Lecture All Tuesday 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM Leonard Theater

Media Night All Tuesday 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM Leonard Theater

WCP 232.A Wolfe M, W, F 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM 24 Peabody

WCP 232.B Wolfe M, W, F 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM 24 Peabody

WCP 232.C Newell T, TH 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM 21 Peabody

Reasoning and Influence: The Nature of Reason and Persuasion With Implications for Mass Manipulation

This course addresses fundamental questions about human nature at the individual or micro level and explores their consequences on a macro level. The key issue is the nature of human reasoning and its consequences for social issues. The nature of reasoning will be examined from three viewpoints. The first perspective holds that humans are rational and logical beings, the second that human reasoning is generally adaptive, and the third that human realities are socially constructed in ways that need not be rational or adaptive. These notions about human nature will be explored on a grand scale by looking at ways in which global institutions such as multinational corporations attempt to persuade, influence, and manipulate whole nations and their peoples. Our study of both reasoning and influence should provide rich opportunities for cross-pollination (one hopes with a minimum of "fertilizer"). Students should walk away from this course with a firm grounding in key concepts from Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, Communications, Semiotics, and Postmodern social thought. Of equal importance, students should become more adept at the art of comparing, contrasting, integrating and synthesizing important ideas arising from different theories, paradigms, and levels of analysis. Students will be required to develop and defend their own positions. Corresponding with the three perspectives outlined above, this course will be developed in three modules, each drawing a portrait (or at least a sketch) of human nature with respect to reasoning and influence. The practical and theoretical consequences of these views of human nature will be explored through their application to a "touchstone" macro-scale domain: advertising and marketing. This touchstones was selected because it serve as powerful "test case" for each of the portraits explored in this class, and because it helps bridge the gap between micro and macro levels of analysis.

The first portrait is of the human being as a Rational Autonomous Formal Reasoner. Human beings are seen here as rational, in the sense that they know what they like and behave in ways that maximize their fulfillment; autonomous in that they are capable of deciding for themselves; and formal reasoners in the classical tradition of logical thinking and argumentation. This portrait draws upon work in Economics, Philosophy, and Decision Science. The second portrait of human beings describes an Adaptive Heuristic Social Animal. Human behavior is seen here as adaptive, in that it is flexible and generally promotes survival and the attainment of goals, but is not inherently optimal; heuristic in that simple "rules of thumb" guide behavior rather than formal rules or normative procedures; and social animals in that we are inherently interdependent and highly susceptible to the influence of others. This portrait is drawn from thinking in Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Education. The third portrait takes a critical perspective and suggests that human beings are Readers of Socially Constructed "Texts." From this perspective what we call "reality" is a social construct that has been shaped by powerful socio-cultural entities such as multinational corporations. This view is quite critical of instrumental rationality, as an imperialistic cultural characteristic of the West. "Reasoning," according to this view, plays a small, if any, role in everyday life. Rather, people are continually bombarded by images, signs, and other representations designed to shape their worldview. This portrait is drawn from work in Semiotics, Sociology, Social Criticism, and Postmodern social thought.

Course Goals: The main goals of this course are to provide you with:

• A better understanding of the nature of human reason
• A better understanding of the nature of social influence
• A good introduction to key texts and concepts from Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, Communications, Semiotics, and Postmodern social thought
• An appreciation of three diverse views of human nature
• An enhanced ability to of compare, contrast, integrate, and synthesize important ideas from different theories, disciplines, and levels of analysis.

Interdisciplinary Study: This course is interdisciplinary in the sense that it draws on more than one discipline for each of the three views of human nature examined. In the process, it probes some fundamental assumptions that distinguish the various social sciences, thus providing tools and information for interdisciplinary analysis.

Writing: Western's Writing plan for this semester "invites students to examine critically interdisciplinary writing and to compare and contrast that with disciplinary writing. Writing assignments should aid students in critically exploring the merits and shortcomings of the disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the course topic." This course explicitly meets these objectives through the final exam topic (below). Other writing experiences include weekly in-class assignments, and two longer assignments.

Quantitative Reasoning: The Rational Choice Assignment requires students to create and interpret economic graphs, such as indifference curves, and to apply Subjective Utility Theory to decision making. In the language of Western's plan for teaching quantitative reasoning across the curriculum, this is primarily an exercise in Quantitative Expression because it requires students to express key concepts in Economics and Decision Science in quantitative terms.

Western SEO: All Western sophomores must complete the SEO process by the announced due dates this semester (see the office of the Assistant Dean for more details). If you do not complete the SEO process by the due date you will not receive a final grade in this class.

Thematic Sequence: This course is the second of a three course thematic sequence in social systems offered by the Western Program, and approved by the Liberal Education Council.

Academic Misconduct: Please read Part V, Sections 501-507 of the Student Handbook. University policies on academic conduct apply to all aspects of this course.

Assignments: Grades for this course will be based on a 1,000 point scale, with letter grades assigned in the traditional fashion (e.g., 90%+ = A etc.) The number of points for each assignment are outlined below.

Weekly in-class Assignments 10 x 15 weeks = 150 Points

Rational Choice Assignment 150 Points

Social Influence Assignment 150 Points

"Culture Jamming" Assignment 150 Points

Participation in Seminar Discussions 100 Points

Take Home Final Exam 300 Points

Total 1000 Points

In-class Assignments: Each week there will be a brief in-class assignment given at the beginning of class. These assignments will draw on that week's required readings, and their purpose is to promote meaningful seminar discussions.

Rational Choice Assignment: An exercise in applying the theory of consumer behavior and Subjective Utility Theory.

Social Influence Assignment: An exercise in applied social psychology.

"Culture Jamming" Assignment: Exploring the political potential of satire. Check out Adbusters

Participation in Seminar Discussions: In seminar sessions we will discuss the required readings as well as lectures and other relevant experiences. As a general rule, our goal will be to understand the author's position, to consider the implications of the author's position, and to critique that position in the liberal arts tradition. The professor will evaluate the quality of your participation in seminar discussions. It is expected that students will generally come prepared for class, will consistently engage in active listening, and will frequently (although not necessarily weekly) make thoughtful contributions to seminar discussions. This level of participation is the standard for the grade "B." Higher or lower grades for participation will be based on this standard. Students will receive informal feedback on participation midway through the semester.

Take Home Final Exam: The take home final exam will be due in your professor's office at the end of the scheduled exam period during finals week (the specific date TBA). The exam topic, in exact words, follows.

WCP 232 Final Exam: 300 Points, 10 - 15 typed, double spaced pages. Topic: Describe your view of the nature of human reason and influence, and discuss the implications of your position for marketing.

In addressing this topic, draw explicitly on at least three readings from each of the three modules of the course (individual book chapters may be considered separate readings). Defend your position against likely criticisms from each of the three perspectives portrayed in this course (and bolster your position with any supporting arguments from these perspectives). Your paper should include appropriate scholarly quotes and references presented in APA style.

Course Schedule Note: The first column indicates the portrait of human nature, the weekly topic, and date. The second column indicates readings and assignments (in red). In addition, in-class assignments will be given each week. For your information, the third column indicates the number of pages you have been assigned to read (original text pages, not reader pages).
 

Required Reading: Cialdini, Robert B. (1993). Influence: Science and Practice. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Company.

Linn, Ray (1996). A Teacher's Guide to Postmodernism. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teacher's of English.

Wolfe, Christopher and Newell, Bill (1998). Reasoning and Influence Reader. Oxford, OH: Oxford Copy Shop.

(1) Smith, Adam (1776). "Of the Principle which gives occasion to the Division of Labour" (from The Wealth of Nations). New York: The Modern Library.

(2) McKenzie, Richard and Tullock, Gordon (1975). "The Economic Approach to Human Behavior," (from, The New World Of Economics: Explorations Into The Human Experience). Homewood, IL: Richard D. Irwin.

(3) Sen, Amartya K. (1990) "Rational Fools: A Critique of the Behavioral Foundations of Economic Theory" (from Jane J. Mansbridge (Ed.) Beyond Self Interest). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

(4) Etzioni, Amitai (1988). "What is Rational?" (from The Moral Dimension: Toward a New Economics). New York: The Free Press.

(5) Cottingham, John (1984). "Terms and Methods," and "The Classical Background" (from Rationalism). London, UK: Paladin Granada Publishing.

(6) Plato (1961). "Republic: Book VII" (from Edith Hamilton & Huntington Cairns (Eds.) The Collected Dialogues of Plato). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

(7) Mansfield, Edwin (1989). "Getting Behind the Demand Curve" (from Principles of Economics 6th edition). New York: W. W. Norton.

(8) Malloy, Robin P. (1990). "Basic Economics for Law and Economics" from Law and Economics: A Comparative Approach to Theory and Practice. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.

(9) Fischoff, Bauruch (1988) "Judgment and Decision Making: Subjective Expected Utility" (from Robert J. Sternberg and Edward E. Smith (Eds.) The Psychology of Human Thought). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

(10) Simon, Herbert A. (1983) "Alternative Visions of Rationality" (from Reason in Human Affairs). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

(11) Tversky, Amos and Kahneman, Daniel (1982). "Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases" (from Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman (Eds.) Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

(12) Dawes, Robyn M. (1994). "AIDS, Sterile Needles, and Ethnocentrism" (from L. Heath, R. S. Tindale, J. Edwards, E. J. Posavac, F. B. Bryant, E. Henderson-King, Y. Suarez-Balcazar, and J. Myers (Eds.) Applications of Heuristics and Biases to Social Issues). New York: Plenum Press.

(13) Dawes, Robyn M. (1994). "Affirmative Action Programs: Discontinuities Between Thoughts About Individuals and Thoughts About Groups" (from L. Heath, R. S. Tindale, J. Edwards, E. J. Posavac, F. B. Bryant, E. Henderson-King, Y. Suarez-Balcazar, and J. Myers (Eds.) Applications of Heuristics and Biases to Social Issues). New York: Plenum Press.

(14) Perkins, David, Allen, Richard, and Hafner, James (1983). "Difficulties in Everyday Reasoning" (from W. Maxwell (Ed.) Thinking: The Expanding Frontier). Philadelphia, PA: Franklin Institute Press.

(15) Perkins, David (1984). Reasoning as Imagination. Harvard Project Zero, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University.

(16) Ehrenfeld, David (1978). "The Arrogance of Humanism" (from Andrew Dobson (Ed.) The Green Reader: Essays Toward a Sustainable Society). San Francisco, CA: Mercury House.

(17) Shiva, Vandana (1988). "Problems with the Enlightenment" (from Andrew Dobson (Ed.) The Green Reader: Essays Toward a Sustainable Society). San Francisco, CA: Mercury House.

(18) Mills, C. Wright (1959). "On Reason and Freedom" (from The Sociological Imagination). New York: Oxford University Press.

(19) Herman, Edward S. and Chomsky, Noam (1988). "A Propaganda Model" (from Manufacturing Consent). New York: Pantheon Books.

(20) Robert Goldman and Stephen Papson (1996). "Sign Wars" (from Sign Wars: The Cluttered Landscape of Advertising). New York: The Guilford Press.

To Wolfe Teaching