Persuasion theories typically attempt to account for attitude change, but mass media reviews influence more ephemeral variables, the chief of which is "interest" in attending or otherwise consuming a cultural event or object. Reviewing and other forms of "evaluative journalism"--including much sports, consumer, and political…

This volume of the Michigan Speech Association secondary curriculum guide--an expanded version of the 1968 edition (ED 026 393)--is devoted solely to the development of debating skills. The guide is intended to assist teachers in planning a course of instruction in debate and to provide techniques for coaching students who participate in an…

In this commentary the author responds to critics who question the value of teaching the humanities and also points out some weaknesses in the arguments of humanists themselves, including his opinion that most of their arguments are meaningful only to other humanists and do nothing to sway their critics. (JMD)

Sixty-five female undergraduate students who were either standing or reclining listened to a tape-recorded counterattitudinal speech containing either strong or weak arguments. Their evaluations revealed a significant interaction between posture (standing or reclining) and quality of arguments (strong or weak) on a measure of attitude change.…

Doublespeak can be defined as language which is purposely ambiguous, deceptive, or evasive. If we want to promote integrity between act and word, we must teach by living out of the kind of consistency which we hope for in others. Functioning honestly in departmental and pedagogical as well as other personal dealings can be the most effective thing…

Debate paradigms, which at one time established standards to help judges evaluate arguments and rules to guide debaters' argument choice and strategy selection, no longer offer consistent guidance for either judges or debaters. An increased emphasis on creativity and flexibility has led to a general unwillingness to use a rigid debate format. The…

This analysis of argumentation considers three separate, yet interrelated, aspects of the persuasive argument: evidence, warrant, and claim. A study of each of these components is presented in separate chapters with an examination of the role and standards each must carry out in formulating sound, logical proof. A classification of types of…

Evaluators of argument are frequently confronted by conflicting claims. While these claims are usually based on probabilities, they are often resolved with the accepted claim treated as though it were "true," while the rejected claim is treated as though it were "false." Scenario testing is the label applied to a set of…

An advanced public speaking class at the Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, was specifically designed not only to improve the overall quality of a speech communication program but also to increase the number of majors that an excellent program would attract. Only students who have demonstrated superior speaking skills in basic public speaking…

Designed for a minimum amount of teacher supervision, this guide consists of introductory practice and evaluative activities for teaching secondary school students about critical judgment. A sample grade ladder and calendar help students self-schedule and keep track of their grade and points. The activity unit is preceded by a teacher rationale,…

An analysis of informal reasoning and examination of teaching practices looks at ways to improve reasoning skills in college students. Teaching students to reason more effectively is an important but difficult goal of higher education. Reasoning consists of complex skills which must be taught. Effective instruction is based on two key features:…

College debaters who go to law school are often surprised by the differences between the processes that take place in the court of reason and the process that takes place in the court of law. The court of reason relies mainly on authoritative testimony, while the court of law relies on direct evidence. Evidence in the court of reason is either…

Explores intellectual differences in Asian American Studies theorizing in the wake of social, political, and economic change in the United States. The authors highlight three themes that define the current wave of thinking theory in this arena. (GR)

"Critical thinking" has been defined as reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. Since the social sciences require practitioners to ask relevant questions, develop appropriate evaluation criteria, generalize from observed facts, conceptualize hypotheses, and make judgements, critical thinking skills should…