Communication Studies 205-0
Theories of Persuasion
Spring 2020
COURSE INFORMATION
Professor: Daniel O’Keefe
No office hours during
remote instruction (email to make a phone date)
d-okeefe@northwestern.edu
www.soc.northwestern.edu/dokeefe
or www.dokeefe.net
Assistants: Breniel Lemley
BrenielLemley2023@u.northwestern.edu
Chelsea
Peterson-Salahuddin
ChelseaPeterson-Salahuddin2022@u.northwestern.edu
Course site: www.dokeefe.net/205S20.html
or via www.soc.northwestern.edu/dokeefe
Text (supplementary):
D. O’Keefe, Persuasion: Theory and
research (3rd ed., paperback, Sage) (ISBN 978-1-4522-7667-0) (available at
the Library Reserve Room—for all that that’s going to be helpful)
Brief course description and
tentative outline: This course
provides a general introduction to the social-scientific study of persuasive
communication. The course focuses on alternative theoretical accounts of the
processes underlying persuasion and on research findings concerning the effects
of various factors on persuasive effectiveness.
I. Introduction
II.
Theoretical approaches
A. Social judgment theory
B. Belief-based models
C. Functional approaches
D. Reasoned action theory
E. Elaboration likelihood model
F. Balance theory
III.
Factors influencing persuasive effectiveness
A. Source factors
B. Message factors
C. Receiver factors
Course format: This course has a
lecture-and-discussion-section format, with two lectures and one
discussion-section meeting each week. Quizzes and exams are based on material
presented in lecture. Lectures are recorded and uploaded in Zoom; the
day-by-day schedule page at the course website will provide links to lectures (www.dokeefe.net/205daybydayS20.html).
Discussion
sections provide an opportunity to ask questions about, or otherwise engage
with, material in the preceding lectures. Discussion-section meetings will take
the form of synchronous Zoom meetings in the regularly scheduled time period
(12:00pm-2:00pm Central); your TA will send you information each week about how
to log in.
There
is no required reading. The text is a supplement to, not a replacement for, the
lectures. Quiz/exam questions assume you have not even looked at the
supplemental reading. In case you do want to read the supplementary text, the
latter part of this document indicates what parts of the text correspond to the
material being covered each week in class.
After
each lecture, a study guide will be posted online at the course website. The
study-guide questions are not exam/quiz questions; they are the kinds of
questions a tutor might ask in a one-on-one encounter in order to lead you
through the material.
The
primary purpose of the study guides is to get you ready for the multiple-choice
quizzes (about which more detail appears below). There’s nothing in the
multiple-choice questions that isn’t on the study guides. If you have mastered
the study guide, there will be no surprises in the multiple-choice questions.
Recommendations:
(1) Before each week’s discussion-section meeting, do the study guides for the
preceding lectures that week. That way, if you have questions, you can ask them
in discussion section. (2) When a multiple-choice quiz is imminent, be sure to
have already worked through the relevant study guides.
Remote access support: Northwestern
is committed to ensuring students remain connected to courses and learning
resources while participating remotely. Much useful information can be found here.
Resources students can access remotely:
University resources such as academic advising,
career services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Health Service,
will be available remotely. More information is here.
Course grading: As you will know, for the Spring 2020
quarter, Northwestern undergraduate course grades will be submitted as Pass/No
Pass (P/N) grades.
In
this course, course grades will be based on two kinds of graded elements. One
will take the form of multiple-choice
questions aimed at assessing mastery of detailed information and
on-the-spot reasoning with those details. The second will take the form of a take-home essay final that asks for
integration of course materials (e.g., in the form of application to specific
persuasion problems) and coherent presentation of such integrated treatments.
About the multiple-choice questions: From time to time, a brief online
multiple-choice quiz will be given covering the preceding segment of course material.
A total of five such online quizzes will be given.
For each quiz, a score
distribution will be created and a simple Pass/No Pass curve drawn (akin to
familiar letter-grade curves). The curve will specify the minimum number
of correct answers required to earn a Pass for that quiz.
Quizzes will be given in Canvas. Each quiz will have a time limit (appropriate to the number of questions on that quiz) and will be available for 24 hours. Quiz dates are given in the day-by-day schedule at the course site (www.dokeefe.net/205daybydayS20.html). (Tentative quiz dates also appear in the tentative schedule at the end of this document.)
About the take-home essay final: The take-home
essay final exam questions will be available online not later than 11:00 a.m.
Central Time on Monday 1 June. Answers will be submitted digitally via Canvas,
and will be due not later than noon Central Time Monday 8 June.
In
the take-home essay final, you will choose two questions to answer from a set
of six. For each answer the maximum page length will be four double-spaced
pages. Each question will be graded Pass/No Pass. To earn a Pass for the final
exam as a whole, each individual question must receive a Pass.
Computing course grades: To
earn a Pass for the course grade, one must (a) earn a Pass on at least four of
the five quizzes and (b) earn a Pass for the final exam.
However,
before course grades are submitted, the raw scores on the quizzes are reviewed.
If the circumstance is such that having answered correctly just one additional
question on just one quiz would have changed one’s course grade from No Pass to
Pass, then a course grade of Pass is given. [Put differently: If (a) one has received
two, but only two, No Pass quiz grades but (b) one has received a Pass on the
final exam, and (c) the difference between one’s passing and not passing one of
those two quizzes was a single question, then a course grade of Pass is given.]
Academic dishonesty: Don't do
it. (If uncertain about what constitutes a violation of Northwestern
University's standards of academic integrity, consult the University web
site: https://www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies/academic-integrity/.)
Bad
things will happen if you do. (These can include a failing grade on the
assignment—and worse. Again, see the University web site. For details on School
of Communication procedures: http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/files/ProceduresAllegedAcademicDishonesty.pdf
.)
Sexual harassment: Don’t do
it, and don’t accept it being done. (For more information: www.northwestern.edu/sexual-harassment.)
Recording or downloading class sessions: Don’t do it.
Unauthorized
student recording of classroom or other academic activities (including advising
sessions or office hours) is prohibited. Unauthorized recording is unethical
and may also be a violation of University policy and state law. Students
requesting the use of assistive technology as an accommodation should make
contact with AccessibleNU.
Unauthorized use of classroom recordings—including distributing or posting
them—is also prohibited. Under the University’s Copyright Policy, faculty
own the copyright to instructional materials—including those resources created
specifically for the purposes of instruction, such as syllabi, lectures and
lecture notes, and presentations. Students cannot copy, reproduce, display
or distribute these materials. Students who engage in unauthorized recording,
unauthorized use of a recording, or unauthorized distribution of instructional
materials will be referred to the appropriate University office for follow-up.
Accommodations for disabilities: Any student requesting accommodations
related to a disability or other condition is required to register with
AccessibleNU (accessiblenu@northwestern.edu; 847-467-5530) and provide professors with an
accommodation notification from AccessibleNU, preferably within the first two
weeks of class (i.e., not later than Friday 17 April). All information will
remain confidential. For details: http://www.northwestern.edu/accessiblenu/
Some tentative dates of interest:
Monday 20 April by 9:00 a.m. CT: online quiz #1 posted
Monday
27 April by 9:00 a.m. CT: online quiz #2 posted
Monday
11 May by 9:00 a.m. CT: online quiz #3 posted
Monday
18 May by 9:00 a.m. CT: online quiz #4 posted
Thursday
28 May by 9:00 a.m. CT: online quiz #5 posted
Take-home
final available online: Monday 1 June
not later than 11:00 a.m. CT
Take-home
final due: Monday 8 June not later than noon (12:00 p.m.) CT
Tentative schedule: For an
updated day-by-day schedule with links to (inter alia) online lectures: www.dokeefe.net/205daybydayS20.html
Week
of 6 April
W 4/8: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 4/10: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: concept of persuasion,
attitude measurement, assessing persuasion
supplementary reading: pp. 1-18
Week of 13 April
M 4/13: lecture available online by
11am CT
W 4/15: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 4/17: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: social judgment theory
supplementary reading: pp. 19-34
Week
of 20 April
M
4/20: online quiz #1 posted not later than 9am CT
available for 24 hours
(i.e., until 9am CT Tu 4/21)
covers material from 4/8
through 4/15 (intro, social judgment)
M 4/20: lecture available online by
11am CT
W 4/22: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 4/24: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: belief-based models,
functional approaches
supplementary reading: pp. 56-75
(belief-based); pp. 35-55 (functional)
Week
of 27 April
M
4/27: online quiz #2 posted not later than 9am CT
available for 24 hours
(i.e., until 9am CT Tu 4/28)
covers material from
4/20 through 4/22 (belief-based, functional)
M 4/27: lecture available online by
11am CT
W 4/29: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 5/1: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: reasoned action theory (RAT)
supplementary reading: pp. 98-13
Week
of 4 May
M 5/4: lecture available online by
11am CT
W 5/6: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 5/8: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: elaboration likelihood model
(ELM), balance theory
supplementary reading: pp. 148-175
(ELM)
Week
of 11 May
M
5/11: online quiz #3 posted not later than 9am CT
available for 24 hours
(i.e., until 9am CT Tu 5/12)
covers material from
4/27 through 5/6 (RAT, ELM, balance)
M 5/11: lecture available online by
11am CT
W 5/13: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 5/15: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: source factors, message
factors part 1
supplementary reading: pp. 188-213
(source), pp. 214-251 (message)
Week of 18 May
M
5/18: online quiz #4 posted not later than 9am CT
available for 24 hours
(i.e., until 9am CT Tu 5/19)
covers material from
5/11 through 5/13 (source, message pt. 1)
M 5/18: lecture available online by
11am CT
W 5/20: lecture available online by
11am CT
F 5/22: online discussion sections
12pm-2pm CT
topic: message factors part 2,
receiver part 1
supplementary reading: pp. 214-251
Week
of 25 May
M 5/25: no class business (Memorial
Day)
W 5/27: lecture available online by
11am CT
topic: receiver factors part 2
supplementary reading: pp. 252-267
Th 5/28: online quiz #5 posted not later than 9am CT
available for 24 hours
(i.e., until 9am CT F 5/29)
covers material from
5/18 through 5/27 (message pt. 2, receiver pts. 1 & 2)
F 5/29: no discussion-section
meetings
Week
of 1 June
M
6/1: take-home final essay exam available online by 11am CT
W 6/3: no class business
F 6/5: no class business
Week
of 8 June (exam week)
M
6/8: final exam due by 12pm (noon) CT.