Concept Not Discussed:

3). Pick one concept from either text from this weeks reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Use Communication Networks (Group Communication Chp. 11 pg.63-64)

“Networks are ‘who talks to whom about what’ in an organization” (Group Communication, pg. 63-64).  I think networking is key to getting anywhere in life.  It really helps knowing people and getting those connections by networking.  You can go anywhere and meet anyone and get connected to anything.  There are two types of networks:

Centralized Network: is when the communication goes through some people.  Sometimes even just one person and going through one person directly.  It is

 like when you work as an individual in a company and only need to go through your manager or your boss.  It also is said that "research indicates that there are many advantages to being in a centralized position in a network... Centralized persons are more likely to emerge as leaders" (Group Communications, pg. 64).

Decentralized Network: is when the communication goes through a lot of people through numerous amounts of connections through others.  

It is like when you use networks from all different places to make something happen.

In all types of networking, it takes skill to build up your different sources through your networks.  You must be able to go out and start a conversation with someone and really get to know what they are all about as well as they need to get to know you as well so you can exchange your opportunities for one another.  I think networking is a key skill for people to know how to use to be successful.  Knowing people really does help you get around because it opens up many opportunities, and the more networks you create, the more opportunities and connections you get!

Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion / Content Fallacies

2. Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201).  Pick one, explain the fallacy in your own words, then give a real world example that you have heard in the past.  (You may need to do additional 'research' for the fallacy that you have chosen if the concept is not clear from the text.  You can 'google' the particular fallacy you have chosen for an additional explanation)


Violating the Principles of a Rational Discussion
In an argument, sometimes we are faced with an opposing person that has claims that totally throws off the whole argument/discussion you both are having.  When someone is just completely wrong and their claims/arguments against yours just totally does no fit with their conclusion, it just violates the whole purpose of the conversation because it does not even make sense anymore.  There are six different types of violations: 1. Beginning the Question: Your support/premises needs to be even more plausible than your conclusion in order for your conclusion to make sense.  2. Strawman: Putting words in people's mouths.  We all do it sometimes, but it can really turn an argument around. 3. Shifting the burden of proof: Prove me wrong; then you do not need to prove yourself right because they will be doing it for you. 4. Relevance:  Self-said.  Stay relevant because if the premise does not match your conclusion, it will not make any sense. 5. Slanters: Misleading and confusing choice of words to communicate your point.  6. Ridicule: Joking / Clowning on someone to be convincing.


One example out of these six that I've encountered recently is when my two friends (they are boyfriend and girlfriend) got in an argument about playing video games.  The boy plays Starcraft and has been playing that game pretty often lately.  Because of his constant attention to that game, the girl has been feeling lack of attention.  One day was the last straw for her because she wanted to spend time with him, but instead he ended up playing video games.  So, the girlfriend finally speaks up after one to two weeks of this pattern.  The boyfriend claimed he wanted to spend time with her, but he had to stay home, and since he had to stay home he did not want to be bored so he just played Starcraft.  The girlfriend told him that was a lie and he did not want to spend time with her because she believed that if he did, he could have invited her over.  This is an example of putting words in someone else's mouth because the girlfriend told her boyfriend how she believed how he felt.

Complex Arguments for Analysis

1). Concerning 221 - 225 Complex Arguments for Analysis: Page 225 contains exercises on the Structure of Arguments.  Please choose one of the 5 exercises and complete the exercise in one post to your blog.  After you have completed the exercise, discuss whether or not this exercise was useful.

#1

Argument: (1) People do not like living next door to such a mess. (2) He never drives any of them. (3) They all look old and beat up and leak oil all over the place. (4) It is bad for the neighborhood, and it will decrease property value.

Conclusion: My neighbor should be forced to get rid of all the cars in his yard.

Additional premises needed? Yes.

Identify any subargument: Yes, (3) can be a subargument for (2). and (4) can be a subargument for (3).  But (1) should be placed after (4) to be a better structure.

Good argument? Almost

This was a very useful exercise.  Doing this exercise made me see how ineffective an argument can be without its subarguments.  We continue to make claims/arguments and compile multiple different claims/arguments that we believe support our side, but we have no substance or reasoning that backs up our claim to make it a good argument.  This argument can be stronger if the structure was a little better.  Looking at each claim and seeing the reasoning for one person to believe the claim before, it helps to see the reasoning by putting "because" between (2) and (3) as well as putting "therefore" between (3) and (4).  Then, the argument becomes stronger.  Finally, concluding the argument with the "My neighbor should be forced to get rid of all the cars in his yard" would create a much better structured argument.

Argument Test

1). Concerning part "C" in chapter 3 of the Epstein text, The Tests for an Argument to Be Good - there are three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good. There are many examples in the book on pages 42-45. Please come up with an argument just like the examples, and discuss it using the three tests on Page 42. Keep in mind that your test should be different from the examples in the book and that you should discuss the three criteria in detail. This post may be quite a bit more than 150 words. In addition, it is imperative that you understand the concepts contained within the 3 tests for an argument (page 42).


The three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good is: "1. The premises are plausible, 2. The premises are more plausible than the conclusion, 3. The argument is valid or strong" (p. 42, Epstein).  These tests are independent of one another.  To know when an argument is weak, we will be able to figure out one possibility that the premise is true, but the conclusion is false.  For example, for the past year, Glenndale's dad always cooks homemade dinner when her mom comes home from her business trips.  Glenndale's mom is coming home from her business trip today.  Thus, Glenndale's dad is going to make homemade dinner.  This is a valid argument.  The premises are plausible.  The "always" states it to be a sure thing to the dad makes homemade dinner for the mom all the time.  There is no other possibility that can be given to make the premise or conclusion false.  Thus, this argument is a good valid argument.

Strong & Valid Argument

2). Discuss Strong versus Valid Arguments in detail. Give an example of each from everyday life.



For an argument to be good it must contain three parts: the premises are plausible, the premises are more plausible than the conclusion, and the argument is valid or strong (p. 42, Epstein).


A Strong Argument is when there is a possibility for the premises to be true and its conclusion to be false (co-existing), but is unlikely.  For example, I do not like chocolate ice cream.  Therefore, I will buy vanilla ice cream for the family.  The premises is true while the conclusion can be false because either the rest of the family does like chocolate ice cream so I may just buy chocolate ice cream and not be selfish or I could buy a totally different flavor from chocolate and vanilla.


A Valid Argument is when the proposition argument is completely false while the argument being made is true.  For example, Students need to pay for parking to park in the 10th street garage.  I park in the 10th street garage.  Therefore, I paid for parking.  This is a valid argument because the premises to be true and my conclusion to be false.

Concept Not Discussed

3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.


There are three different forces that affect the decision making of a group/team.
1. Cognitive Forces "include the perception, interpretation, evaluation, storage, retrieval, and integration of information input to an individual" (p. 38, Group Communication).  The interpretation of information that each individual in the group is very important because each person thinks and sees things different.  That is why it is important to discuss how each individual interprets the information with one another because the end result will be affected by the factor of the thought of each person.


2. Psychological Forces "refer to the personal motives, goals, attitudes, and values of group members" (p. 38, Group Communication).  How each group member feels personally is always a factor to a decision.  We all make a decision in regards on our attitude towards a situation.  For example, if it is hot outside, your goal is to have a cold drink instead of a hot drink to cool us down.


3. Social Forces "are communicative influence such as language use and persuasion" (p.39, Group Communication).  The way people communicate with one another is a big factor to decision making.  If one individual use of words confuses the second individual, there would be a lack of communication and throw people off of what he/she is trying to say.

Concept from the Reading

3). Pick one concept from the reading (either Epstein or the Small Group Comm book) and discuss it in detail.


Fallacy


A fallacy is a faulty argument with failure reasoning thus making the argument invalid.  There are also different types of fallacies: fallacy of relevance, fallacy of vacuity, fallacy of clarity, and some that can just be considered miscellaneous fallacies.  Fallacy of relevance pertains to a faulty claim/argument that has no relevance to the question or conclusion being made with.  Having irrelevant claims does not help clarify an answer or support a conclusion thus making it a fallacy.  There are things like Red Herrings which are claims that stray away from the subject and make the claim irrelevant.  Another fallacy, the fallacy of vacuity, is when there is a lack of an element to the argument/claim which makes it difficult to advance the argument any further.  Great arguments have evidence and support for the claim being made, so lacking those elements creates a fallacy because the argument cannot be supported.  Fallacy of clarity is when It lacks truth or purpose to the claim/argument and create a faulty statement thus making it a fallacy.  Not having enough information or reasoning for the claim loses the legitimacy of the argument.  A person can argue about anything, but not being able to stand strong on its support because it lacks information and detail make it a fallacy.


-Diamondkillr

Vague / Ambiguous Sentence

Use an example from everyday life: Describe a vague sentence or ambiguous sentence you have heard recently. Where did you hear this sentence? An advertisement? Was it a conversation with a friend? What qualified the sentence as vague or ambiguous?


A Vague or Ambiguous sentence is a sentence that is not a precise or clear.  This type of sentence can have various meanings to it and not give much detail and create some confusion or uncertainty.


I was working at my retail job today, Metropark, and I am one of the style consultants (aka sales associate).  At one point, I was at the fitting rooms and my lead asked me "Do you want to do sales?"  And I said "yes".  So, I thought as I was in charge of the sales floor and making sure all of the customers were attended to and helped.  Then, my lead directs me to our sales section and says "Remember, I told you to work on the sales".  Then it became clear to me that he meant that I had to maintain and keep everything organized in the sales section.  This conversation I had with my lead qualifies as a vague/ambiguous sentence because my lead was not clear that he was talking about the sales section while I thought he meant to work the sales floor.


-Diamondkillr

Subject & Objective Claims

1). Use an example from outside of the classroom. Discuss Subjective and Objective Claims. Give an example of a Subjective Claim you have heard or used recently AND give an example of an Objective Claim you have heard or used recently. Describe the situation. Describe the claims IN DETAIL.


Subjective: Use of personal feelings and emotions for judgement.
A use of a subjective claim I have encountered is through Yelp.com.  I work at a restaurant called the Boiling Crab and like many other restaurants, they all face the judgements and ratings of customers on Yelp.  Yelp reviewers/Customers rate places listed on Yelp.com to help other people have a better idea of the particular place.  Yelp reviews are the personal feelings and emotions judging their experience at restaurants.  So then, the other curious customers view Yelp to have an idea of how good a restaurant is in either the food or customer service.  Each posting on yelp serves as a subjective claim judging on their entire experience at the restaurant through the quality of their meal at the restaurant to how well their server took care of them as they feasted.  Whenever we have store meetings, we tend to mention Yelp reviews.  The customers posts on yelp help also critique my restaurant and help us continue to progress in creating a better and more enhanced experience for our customers to enjoy.



Objective: Does not use personal feelings and emotions for judgement.
A use of an objective claim I have encountered was in a situation of when one of my fellow employees was put on probation.  At my work, there are certain policies we must follow to ensure high level performance and the most efficiency.  One example is punching in the weight of the crab in our orders.    Us servers are to be sure to punch in the weight of each crab we give out to the tables so we do not undercharge anyone especially since crab is the most expensive item on our menu.  So, having a customer pay without the amount of the crab on their bill, we would be in a loss from that charge.  Thus, to ensure the servers to be extra careful and aware of punching in the weight of the crab, we are warned that we would be put in probation, break from work for 1-2 weeks, if we are at fault.  I have witness employees put on probation for being at fault for their incident of a "missed crab".  With this occurrence and evidence that someone forgot to take note of the weight of the crab on a customer's bill, my boss would have to make his objective claim that the employee must face punishment through probation.


-Diamondkillr