CM 220 Unit 2 Seminar General Education, Composition Kaplan University 1

Today’s agenda Thesis workshop Logical fallacy discussion Discussion about graphic cigarette warning labels article 2

UNIT 2 reading Unit 2 overview with discussion of advertising and deceptive argument The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, pp. 5-6 in ch. 1 (logical fallacy chart), pp in ch. 6 Fallacy Gallery [posted in Doc Sharing] O’Hegarty, et. al article on cigarette warning labels [find link at end of overview reading] 3

Unit 2 activities Invention Lab: Develop research questions and a potential working thesis statement Project: “pitch” of big idea and research strategy (see sample in DocSharing) Tech Lab: Slide presentations, traditional and animated options 4

Tech Lab: Slide Presentations 5

Thesis statement A thesis statement is composed of two parts: your topic + some point you want to make about your topic. Without a thesis, your paper lacks direction. 6

Establish Research Questions Once you’ve chosen your topic, find a research question that you’d like to answer. That will give you your point. 7

Research question This is a question YOU would like to answer through your research. It can help you LIMIT your topic/big idea and provide you with a focus for a paper or argument. It should be appropriate to the subject and limitations of the assignment. 8

Sample research questions for “big idea” about alternative energy WHO benefits from decreased dependence on foreign oil? WHAT is the best type of alternative fuel vehicle? WHEN is the best time to invest in alternative fuel vehicles? WHERE is the engine in an electric car? HOW does an electric car work? WHY does the US support offshore drilling? 9

Possible research questions for “big idea” on childhood obesity: Who is responsible for childhood obesity? What are the effects of obesity in children? How can we teach children about healthy eating habits? Why is it necessary to educate children about healthy eating? 10

Research question to thesis Education Public Health Topic/BIG IDEAS How can student performance be improved in public schools? Should health insurance for smokers be more expensive? Research Question/LIMITATION Adopting an all year school schedule will improve student performance. Insurance premiums for smokers should not be increased. Thesis/POSITION 11

Preliminary thesis (hypothesis) This is your INITIAL argument, what you think may be the answer to your research question. Remember that a preliminary thesis CAN and WILL change. It will be TESTED and REFINED through research. Because you are arguing a position, that position should be clear in the thesis. Good persuasive thesis statements often include clauses beginning with “since, because, therefore” that indicate why you feel something should or should not be done. 12

What is an ARGUMENT? An argument is an issue that has at least TWO SIDES. In order to present your side of the argument, you must know the various positions on your issue. If you don’t know the arguments for the other side, you leave yourself open to be blindsided by an attack. This is true for everything in life 13

Recognizing and Avoiding Deceptive Arguments When researching, you need to read the information carefully and to apply your best critical thinking skills to what the author is saying. Analyze and find the “holes” in the arguments that you are reading. Decide which arguments are valid and which are not. With practice, you will become better at detecting deceptive arguments. 14

Logical fallacies (see chart in textbook pg. 5-6) Bandwagon Slanters Persuasive Definitions Personal Attacks Post Hoc Scare Tactics Slippery Slope 15 Strawman Testimonials Generalizations Categorical Statements Begging the Question False Analogy Appeal to Authority

Bandwagon: the idea that everybody does it or believes it 80 percent of Americans dislike the idea of increased taxes; therefore, the government should reduce taxes in order to improve our economy. What is weak in this argument? 16

Slippery Slope: If A happens, then B will occur If we legalize same sex marriage, then eventually people will be allowed to marry their family members or even more than one person; therefore, same sex marriage should not be legalized. What is weak in this argument? 17

Ad hominem: an attack on the character of a person rather than her/his opinions or arguments Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all liberals and hippies. What is weak in this argument? 18

Post hoc : assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.' I went to the store and now I have a flat tire. I should have stayed home. What is weak in this argument? 19

Appeal to Authority: If X says so, it must be so. President Ronald Reagan supported the death penalty; therefore, we should continue to support capital punishment. What is weak in this argument? 20

Applying what you know... Let’s review the article by O’Hegarty, et al. The article concludes that the U.S. should use graphic warnings on cigarette packages because these are likely to be effective in encouraging people not to smoke. Is their research valid? Does it have any weaknesses? Could the hypothesis be tested further? What were drawbacks that study participants noted with some of the ads? What is the thesis? Page 9 21

Canadian warnings 22

How do we AVOID fallacies in our own writing? Imagine you disagree with your own argument. Which of your arguments would not convince you and why? Which arguments are “fishy” or weak? Review your argument for absolutes and sweeping generalizations (all, every, never, always) Review the types of Logical Fallacies listed in the handbook on pp. 5-6 and review your argument for these problems. 23