Lesson 6: Informative, Persuasive and Argumentative Communication
Lesson 6: Informative, Persuasive and Argumentative Communication
“The improvement of understanding is for two ende first our own increase of knowledge,
secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others."
2. In which aspect of your field do you find Locke's idea most relevant? Explain.
Communication is made for numerous purposes. The way messages are crafted depends
highly on the intention of the sender.
In a supermarket, a sales agent makes sure that the way a product is promoted gets
consumers buying. A news anchor delivers information in such a way that all the facts are clearly
stated doing away with words that may cause confusion. On the other hand, a criminal lawyer
must design his arguments supported by facts to convince the judge and the jury
Osbom (2009) purports that informative communication arises out of three deep
impulses:
When preparing for an informative exchange, ask yourself the following questions:
Lucas (2007) claims that to avoid defective argumentation, the following must be
avoided:
1. Defective evidence
Misuse of facts
Statistical fallacies
Defective Testimony
Inappropriate evidence
2. Defective Patterns of reasoning
Evidential fallacies
a. Slippery slope
b. Confusing facts with opinion
c. Red herring
d. Myth of the mean
Flawed proofs
Defective arguments
3. What ethical considerations must one bear in mind when informing persuading or
arguing?
1. Have a journal of your communication activities for an entire day, making special note on
all instances in which you tried to inform, persuade or argue with someone .Choose one
of those instances and prepare a brief analysis about it. In your analysis, answer the
following questions:
a. Who was the receiver of your message?
e. If faced with the same situation again, what changes would you make to be a better
communicator?