CPT-23306 Communication & Persuasion

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

It is recommended that students have followed at least one of the introductory courses of Communication Science: CPT-12306 or CPT-23804.

Contents:

This course deals with basic principles of persuasion and social influence. Processes underlying persuasion and influence will be studied from a social psychological perspective. We will go into questions such as 'what are attitudes, and how can they be changed?', 'how are people influenced by their social environment?', and 'can people be influenced without being aware of this?'. The course aims to increase students understanding of human behavior, both on the individual and group level, by applying recent theories of persuasion to practical issues.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- interpret the basic principles of persuasive communication from a social-psychological perspective;
- explain the different processes underlying persuasion;
- compare different theoretical accounts of persuasion;
- analyse present day issues in terms of theories of persuasion;
- apply theories of persuasion to practical persuasive campaigns;
- design their own persuasive campaign.

Activities:

Students will study literature and work on assignments, applying theoretical knowledge about communication and persuasion to relevant case studies. During the course, these assignments will be discussed plenary and in groups.

Examination:

- written test with 40 multiple choice questions (70%);
- group paper (30%).
Minimum mark for the written test is a 5.5.

Literature:

Perloff, R. (2014). The Dynamics of Persuasion: Communication and Attitudes in the 21st Century. 5th ed. Routledge Communication Series. 568p. ISBN:10 0415507421.
Articles.