Persuasion and Influence

Persuasive communication inevitably impacts influence and can mean the difference between success and failure. Learning the art of persuasion and influence necessarily involves considering power and responsibility. In this course, students develop persuasive communication skills and the critical thinking skills to detect and evaluate persuasive strategies. Students examine a variety of concepts, techniques, and tools designed to improve the persuasiveness of written and spoken interactions. Students explore how persuasion occurs through behavior and language. We will also discuss how people argue and how persuasive techniques can be used to engage in robust, productive, and ethical debate rather than to "win" an argument.