Fallacies

One concept I feel that I could have a better understand of is the concept of fallacies. Through the text I was able to understand most of the example of fallacies that were listed. However, I do not know exactly what a fallacy is. To my understanding they are not good but I do not understand how they relate to group communication. However, even though I don’t exactly know how it connects, I feel I do have a great knowledge of the different types of fallacies there are. The book did a great job listing the different types and giving examples and explanations of each type which helped tremendously for me. I just wish I knew more how they relate to the course directly and what it does for an argument. Other then that I feel I learned most of the material and gained a greater understanding on the terms! (:

My favorite

My favorite thing about this course was the group papers. Even though the group papers were somewhat stressful, I found it to be a great way to learn how to communicate with people you hardly know and may never see. However, since everyone is hoping for the same successful outcome, everyone is very compatible and does their share of the work and makes the project easy and fun. Also, I learned useful tools in doing the project. For example, I learned how to judge an article to see if it should be trusted. This is something I will use for the rest of my life! My least favorite would probably e the quizzes and tests because who likes those. :P Overall this course was very very great. I feel I learned so much from an online course and I am very happy I took this through out my summer. 

I have learned

Taking comm 41, online, through out my summer has taught me a lot! Being a critical decision maker is not as easy as people may think; however after this summer I feel I have gained the knowledge and understanding on how to make critical decisions. Not only that, I learned the concepts of arguments and premises and how to develop a clear and useful argument to communicate with others.  I’ve learned what to do and what not to do when developing and expressing an argument. Also, I have learned how to work with other people and communicate well with them even when it may seem impossible because you can not actually meet them face to face.  Working in a group is a very important skill to have and through this course I feel I have accomplished in doing so and will prepare me for any future group projects I may encounter. 

Paper

For the first assignment, our group used an article explaining myths people have about dieting and revealing the truth behind it. I showed a group of my friends this article and they first briefly skimmed it. They just read the myths and not the information pertaining it. Their reaction to what they read was that they did not believe that they were just myths. Then after reading the entire article they realized that maybe what the author wrote was truth and they were merely myths. We discussed that the sources the author gave seemed reputable and the information did seem to be truth. I gave some other help to my friends to check if this article was something they could believe. I showed them the group paper and then they came to conclusion that the article was something they could believe. I showed them the requirements and they also said that the paper did meet the requirements. 

Mission Critical

After reading a peer’s blog, I was really interested in checking out the Mission Critical website. So I went onto the site and looked through it. The first thing I noticed is that this site has so many of the key terms we have learned in this class before. However, since this class is soon ending and we have learned so many terms, I noticed I forgot the meanings of some important concepts. That is why this website is extremely useful. I was able to look through the site and relearn the definitions of very important concepts in the class and even get a new definition of it. Also, this site had exercises to use the concepts with and apply them to examples. This site has so many useful tools and very useful information. I know I will be on this site a lot for the next few days to obtain all the information. 

cause and effect

The information and the exercises on the cause and effect concept were very helpful and informative! The reading was very interesting and informative. They explained the concept of casual arguments. They started off with a detailed scenario and used that as the same example in the rest of the reading. They used the situation of a bike and a truck in traffic. This was helpful because it was consistent through out the whole reading when they even introduced other terms. The consistency makes it clear and easy to follow. The exercises that followed however were ever better. I feel it is better to actually do exercises because you learn more by doing an activity. Also, in the exercises they used real life examples which make it easier to follow along and apply the thinking in to real life! They use a scene of a picnic and the effects of the picnic which to me was really useful! 

Interesting

One concept I found very interesting was when the text was describing the term apples and oranges. This is a really important concept to know about in my opinion because it seems people throw numbers all the time to make them seem knowledgeable. Apples and oranges is when there is a numerical comparisons but it does not make sense to even compare the items at all. It is good to catch when this happens so that you will not be fooled or manipulated. But even with any kind of comparison, it is important to know that there is a similarity between the things that are being compared rather than not obtaining the right information.  It is very important to know all the facts and the correct information between the compassions. Knowing and understanding this concept will be very useful and can save you or anyone from being mislead in any type of situation. 

Assignment 1

The first group assignment was definitely a great learning experience. Group projects are always fun and somewhat stressful but doing a group project for an online class for a summer session has its own twist. I learned how to work with people’s schedule to meet up online. I also learned there are many ways to communicate with a group without actually meeting in person. Internet is so useful! As well as working with a group, I learned how to think critically! I had to apply a real life article to the essence of this course which was very interesting. However, I love relating what I am learning to everyday life and that is exactly what the first assignment asked for. I feel when you relate it to the world is when you get a better understanding of the material.  Finding claims of a actual article was fun and an excellent learning experience!

ch 13

In the chapter 13 in the text, something I found very interesting was the concept of averages. I have noticed in the past that averages can be manipulated to make numbers or figures seem better than they actually are. However, with numbers people seem to believe anything if you sound like you know what you are talking about. Most people know what mean, mode, and median is in terms of numbers. We always usually assume that getting above average is excellent. However, as the book mentioned, getting above average is only important if the destitution is a standard bell-shaped curve. I always see people use the term “average” to their advantage with manipulation. For instance, I took a hard class one semester in my high school. Many did poorly on the exams. For one exam, my friend got a 68%, and the class average for that exam was 65%. My friend however, told her parents that her score was above average. This is true, however, she still did poorly on the exam but her parents did not know because they assumed the average was a C. 

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 described reasoning my analogy which could be a very useful tactic. I found this very interesting. Analogies are usually statements that include the words, “like” or “as”. However, analogies are not always an argument. They are only comparisons. Analogies can support an argument though. Analogies are used to reason an argument to give it support. We all use analogies on a day to day basis.  However to reason with a good analogy it is important to included both side of the argument you are discussing about. Including both sides shows that you are aware of all the probabilities and makes your analogies that much stronger. Only stating one side makes the argument way too vague. So it is important to know all sides. There should be a general principal that applies to both sides. This is a great way on how to judge an analogy in any argument. 

Objective 3

Appealing to fear seems to be a common tactic that advertisers use to influence people. Fear is such a strong emotion and can control how people behave. Therefore when people see advertisements that scare them, they usually do something about it. An advertisement that comes to mind that appeals to fear are the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) commercials. Their commercials show animals that are being endangered and harm because of the harmful world we live in. The commercials also appeal to pity. However, they relate the commercial to us by saying out world is becoming a harmful place for not just us but for the living species that surround us. It makes us as human beings living on the planet fearful of the damages that are occurring to us and the world we live in. WWF is an organization that tries to raise money to prevent our world from tarnishing. With their commercials that appeal to fear, they are sure making awareness. 

Appeal to Pity

Appealing to the emotion can make a good argument for the fact that emotions have a huge impact on everyone. As human beings we run off our emotions so when trying to convincing someone something important, using an appeal to the emotion is a great way to be convincing. In the text, one aspect I found very interesting when appealing to emotion is using an appeal to pity. Using an appeal to emotion makes one feel bad they are not doing something that they should be. The most common example is when on television there is a commercial that is very depressing that shows kids starving and in poor conditions. The commercial asks for donations to help these kids. Of course, it makes us a human beings feel terrible, so some donate. However, not all of us donate so it questions us to think if we are good people. This is an excellent way to appeal to pity. 

Interesting

This week’s reading all seem to connect with one another. The main points of each section relate to another section. However one section I found particularly interesting that I have not mentioned yet was the truth tables and symbols Greek philosophers used and the words that form a compound claim. These simples words listed in the book can have a huge impact on a claim and if it makes the claim true or false. According to the classical abstraction, the only aspect people pay attention to of a claim is whether the claim is true or false and how the claim is compounded. With the methods that the book describes, I am able to check if a compounded claim is valid. This is something important to know when analyzing claims and will certainly be beneficial in the long run. It is amazing to see that methods used a long time ago are still very effective today.

Categorical Claims

One section I thought that was interesting and also important to know is in the section under Aristoleic Logic. It is so interesting to know even people 2000 years ago used critical thinking similar as to how we do today. Specifically I found the categorical claims very intriguing.  They explain of universal claims and particular claims. Universal claims are claims that are very general and include words like all or no. Particular claims don’t include a whole population so they use words such as some.  These both indicate the quantity. They also explain of affirmative and negative claims. Affirmative claims are more positive claims because they explain how something is.  On the other hand a negative claim is the opposite. It explains how something is not.  These indicate the quality of the claim. All these claims are important because they indicate the quality and quantity of claims which is something important to know when reviewing a claim by critical thinking. If someone expresses an argument to you , knowing the quality and quantity will give you a better idea of the argument.

One and all

One concept I found interesting in chapter 8 of the reading is the section where Richard Epstein discuses one and all. Precise generalities are generalities that give an exact percentage to explain the likelihood of the generality. However even though there is a percentage, it does not make it a strong argument because it is still in fact a generality. Vague generalities are generalities that are not specific and include a great amount of ambiguity. They include words like all and some. With these chains the premises could be true but the conclusion could be false making it a weak and invalid argument, which is not beneficial. We all seem to make statements in these areas. Everyone has made a generality before because at times they can help support our argument. However, it is very important to know how to make a generality be supportive rather then not support our main argument. 

Conditionals

One concept that I found particularly interesting are conditionals and their contradictories. Conditionals are important because they explain if one situation occurs then another one will fallow. It kind of fallows the cause and effect pattern. It shows that if the first situation does happen then the second one will occur. The first situation is the antecedent and the one that fallows is the consequent.  It also explains that sometimes individuals make a conditional with a false antecedent to express how the world may be. That is similar to a hypothetical situation. For example; if no one owned a car, our health would be better. Even thought the antecedent is not true, it expresses how I feel what would happen if the world did not have cars. A contradictory of a conditional is if the antecedent happens then the consequent has a contradiction. So the consequent could be different then what the conditional explains. 

chapter 7

In chapter 7, one important concept being explained is how to refute an argument. Epstein gives three great ways on how to refute an argument: Show that at least of the premise that was given is doubtful, show that the argument is not strong or valid, and show that the conclusion they give is false. These are great concepts to know in order to disprove any argument. Disproving an argument is important to know in any situation. We have all gone through some type of a disagreement and will face many more in the future therefore knowing how to prove your point and voice your opinion it is vital to know how to refute any argument. For example when I ordered something online awhile ago, they shipped me an item I did not order. So I called the company and explained the situation to them.  Unfortunately the lady that helped me was rude and told me I must have ordered the item since it was shipped to me. However, I had a receipt which proved her conclusion wrong. 

Chapter 6

One concept I found extremely useful in chapter six was False Dilemmas. False dilemmas are when you misuse the “or” in a claim. In a false dilemma you are not including all the possibilities of the dilemma instead, you are only considering the implausible or false claim. There could be other alternatives yet they are not provided. It is important to avoid false dilemmas in arguments. Using false dilemmas shows that you have not considered all the other alternatives possible which makes for a bad argument. A good example of a false dilemma is when a child wants to go out to the mall and the mother asks why. The child says, “I could go to the mall and have fun or I could stay at home and do nothing”. This is a false dilemma because there are other alternatives other than the two the child said. I am sure there are things the child would be able to do at home yet they fail to recognize that. 

Euphemism and Dysphemism

One thing I found very interesting in the reading is in Chapter 9 section C called, What Did You Say? In this section they explain how changing the name of something can affect your writing tremendously. Euphemism is when a word makes something sounds better then a neutral name. Dysphemism is the exact opposite. It makes a word or phrase sounds more negative then the neutral name. Simple conversions like these however can change your writing and can improve it so you can make your writing go in the direction you want it to. I find this so useful. For example if you wanted something to be much more dramatic and worse then what it actually was, when describing a car accident you could use the word “crashed” instead of “hit”. Hit seems more natural however crashed gives the impression that it was tragic and terrifying. Simple alterations like these can change so much. 

Advertisement

I saw this advertisement as I was browsing the internet. It is advertising the website Groupon. It says “If you love saving money then you will love Groupon”. According to Criteria for accepting or rejecting Claims the most reliable source of information is our own experience. Well I have used Groupon before and purchased groupons in the past. So through my own experience I can say that this advertisement is true and I can accept the claim. When I used Groupon I saved approximately 50% of what I got. Even though the advertisement may seem random and out of place, I trusted my own experience with this so make a judgment. Now I can refer to other people as well about this website so they can use it as well and I am a reputable source.  So through my experience I can say that this advertisement is making an acceptable claim. 

Appeal to Emotion

Appealing to emotion seems to be powerful at times. The fallacy of appealing to emotion is simply if something is associated with positive feelings then it must be true and it is indeed desirable. However, if the premise is associated with negative feelings then the conclusion must be negative and bad. The emotion comes from the response of the conclusion which makes it so powerful.  As emotional human beings, I feel this fallacy is very effective in persuading people. This is a great marketing and advertising tactic. Speaking for myself, I know there are times I feel the need to purchase something because of the advertisement I saw and how it made me feel. For example, a while ago when the new Iphones came out there were television commercials showing how great the video quality and the feature of “face time” was.  Specifically I remember seeing a little girl on a video of the phone. So what I got out of it was “if you have the Iphone you will be able to stay connected at all times with family members”. It evoked my emotion therefore I bought the phone. However, I hardly ever use the feature. 

Communication

In chapter 4 in the Group Communication book by Dan O’ Hair and Mary o. Wiemann, they discuss a few concepts of communication in organization that I found very interesting. They give three different models of group organization each of which relates to me especially in the work field. I word in retail in the cashiering department. Therefore I have three different types of relationships: between superiors and subordinates, team leaders and team members, and organizational department. It explains that between superior and subordinates that the communication is primarily based on completing jobs that need to be done.  However, what I found more interesting is that the relationship between team leaders and team members is to communicate to work together and make decisions together. I was always under the impression that the lead at work was in charge and that is that. But this has opened my eyes to realize that it is important to communicate with them to make things improve in the work area. Lastly they explain that communication between organizations is key for business reasons. Since I am part of the cashiering department there are many other different departments I work with such as supplies, clothing, ect. I must communicate with them often in order to complete transactions correctly. 

Arguments

A valid argument is an argument that has premises which lead to a true and logical conclusion based of the premises. So if the premises are true the conclusions will absolutely be true as well. An everyday example of a valid argument would be:

If comm 41 class is not canceled today, then there will be a quiz.

Comm 41 was not canceled today.

So there was a quiz in class.

This is a valid argument because of the premises given, it is logical to conclude that there will be a quiz in class. The conclusion is true based off the premises that were given.

A strong argument is an argument that has all its premises to be true but the conclusion has the possibility to be false. The premises are true and support the conclusion even though the conclusion maybe false.  An example of a strong argument is:

Everyone that I have seen today has been wearing a coat or a jacket because it is cold outside. Therefore everyone is wearing a coat or a jacket.

This is a strong argument because the premise is true. The conclusion is logical; however, the conclusion can be false because there is a possibility that there are people who are not wearing a jacket or coat.

Claims

Subjective claims and objective claims are important to know to be able to analyze statements.  People use both claims all the time unknowingly. First of all a claim is an assertion. A subjective claim is a claim made with personal thoughts or feelings that control the claim. This cannot be proven true or false. A good example I used a subjective claim was just last week. I went to a San Francisco Giant’s baseball game. It was the first game in the series and the Giants were facing the Cincinnati Red’s. I am a very big Giant’s fan so I was very disappointed that the Giants were not playing so well and the Cincinnati Red’s were playing great. At the game due to my disappointment I made the statement, “The Cincinnati Red’s are the worst team ever”. I was very upset, my personal feelings are what made me say this statement. Some people may believe this claim but it cannot be proven to be true or false. 

An objective claim is a claim that is factual. An objective claim can be true or false and is not effective by personal feelings. A great example of an objective claim comes from the same day when I went to the Giant’s game. The announcer told the audience that the giants are the 2010 World Series Champions. That statement is indeed true with no questions asked. That makes it a objective claim.

Hello there

I am going onto my second year of college and spending the summer taking this course and getting settled into my brand new apartment. My experience involving communication would have to be taking comm 20 my first semester of college which was a very terrifying yet beneficial class. Making speeches in front of strangers taught me a lot. I also worked at Mcdonalds in high school taking orders in the drive thru which required a great deal of communication in order to get their food to perfection. I hope to learn how to communicate in groups by taking this course. I took an online class at a community college once which was very convenient and fun. It was similar to this course for the fact that I posted blogs and responded to my classmates blogs. I am looking forward to this summer and this course!