This lecture is part of my problem solving collection.
This focuses on some aspects of Communications.
For an introduction to the roles of Communications and Continuity in problem solving, please go to this link.
Specifically, I introduce rhetoric, the skill of persuasion.
The lecture includes:
- Recognizing the type of conversation
- Analyzing the form of the argument being used
- Basic principles of argument
- Audience
- Appeals
- Arguments of “Fact” and Policy
- Logical Fallacies
- Misinformation and Disinformation
- When Corrections Fail
- Inoculation
Link to lecture (~36 minutes)
Reference Materials:
Class:
- Powerpoint Slides
- PDF of Slides
- Everyday Conversation Guide to Climate Change (Brochure)
- Knowledge Politics, Audience, Messenger, Organization
- Changing the Media Discussion on Climate and Extreme Weather, Shearer and Rood (2011)
- OpenClimate tagged Rhetoric
From John Cook and colleagues:
- Conspiracy Theory Handbook: Excellent quick guide to identifying and managing conspiratorial thinking.
- The Science of Crank Uncle Playlist
- Part 1: Why We Can’t Ignore Misinformation
- Part 2: Inoculation Theory
- Part 3: Fighting Misinformation with Critical Thinking
Argumentation:
Resources: Communication, Rhetoric, MisInformation, Disinformation
These are papers and other resources for the modules on Communication, Rhetoric, MisInformation, DisinformationThe table can be sorted by clicking on the column header. The search box at the top right is a flat search of the table.
The link to the resource is in the "Author" column.
If a resource is protected then use Contact Us in the upper right hand corner.
| Author | Assigned | Title | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyhan and Riefler (2010) | Referred to in talk | When Corrections Fail: The Persistence of Political Misperceptions | Journal Paper | One of my favorite papers on how correction of misinformation polarizes political positions more strongly. |
| Cook et al. (2017) | Referred to in talk | Neutralizing misinformation through inoculation: Exposing misleading argumentation techniques reduces their influence | Journal Paper | Inoculation: very important concept. |
| Skeptical Science | Referred to in talk | Explaining climate change science & rebutting global warming misinformation | A go-to resource on correcting climate change misinformation | |
| adfontesmedia | The Media Bias Chart® | Effort to quantify media bias | Regularly updated. | |
| Nisbet, Matthew C. Nisbet | Matthew C. Nisbet Website | Matthew Nisbet: ago to resource on communication strategy and analysis. | ||
| Cook, John Cook | John Cook Website | Matthew Nisbet: ago to resource on communication strategy and analysis. | ||
| Boykoff (2008) | The Real Swindle | Commentary | Climate change must be reported more carefully to help distinguish convergent agreement from legitimately contentious issues. | |
| Tampa Library | Fake News Graphic | Guide, Graphic | This is from International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (Link to graphic in many languages) | |
| Boykoff (2011) | 4. Placing climate complexity in context | Book Chapter | From: Who Speaks for the Climate? | |
| Boykoff (2011) | 6. Signals and noise Covering human contributions to climate change | Book Chapter | From: Who Speaks for the Climate? | |
| Yale Environment 360 | Climate Communications and Surveys of Public | |||
| Public Data Lab | A Field Guide to “Fake News” and Other Information Disorders | Guide | Very large reference list | |
| Michigan Library | "Fake News," Lies and Propaganda: How to Sort Fact from Fiction | Guide | ||
| Cook et al. (2018) | Deconstructing climate misinformation to identify reasoning errors | Journal Paper | ||
| Nisbet (2019) | Sciences, Publics, Politics: The Limits of Strategic Messaging | |||
| Michigan News | Fake news detector algorithm works better than a human | News | Using computers, AI, ML to detect fake news. | |
| Collection of Articles | Collection of Articles tagged "Rhetoric" made my Richard B. (Ricky) Rood | News Stories and Analyses | ||
| Collection of Articles | Collection of Articles tagged "Disinformation" made my Richard B. (Ricky) Rood | News Stories and Analyses | ||
| Fahy 2017 (Personal Copy) | Objectivity, False Balance, and Advocacy in News Coverage of Climate Change | Book Chapter | ||
| Cook (2017) | How to counter alternative “facts” | |||
| Wabisabi Learning | (Critical thinking cheat sheet) and (How to form and ask questions) | Guide, Graphic | ||
| Perez-Rosas | Automatic Detection of Fake News | |||
| Hunt (2019) Futurity | 4 ways to move beyond gridlock in touchy debates | Iowa State description of take aways from book | Does this assessment communicate effectively to its intended audience? Is the information usable? | |
| Coan et al. (2021) | Computer-assisted classification of contrarian claims about climate change | Journal Paper | ||
| NPR | How Misinformation Spreads On The Internet | News | ||
| NPR: All Tech Considered | Fake Or Real? How To Self-Check The News And Get The Facts | News | ||
| Kwon (2019) Scientific American | How to Debate a Science Denier | A new finding shows that marshaling facts and identifying an opponent’s rhetorical techniques are effective at dampening a skeptic’s message | ||
| Dotson (2022) The Conversation | Fact-checking may be important, but it won’t help Americans learn to disagree better | Analysis | Curing Misinformation? |
Image: Aristotle from the Wikimedia Commons.