Persuasive Arguments Research Articles

“I Know That I Don’t Know Everything”: Validation of the General Intellectual Humility Scale in French

Intellectual humility involves recognizing one’s own epistemic limitations and is associated with several beneficial outcomes. This work presents a French version of the General Intellectual Humility Scale (Leary et al., 2017) to investigate this concept in French-speaking populations. We translated the scale and, across five studies (NTotal = 2172), provide evidence of its structure (through EFA, CFA, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across French and English speakers) and the validity of its scores (convergent, divergent, and predictive). Study 1 showed that the scale related to need for evidence. Study 2 revealed that the scale (a) positively related to openness and need for cognition, (b) negatively related to dogmatism, and (c) had a negligible relationship with social desirability. In Study 3, scores predicted attention paid to the quality of persuasive arguments over and above need for closure. Study 4 showed that the scale correlated positively with another self-report measure of intellectual humility. A test-retest analysis also indicated adequate reliability for the French version of the scale. Finally, Study 5 tested measurement invariance and revealed that the structure of the scale was similar between French and English speakers and that their latent scores were comparable. Overall, this work offers evidence of the (French) General Intellectual Humility Scale as a valid measure of intellectual humility.

Does ChatGPT Argue Like Students? Bundles in Argumentative Essays

Abstract The advent of ChatGPT, a novel AI-powered language model able to create grammatically accurate and coherent texts, has generated considerable concern among educationalists anxious about its potential to enable cheating among students and to undermine the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and literacy skills. The similarities and differences between ChatGPT texts and human writing, however, remain underexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by comparing the use of 3-word bundles in A-level argumentative essays written by British students with those generated by ChatGPT. Our findings show that ChatGPT essays contain a lower frequency of bundles but these have a higher type/token ratio, suggesting that its bundles are more rigid and formulaic. We also found noun and preposition-based bundles are more prevalent in ChatGPT texts, employed for abstract descriptions and to provide transitional and structuring cues. Student essays are characterized by more epistemic stances and authorial presence, crucial in persuasive argumentation. We attribute these distinct patterns in ChatGPT’s output to its processing of vast training data and underlying statistical algorithms. The study points to pedagogical implications for incorporating ChatGPT in writing instruction.

Predicting scandal

Despite its salience in modern politics, scandal has only recently been treated as a subject of inquiry in political economy. Most of the literature has focused on scandal’s effects on electoral outcomes, while a theoretical literature on endogenous scandal has offered predictions and hypotheses that remain largely untested. This paper uses an original dataset of U.S. Congressional scandals to test some of those predictions. Special place is given to the role of opposition research by political opponents and the strategic timing of scandal release. Despite persuasive theoretical arguments in the literature as to factors that might affect scandal, we find the only meaningfully significant predictor of scandal incidence to be election timing.

Qualitative Exploration of the #MeTooMedicine Online Discourse: "Holding Beacons of Light to Shine in the Corners They Are Hoping to Keep Dark".

The MeToo movement forced a social reckoning, spurring women in medicine to engage in the #MeTooMedicine online discourse. Given the risks of reporting sexual violence, discrimination, or harassment, it is important to understand how women in medicine use platforms like Twitter to publicly discuss their experiences. With such knowledge, the profession can use the public documentation of women in medicine for transformative change. Using reflexive thematic analysis, 7,983 tweets (posted between November 2017-January 2020) associated with #WomenInMedicine, #MeTooMedicine, and #TimesUpHC were systematically analyzed in 2020-2022, iteratively moving from describing their content, to identifying thematic patterns, to conceptualizing the purpose the tweets appeared to serve. The Twitter engagement of women in medicine was likened to "holding beacons of light to shine in the corners [harassers] are hoping to keep dark," both reinforcing the message that "gender bias is alive and well" and calling for a "complete transformation in how we approach" the problem. The tweets of women in medicine primarily seemed aimed at disrupting complacency; encouraging bystanders to become allies; challenging stereotypes about women in medicine; championing individual women leaders, peers, and trainees; and advocating for reporting mechanisms and policies to ensure safety and accountability across medical workplaces. Women in medicine appeared to use Twitter for a host of reasons: for amplification, peer support, advocacy, and seeking accountability. By sharing their experiences publicly, women in medicine seemed to make a persuasive argument that time is up, providing would-be allies with supporting evidence of sexual violence, discrimination, and harassment. Their tweets suggest a roadmap for what is needed to achieve gender equity, ensure that lack of awareness is no longer an excuse, and ask bystanders to grapple with why women's accounts continue to be overlooked, ignored, or dismissed and how they will support women moving forward.

Followers’ Cognitive Elaboration of Sponsored Influencer Content: The Significance of Argument Quality

Social media influencers have emerged as effective brand endorsers, yet a gap remains in understanding their followers’ cognitive engagement with sponsored posts. To address this issue, we conducted a study guided by parasocial theories and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Follower status (follower/non-follower) and persuasive argument quality (weak/strong) were manipulated among study participants (N = 163) to discern the prevailing processing mode triggered by sponsored influencer content. Based on parasocial theories, we predicted that followers who have established parasocial relationships with influencers should show high situational engagement with their content. Our results demonstrated that argument quality influenced followers’ brand evaluation and purchase intention, whereas non-followers were unaffected by it. These findings suggest that followers are more likely to elaborate on influencer content compared with non-followers. Interestingly, some signs of biased processing were evident. These results contribute to our understanding of how followers engage with sponsored content and shed light on the mechanisms underlying the persuasiveness of influencer marketing.

Pursuit of the concept of validity: A dialogue

AbstractThis is a dialogue between Lisa and Max on Dag Prawitz's work concerning the concept of deductive validity. Lisa first explains Prawitz's criticisms of the presently prevailing non‐epistemic analyses of validity. Then Lisa describes three different ways in which Prawitz attempted to develop an epistemic concept of validity. Max asks questions for clarification, raises some objections and compares Prawitz's three approaches with other lines of thought. Two inference rules are specially discussed: disjunction introduction and ex contradictione quodlibet. Max and Lisa view Prawitz's contribution as part of a variegated, ongoing research pursuing an explication of the concept of validity, which began with the Socratic and Platonic distinction between merely persuasive arguments and good arguments and with Aristotle's definition of syllogism. Throughout the history of philosophy, logicians have aimed at clarifying a pre‐theoretic idea of good deduction and have proposed, criticized, refined, adjusted precise theoretical concepts of validity. Prawitz has criticized current views about validity, has advanced new proposals and revised them. His work is an important chapter of the long pursuit of the concept of validity.

Metacognitive strategies and critical thinking in elevating EFL argumentative writing proficiency: Practical insights

This study utilized Kemmis et al.’s (2014) action research paradigm. It implemented a two-cycle action study within a single semester, encompassing four stages of learning tasks: comprehension of the problem, monitoring of students’ learning activities, problem-solving, assessment, and concluding. Every cycle offered learning activities that focused on metacognitive and critical thinking to refine students’ ability to write persuasive arguments. During the previous cycle, the students showed strong skills in stating their goals and identifying their planned actions. They used different approaches to pinpoint a key topic for their writing and monitor their progress by effectively managing their available time. The investigation found that integrating metacognitive and crucial thinking processes into instructional methods improved students’ argumentative writing skills, starting with critical skill requirements. Integrating metacognition into writing training is vital for enhancing writing skills at the college level. This study made a special effort to guarantee that each stage was attentively examined and received constructive recommendations for enhancement before going to further steps. However, it is important to acknowledge limitations. The study did not assess the long-term retention of enhanced writing skills, and the sample size may limit generalization. Additionally, while metacognition and critical thinking were beneficial, other factors influencing writing skills were not extensively explored. Future research could address these aspects for a more comprehensive understanding of sustained skill development.

Crossing Linguistic Bridges: Unravelling the Art of Persuasion Among Albanian Writers in Greek

Pragmalinguistic (PML) failure complicates intercultural communication in both productive and receptive modes. This paper attempts to unravel the persuasive strategies used by Albanians writing in Greek and further record the overall suitability score they received when assessed by Greek teachers (n=176). A protocol sample of extracted persuasive strategies was created to be used for further investigation, with respect to their suitability. The evaluation body provided their scores systematically through a purposefully constructed internet evaluation tool, which recorded their responses in a scale format. All strategies used scored below the middle of the evaluation scale and were thus considered unsuitable to be included in a letter of this type. Direct pathos statements were found particularly unfit to be employed in this context, while logos received the highest votes. Significant correlations were found in the voting tactic of the judges, which suggests a personality question in the judgments, while younger judges seemed to be more rigid in their evaluations. On the other hand, inconsistencies were detected between a) the evaluation of ethos and pathos persuasive arguments by these Greek judges and b) the employment of the exact same strategies by Greeks writing in English, outlined in an earlier study. The judges’ level of education and their teaching experience did not correlate statistically with the judgment scores they provided.

3 - The food security concept

The concept of food security appeared in policy forums and documents during the 1970s as a concern largely for developing countries. Today, food security stands centre stage in developing and developed nations. It is a multidimensional concept, which rests on the four pillars of availability, access, utilisation and stability. As our understanding of this complex concept deepens, there are persuasive arguments to add the elements of food agency, food sovereignty and food sustainability, to make it a six-pillar framework. The argument is that this framework better informs policy and global responses to short- and long-term food security challenges. One of the main challenges of the concept of food security is its measurement. This arises due to the fact that there are multiple units of analysis at macro, meso and micro levels. Even the pillars of food security are measured at different scales. This has resulted in the proliferation of hundreds of food security metrics and definitions. The currently accepted definition of food security encapsulates the complexity of the concept but does not assist in developing appropriate metrics. Development projects in Africa that state food security as an objective need to develop relevant food security definitions to guide the assessment of achieving that objective, otherwise measuring its success is reduced to an evaluation of increase in food production—yet we know food security goes beyond production.

Getting closer to social interactions using electroencephalography in developmental cognitive neuroscience

The field of developmental cognitive neuroscience is advancing rapidly, with large-scale, population-wide, longitudinal studies emerging as a key means of unraveling the complexity of the developing brain and cognitive processes in children. While numerous neuroscientific techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have proved advantageous in such investigations, this perspective proposes a renewed focus on electroencephalography (EEG), leveraging underexplored possibilities of EEG. In addition to its temporal precision, low costs, and ease of application, EEG distinguishes itself with its ability to capture neural activity linked to social interactions in increasingly ecologically valid settings. Specifically, EEG can be measured during social interactions in the lab, hyperscanning can be used to study brain activity in two (or more) people simultaneously, and mobile EEG can be used to measure brain activity in real-life settings. This perspective paper summarizes research in these three areas, making a persuasive argument for the renewed inclusion of EEG into the toolkit of developmental cognitive and social neuroscientists.

The socio-ecological impacts of tourism development in the Western Ghats: the case of Wayanad, India

Globally, tourism is advocated as a development tool with the potential to uplift socioeconomic conditions for marginalized populations and contribute to biodiversity conservation. The expectation is that the tourism model of development can bring about positive social changes in diverse communities by broadening livelihood opportunities and concurrently preserving crucial ecosystems, which are regarded as valuable assets in the tourism sector. We investigated Wayanad in the Western Ghats of India, challenging the notion of “tourism for development.” We examined the socio-ecological features of the region, the evolution of tourism and sustainable tourism, and the implications across various sectors. The research employed an empirical approach grounded in the critical examination of socio-ecological systems for tourism governance and sustainability. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews conducted in Wayanad and a review of the relevant literature. The results reveal that despite the prevalent and persuasive arguments favoring tourism, there are extensive multi-sectoral implications in tourism development that negatively affect both the environment and people at large. These impacts include the erosion of agrobiodiversity-linked traditional Adivasi lifestyles, the displacement of local communities, the encroachment of tourism projects into forests and increased human–animal conflicts, the absence of social security measures for marginalized communities, a decline in traditional livelihood options, and an overreliance on the tourism industry and the private sector. These discernible impacts have pushed the fragile region further into a socio-ecological imbalance. Tourism development in ecologically delicate areas should take into account socio-ecological impacts because a region's culture and nature are key components of its attractiveness as a tourist destination. Large-scale landscape planning should involve the perspectives of various stakeholders, including both direct and indirect participants who could be influenced by tourism. The marginalization of Adivasi communities that maintain the region's ecological integrity is unproductive for both the economic and regional development interests of tourism.

Effects of redundant similes on persuasiveness in written arguments

Figurative expressions have been considered beneficial in improving the persuasiveness of arguments; however, little attention has been paid to the effects of those produced by students in writing. This study examined the effects of a “redundant simile,” which refers to a simile that merely rephrases the same content in a subtly different manner, on persuasiveness in written arguments. Participants (n = 64) were randomly assigned to control or redundant-simile conditions. A written argument comprised “claim, my-side reason, counterargument, rebuttal, and claim” in both conditions, and a redundant simile was included in “my-side reason” in the redundant-simile condition. The participants evaluated the immediate and delayed persuasiveness of each sentence and rated the confidence of recognition of whether each sentence was used in the evaluation task. The results showed that only the evaluation of the counterargument was significantly higher in the redundant-simile condition than in the control condition. The confidence of recognition of my-side reason was significantly lower in the redundant-simile condition than in the control condition. Thus, redundant similes may negatively affect memory, although they may not directly affect immediate persuasiveness. It is thus important to encourage students to flexibly reflect on their figurative expressions rather than assume that the expressions will always increase persuasiveness.

Asking for solidarity: embodied feminist practices in digital space

ABSTRACT The Woman, Life, Freedom movement, beginning in September 2022, is a key chapter in the ongoing process of women’s rights activism in Iran. Social media has constituted a significant arena for asking for global solidarity with women in Iran since the initial days of this movement. The overall aim of this paper is to understand how TikTok users, including Iranian young women, have used the digital platform and transformed it into a virtual public space for media solidarity and transnational feminist activism. More precisely, it aims to shed light on how content creators, via their agency, rhetorically utilise and politicise the TikTok platform. In particular, we examine how they engage with audiences via the embodied form and affective performances in their attempt to persuade their audiences to viewership and solidarity action. The data in this paper consist of 107 top-ranked videos appearing under the hashtag #mahsaamini viewed through netnography, while the analytical method is multimodal rhetorical analysis with a focus on the mediality of the body in interaction. In addition, we adopt an embodied feminist framework and a decolonial perspective. The resulting analysis demonstrates how emotions function as one of the key elements in online mobilisation and protest in social media, not only as a motivational force but also as a part of the persuasive argument visually presented.

Meta‐regresses and the limits of persuasive argumentation

AbstractThis paper provides a thorough analysis of two often informally stated claims. First, successful argumentation in the sense of persuasive argumentation requires agreement between the interlocutors about the rationality of arguments. Second, a general agreement about rationality of arguments cannot itself be established via argumentation, since such an attempt leads to an infinite meta‐regress. Hence, agreement about the rationality of arguments is a precondition for successful argumentation. As the paper argues, these plausible claims hold under the assumption that interlocutors are subjectively rational and follow their own standards of rationality when engaging in argumentation.

The decisive role of the principles of administrative procedure in ensuring effective regulation of administrative acts

This article reveals the importance of the principles of administrative procedure in regulating the process of adoption of administrative acts. The article provides an in-depth analysis of how adherence to these principles is essential to promoting fairness, transparency, and accountability in government decision-making.
 Thearticle aims to provide an understanding of the principles of administrative law, emphasizing their application in regulating administrative procedures for fair and efficient public administration.
 The article highlights the impact of administrative acts on individuals and organizations, emphasizing the need for fair and accountable governance. The article examines the basic principles underlying administrative procedures, including due process, legality, fairness, and impartiality. Highlighting their importance, the article illustrates how these principles act as vital checks and balances, protecting citizens' rights and preventing abuse of power.
 In addition, the article sheds light on the positive effects of transparent and accessible administrative procedures. By promoting public participation and engagement, it highlights the potential for greater collaboration between government and its constituents. The introduction of these principles not only strengthens the legitimacy of administrative acts, but also contributes to the formation of citizens' sense of ownership and responsibility.
 The language of the article strikes a balance between legal rigor and accessibility, making it relevant for policymakers, legal practitioners, and the general public alike. Advocating for the integration and implementation of administrative- procedural principles, the author emphasizes their importance in improving the quality of management and strengthening democratic values.
 Overall, this article is informative for those who seek to understand the indispensable role of principles of administrative procedure in creating a fair, transparent and accountable administrative system. Through his persuasive arguments and comprehensive analysis, he encourages a wider commitment to these principles, ultimately strengthening administrative processes and regulation.

A Post-COVID Inflection Point and Call to Action: Theorizing a Legal Right to Youth Sport, Play, and Physical Activity in the United States

Literature links sport, play, and similar leisure endeavors to numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits critical to a young person’s development. Unlike other nations, the United States lacks a national policy to fund structures supporting youth sport, play, and the like. Instead, a for-profit youth sport industry oversees this sector using a pay-to-play model, creating significant financial and access barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic created an inflection point and call for action to meaningfully reform youth sport. Advocates often claim, without providing legal justification, that access to sport and play is a constitutional right. Therefore, the purpose of this commentary is to move beyond aspiration or hypothetical rhetoric and investigate whether a persuasive legal argument exists that places a constitutional legal responsibility upon the United States federal government to create structures, allocate funding, and provide universal access to free sport, recreation, and play opportunities for youth. While review and analysis of relevant case law found that no constitutional right likely existed under United States law, this process confirmed that that such claims will have little chance of success under current precedent. Therefore, given the improbability of substantive voluntary reforms in the private sector, a deeper exploration of innovative legal theories is required to achieve the necessary structural change.

Soft Power and Small States: A Theoretical Discussion

This paper analyses global debates on soft power and its implications for small states in international relations. It primarily focuses on theoretical debates about the soft power of small states. It examines the conceptual development of soft power and how it relates to small states using a qualitative approach. It has observed small states from quantitative and qualitative definitions and found them to have divergent priorities with distinct characteristics. Furthermore, a soft power taxonomy was used to observe soft power resources, instruments, receptions, and outcomes. Methodologically, this paper follows the qualitative literature review approach, using a systematic framework. Finally, the paper examines the ontological position of soft power in international relations theory, providing a unique proposition that stands out from realism, liberalism, and constructivism. In conclusion, the paper reviews the opportunities, challenges, and practices of soft power in the foreign affairs of small states, drawing on theoretical and philosophical lenses to develop persuasive arguments.

Infernal Rhetoric: Counseling and Listening among the Fallen Angels in Paradise Lost

ABSTRACT This article focuses on how the infernal counselors strategically listen to each other for the purpose of constructing persuasive arguments in their own self-interests. Rhetorical analyses of their speeches reveal that their rhetoric—with the sole aim of gaining the upper hand and dominating the assembly—relies heavily on their tactical use of the previous speaker’s arguments. Fostering such an environment that resembles altercations (altercatio) practiced in the Roman courts of law, however, they unknowingly assist Beelzebub, who listens attentively before seizing his moment. With what he gathers from his peers, Beelzebub delivers a powerful speech that enslaves the audience to Satan’s will. To explore further the centrality of corrupted counseling and listening in the broader narrative of the fallen angels, this article also examines the ways in which an envious Satan fails to listen properly to God and falsely counsels his followers toward the fall.

Student-Created Tabletop Foresight Games as Advocacy

This assignment asks first-year writing students to collaboratively create a tabletop game design that would expose players to possible future developments of climate change. The multimodal component is accompanied by a series of writing, research, and communication assignments that are scaffolded to guide students through the iterative process of composing. As students explore alternative formats to make a persuasive argument, they gain a more nuanced understanding of their topic, hone critical thinking skills, and practice addressing different audiences. The final project includes a research paper and a formal project proposal. The author argues in favor of the affordances of game-based pedagogies in a writing and technical communication classroom.

Advice from the editor’s desk: an introductory guide to success in education publishing

PurposeThis study aims to investigate basic/core principles and practical tools behind successful manuscript writing for education journals. Drawing on the insights of journal editors and related literature, this paper seeks to clarify the craft of preparing quality manuscripts to meet the expectations of academic journals.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses an interpretivist framework by incorporating a qualitative analysis of the literature with the authors’ experiences to identify key principles and issues in academic publishing. These narratives provide an empirical basis for understanding the mechanics and essence of effective manuscript crafting. The study integrates theoretical knowledge with actionable strategies, focusing on identifying the objectives and processes of writing, determining common challenges and directing readers toward comprehensive resources for guidance in article writing.FindingsThis study reveals that manuscript rejections often transcend technical shortcomings. Issues that are central to nonacceptance include misalignment with a journal’s thematic focus, absence of a coherent and persuasive argument, methodological weaknesses and insufficient evidence underpinning the assertions. Successful publication depends not just on data presentation and adherence to submission norms but also on developing a narrative that enriches the prevailing scholarly discourse. Our findings advocate for manuscripts that strike an appropriate balance between lucidity and analytical rigor, avoid superfluous technical language and express a mix of assertiveness and scholarly modesty.Originality/valueAlthough there is literature on academic writing, very few recent articles have been uncovered that probe the intricacies of crafting education manuscripts and point to resources.