct, capable of fulfilling contradictory functions in parallel. Previous reviews and empirical research of humorous communication find that humor can achieve myriad tasks, and typically does so via the elaboration likelihood model's (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986) peripheral processing and related phenomena. Humor can be used persuasively for a range of social issues to promote positive social change, from destigmatizing disability to preventing individuals from joining terrorist organizations. This report's review of literature highlights a need for more empirical research, care taken regarding operationalizations, and organization of knowledge both within and between disciplines. Scholars examining the intersection of humor and social change assert that humor is an effective means of rousing public engagement and is capable of producing meaningful outcomes, leaving much still to explore.Item Peace with strength : developing the conditions of coercive diplomacy(2023-05-03) Ferguson, Daniel Max; Inboden, William, 1972-; Suri, Jeremi; Greitens, Sheena C; Lawrence, Mark A; Biddle, TamiUnited States policymakers need viable crisis response options – other than war – when deterrence is not able to prevent aggression. This study examines one policy option in the space between deterrence and war: coercive diplomacy. Applied successfully, coercive diplomacy defuses emerging conflicts by persuading an aggressor to change or reverse their behavior. However, attempts at coercive diplomacy fail more often than they succeed, even when applied by global powers like the United States. I build on the work of scholars who have examined policy traits found within effective coercive diplomacy attempts. Alexander George first developed a set of conditions for coercive diplomacy – also described as ingredients or prerequisites – that, when present, increase the policy’s likelihood of success. A critical gap in the literature is a study that helps understand what leads to creating the conditions for coercive diplomacy – or what stands in the way of establishing those conditions. The central research question for this study is what facilitates or inhibits U.S. policymakers from developing favorable conditions for coercive diplomacy? I examine historical cases from the Johnson, Reagan, and Clinton administrations where the United States attempted coercive diplomacy to reveal the messy realities of policymaking. I uncover the complicated relationships, impediments to action, and what subtle factors helped U.S. decision-makers develop policies to compel opponents to change behavior. This research helps establish how policymakers achieve the conditions of coercive diplomacy or what factors prevent them from attaining these benchmarks. The conclusion of this dissertation provides original insights about the eight conditions, both individually and how they interact with one another. Learning how the conditions interact is one of the novel and important contributions of my dissertation to the field of coercion. Understanding how the conditions interact also helps policymakers anticipate the dynamics or tensions between the different conditions. I share seven policy implications that this study reveals about future applications of coercive diplomacy. Lastly, I offer a series of initial questions that policymakers should ask before exercising coercive diplomacy.Item Persuasion strategies for litigators and negotiators : what’s the difference?(2013-12) Ahmed, Jessica Amber; McGlone, Matthew S., 1966-Persuasion scholars have documented the use of compliance-gaining messages in both negotiation and negotiation. The extant research offers suggestions for litigators and negotiators, but fails to compare the methods of persuasion in the two circumstances in order to advise attorneys and clients which communication messages to employ in the different contexts. The present study explores differences in use of 7 common compliance-gaining message strategies (“It's Up To You”, “This Is The Way Things Are”, “Equity”, “Benefit (Other)”, “Bargaining”, and “Cooperation”; Kellerman, 2004) in separate negotiation and litigation cases. Findings indicate that “This Is The Way Things Are” messages were more frequent in litigation than negotiation, but “Cooperation” messages were more common in negotiation than litigation. No other significant differences in strategy frequency across the different contexts were found. These results indicate that some differences exist between the messages used in negotiation and litigation and that future research should investigate what other messages may be used differently in the two contexts.Item Spinning tales : an investigation of illusion and belief(2019-06-28) Andersen, Zoe Lee; Mickey, Susan E.; Bloodgood, WilliamCan I convince people that a well-known folktale is historic fact? In theater, we as designers extend an invitation for the audience to suspend their disbelief in what they know to be unreal. A well-constructed illusion holds high market value in the entertainment industry and is often applied to manipulating the beliefs (and even actions) of people through advertising and propaganda. Museums hold significant power as guardians of knowledge and history, but what reinforces this perception? If governments, ad agencies, and museums can manipulate belief in this way, this same power can be harnessed to construct convincing illusions for entertainment experiences. By staging the folktale of Rumpelstiltskin within the framework of a historical museum exhibit, theatrical props may be transformed into historical documents. Using elements that audiences already perceive in relation to “fact” may inspire an audience to willingly partake in the illusion and doubt the reality, if only for a momentItem The consequences of political persuasion in Greater China(2021-05-04) Kao, Chieh, M.A.; Lü, Xiaobo, 1959-; Albertson, Bethany; Gerring, John; Wlezien, Christopher; Huang, HaifengWhen and how does political persuasion employed by authoritarian regimes influence the attitudes and behavior of domestic and foreign audiences? Focusing on China, this dissertation comprises three essays in which the effectiveness of political persuasion in public education and mass media was examined. The overarching finding is that the Chinese regime's persuasive efforts are more effective among citizens who have familial connections to state patronage, who are predisposed to be regime-friendly, and who hold relatively weak political positions. By contrast, China-related persuasion often has a limited effect, sometimes even backfiring, for people who lack these background characteristics. A wide range of methodological approaches was adopted in this dissertation, including randomized controlled trials, natural experiments, survey research, and qualitative interviews. The findings reveal the potential and limits of the regime's propaganda and indoctrination, showing how persuasion works and among which segment of the population it works best. Despite devoting considerable resources to projecting influence both domestically and abroad, the Chinese government appears to win the hearts and minds of targets only under certain conditions.