PSYC 401W Literary and Psychological Approaches to?Rhetoric (honors)

Course is interdisciplinary and approaches the study of persuasion from perspectives of English and Psychology. Course covers the techniques of argumentation by reading treatises of classical, medieval and Renaissance rhetoric, then studying contemporary rhetoric, including but not limited to, speeches and congressional elections. Course also considers the psychological aspects for persuasion, including how attitudes are shaped, formed, and changed, principles of person perception, and the variables that affect compliance, obedience, and conformity. Course also explores the ethics of persuasion and the right usages of argumentation.