PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

7
“Informative, Persuasive, and Argumentative Communication”
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“Informative, Persuasive, and Argumentative Communication”

The learners independently demonstrate critical

thinking and understanding of the module.
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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.
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Informative Communication
You are stating the facts, often backed by scientific research or
other references to opinions by acknowledged experts. There is no
attempt to sway others to your point of view, and in fact you do
not even give your own view.
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It 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 or the kind of understanding it provides the receivers.
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Osborn (2009) purports that informative

communication arises out of three deep impulses:
• We seek to expand our awareness of the world
around us.
• We seek to become more competent.
• We have an abiding curiosity about how things
work and how they are made.
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When preparing for an informative exchange, ask

yourself the following questions:
• Is my topic noteworthy to be considered
informative?
• What do my recipients already know about my
topic?
• What more do they have to know?
• Am I knowledgeable enough of my topic to help my
receivers understand it?
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• Persuasive Communication
You are doing your best to convince other to support
your own view of the situation. You use logical and
emotional argument to show why what you are
saying is right. If you mention the other side of the
story you are only doing so to show why your own
perspective is a better choice. The focus is on your
own perspective and not on putting down the other
side. You say what you are standing "for".
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It is an art of gaining fair and favorable consideration for

our point of view.
• It provides a choice among options.
• It advocates something through a speaker.
• It uses supporting materials to justify advice.
• It turns the audience into agents of change.
• Asks for strong audience commitment.
• It gives importance to the speaker’s credibility.
• It appeals to feelings
• It has higher ethical obligation.
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• Argumentative Personality.
Argumentative is an adjective that means often
arguing or wanting to argue. Some people argue out
of habit, always need to be right, make a fuss about
most trivial things, just to cause conflict and almost
always on the defensive.
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Negatives of being around argumentative

personality person:
• Can be difficult to live and work with
• Many are very self-absorbed
• Have no insight into how their behavior impacts
others
• Feel threatened with people with views different
from theirs
• Cronic blamers
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Positives of being around argumentative personality

person:
• Being around them can help build motivation to
stand up for yourself
• Learning debate techniques from those who
passionately defend their views
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How to handle?
• Realizing they use an immature defense mechanism to
protect themselves can make you more understanding and
tolerant with them
• Try not to ask their opinion on anything – “I need this done
in two hours” is better than “Do you think you can do this in
two hours?”
• Avoid using phrases like let’s talk about this peacefully or I
don’t want to argue with you, but…
• It’s best to withdraw from an argument than try to prove
them wrong
• Remind yourself that chronic arguing is an ingrained defense
mechanism that, with time and patience, can be unlearned
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Argumentative Communication
• You are stating the pros of your side and the cons
of the other side, doing you best to put the other
side in its place. Most of the focus will be on why
the other perspective is wrong. You don't have to
have a better solution as long as you show why the
solution you are criticizing is not going to work. You
say what you are standing "against".
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Modern approach to making decisions considers real

argumentations where rational communicators do the best they can
to justify their standpoints in a certain context. This is considered to
be argumentative communication, the art of persuading based on
reason, on facts, and not emotions.
• Debating: explaining reasons (thesis) why a certain theory can (or
cannot) be considered persuading
• Argumenting: persuading the audience to support the speaker’s
thesis
• Audience: it’s the core focus around which an effective debate is
conceived and formulated
• It 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 the fourth
dimension of proof, mythos, which suggest that we respond to
appeals to the traditions and values of our culture and to the
legends and folktales that embody them.
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Lucas (2007) claims that to avoid defective

argumentation, the following must be avoided:
1. Defective evidence
• a. Misuse of facts
• b. Statistical fallacies
• c. Inappropriate evidence
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Communication is made for

numerous purposes. The way
messages are crafted
depends highly on the
intention of the sender.
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MD-1.2.1
“Informative, Persuasive, and Argumentative
Communication”

Pen & Paper

none
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MD-1.2.1

Let’s Analyze
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.
3. What ethical considerations must one bear in mind when informing,
persuading, or arguing?
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MD-1.2.1

For Flexible Distance Learning:

• Screenshot of hand written answer on bondpaper and uploaded at Edmodo
Apps
For Modular Distance Learning:
• Handwritten bondpaper and submitted at AISAT Campus

• Five days after the discussion.

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The most important thing in communication is

hearing what isn't said.

-Peter Drucker