Lesson 6
INFORMATIVE, PERSUASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE
COMMUNICATION
Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
a. demonstrate mastery in obtaining, providing and disseminating
information,
b. present ideas persuasively using appropriate verbal and non-verbal cues;
and
c. create a public service announcement regarding environmental disaster
preparedness employing the concepts of informative, persuasive and
argumentative communication.
“The improvement of understanding is for two ende first our own increase of knowledge,
secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others."
1. What do you think does John Locke mean?
2. In which aspect of your field do you find Locke's idea most relevant? Explain.
Communication is made for numerous purposes. The way messages are crafted depends
highly on the intention of the sender.
In a supermarket, a sales agent makes sure that the way a product is promoted gets
consumers buying. A news anchor delivers information in such a way that all the facts are clearly
stated doing away with words that may cause confusion. On the other hand, a criminal lawyer
must design his arguments supported by facts to convince the judge and the jury
Informative Communication involves giving than asking. As an informative
communicator, you want your receivers to pay attention and understand, but not to change their
behavior. By sharing Information, ignorance is reduced, or better yet, eliminated. The
informative value of a message is measured by how novel and relevant the information is the
kind of understanding it provides the receivers.
Osbom (2009) purports that informative communication arises out of three deep
impulses:
a. We seek to expand our awareness of the world around us.
b. We seek to become more competent.
c. We have an abiding curiosity about how things work and how they are made.
When preparing for an informative exchange, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is my topic noteworthy to be considered informative?
2. What do my recipients already know about my topic?
3. What more do they have to know?
4. Am I knowledgeable enough of my topic to help my receivers understand it?
Persuasive Communication is an art of gaining fair and favourable
considerations for our point of view. It:
a. provides a choice among options
b. advocates something through a speaker
c. uses supporting material to justify advice
d. turns the audience into agents of change
e. asks for strong audience commitment
f. gives importance to the speaker's credibility
g. appeals to feelings
h. has higher ethical obligation
Argumentative Communication relies heavily on sound proof and reasoning. The
nature of proof has been studied since the Golden Age of Greece and has been improved through
time. According to Aristotle, logos, ethos and pathos are the three primary forms of proof. In our
time, whoever, many scholars have confirmed the presence of a fourth dimension of proof,
mythos, which suggests that we respond to appeals to the traditions and values of our culture and
to the legends and folktales that embody them.
Lucas (2007) claims that to avoid defective argumentation, the following must be
avoided:
1. Defective evidence
Misuse of facts
Statistical fallacies
Defective Testimony
Inappropriate evidence
2. Defective Patterns of reasoning
Evidential fallacies
a. Slippery slope
b. Confusing facts with opinion
c. Red herring
d. Myth of the mean
Flawed proofs
Defective arguments
1. What is the difference between an informative communication and a persuasive
communication? Which do you think is more challenging in terms of preparation and
delivery?
2. In a table, list essential preparations when communicating to inform, to persuade, and to
argue.
To Inform To Persuade To Argue
3. What ethical considerations must one bear in mind when informing persuading or
arguing?
1. Have a journal of your communication activities for an entire day, making special note on
all instances in which you tried to inform, persuade or argue with someone .Choose one
of those instances and prepare a brief analysis about it. In your analysis, answer the
following questions:
a. Who was the receiver of your message?
b. What was the specific purpose of your message?
c. Was the message rehearsed or arose spontaneously?
d. Were you successful in achieving your purpose?
e. If faced with the same situation again, what changes would you make to be a better
communicator?
