Outlines of a Theory of Visual Argument

Birdsell, David S.; Groarke, Leo

doi:10.1080/00028533.2007.11821666

Cited by 138 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…2 Without taking sides on the question of the argumentative status of nonlinguistic entities (see, e.g., Birdsell & Groarke, 1996;Blair, 1996Blair, , 2004Fleming, 1996), we note that, at a minimum, visual materials are not exemplary instances of arguments (see O'Keefe, 1982, pp. 14-15).…”

Section: Caveats and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Advantages of Compliance or the Disadvantages of Noncompliance? A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relative Persuasive Effectiveness of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Messages

O’Keefe¹,

Jensen

2006

Annals of the International Communication Association

144

178

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A meta-analytic review of the relative persuasiveness of gain-and loss-framed messages (based on 165 effect sizes, N = 50,780) finds that loss-framed appeals are not generally more persuasive than gain-framed appeals. For encouraging disease prevention behaviors, gain-framed appeals are more persuasive than loss-framed appeals; for encouraging disease detection behaviors, gainand loss-framed appeals do not differ significantly in persuasiveness. The relative persuasiveness of differently framed appeals seems little influenced by (a) whether the gain-framed appeals emphasize the attainment of desirable states or the avoidance of undesirable states or (b) whether the loss-framed appeals emphasize the attainment of undesirable states or the avoidance of desirable states.

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Section: Caveats and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Advantages of Compliance or the Disadvantages of Noncompliance? A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relative Persuasive Effectiveness of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Messages

O’Keefe¹,

Jensen

2006

Annals of the International Communication Association

144

178

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“…It is true that pictures (graphics) can appeal to emotion more directly and more powerfully that words, especially if combined with words, and that pictures contain arguments in many instances (Birdsell and Groarke 1996). But should appeals to emotion of these kinds be treated as fallacious arguments just because they appeal to emotion?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As shown in Section 2, it has been argued that these ads commit fallacies. Birdsell and Groarke (1996) and Slade (2003) were quite right to draw attention to the significance of the visual aspect of argumentation in ads. Images were used in all the ads studied in Sections 4 and 5, although in some instances they were highly significant and in other cases minimal.…”

Section: The Charge That Ads Widely Tend To Commit Fallaciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Birdsell and Groarke (1996) have studied visual ads that express arguments with premises and conclusions in very much the same way that arguments are put forward in written discourse. They admit that visual ads can be vague and ambiguous, and admit all sorts of difficulties about justifying an interpretation about what the argument is supposed to be.…”

Section: Framework Of Dialogue and Fallaciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The structure of argumentation in health product messages

Walton

2010

Argument & Computation

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This paper presents an analysis of argumentation in direct-to-consumer health product ads in Newsweek that brings out special features of the arguments used in the ads, including practical reasoning, chained arguments, enthymemes, and prolepsis. A way to help overcome deficiencies in techniques of tailored health communication in consumer health informatics is shown by using argumentation schemes, argument visualisation tools, and dialogue models to frame these persuasive communication messages. The evidence collected is shown to be useful to allow the health informatics communicator and the person to whom message was directed to interact in a dialogue format where arguments can be put forward by both parties in a way that responds to the previous arguments and questions of the other party.Keywords: practical reasoning; argumentation schemes; Araucaria; persuasion dialogue; direct-to-consumer ads; consumer health informatics In this paper, some illustrative examples of direct-to-consumer health product advertisements are analysed using argumentation methods, and some conclusions about the analyses are drawn. The three main methods applied are argumentation schemes, argument visualisation, and dialogue structures that represent the context of use of an argument. The ads studied include commercials for pharmaceuticals, as well as ads for other medications, including health foods, and treatments and devices that purport to have health benefits. It is shown that they use arguments of a kind that fit structures of kinds known in argumentation studies, especially one particular argumentation scheme. The findings are interesting for many reasons. They can be applied both to the crafting of the ads and to the enhancement of critical thinking skills for intelligent consumers. They are also applicable to recent efforts to use computational techniques to assist consumer health informatics to inform consumers and improve health care.According to Kukafka (2005, p. 29), applying persuasive argumentation theories to consumer healthcare informatics for behavioural change has turned out to be a complex undertaking, because of the limitations of some of the tools used. The natural language generation systems used to provide explanation and advice to consumers have proved to have limitations and shortcomings. One problem is that they do not explore planning mechanisms that account for the generation of text consisting of multiple arguments. Another is that although they have attempted to improve the construction of persuasive argument through rhetorical structure theory, these attempts lack a theory of how persuasive arguments in health communication are put together in a coherent sequence. At the same time, the tailored approach to health communication, where the behavioural change strategy is intended to reach a specific person, although it is proving to be a successful method, clearly needs better argumentation tools that allow the health informatics communicator and the person to whom message was directed to interact in a dial...

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“…In other cases, commentators have invoked modes of arguing (and 'multimodal' argument) to explain the non-verbal elements that play a role in many acts of arguing. The significance of these elements is highlighted in the work of a growing number of authors who recognize that there are ways of arguing which employ pictures or other visual components (see, e.g., Tseronis 2013;Birdsell and Groarke 2007;Blair 1996;Dove 2012;Groarke 1996;van den Hoven 2012;Kjeldsen 2007;Feteris et al 2011;Roque 2012;Slade 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Going Multimodal: What is a Mode of Arguing and Why Does it Matter?

Groarke

2014

Argumentation

Self Cite

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During the last decade, one source of debate in argumentation theory has been the notion that there are different modes of arguing that need to be distinguished when analyzing and evaluating arguments. Visual argument is often cited as a paradigm example. This paper discusses the ways in which it and modes of arguing that invoke non-verbal sounds, smells, tactile sensations, music and other non-verbal entities may be defined and conceptualized. Though some attempts to construct a 'multimodal' theory of argument are criticized, it advocates for an argumentation theory that makes room for visual arguing and for other non-verbal modes that have not been explored in depth. In the process, the paper provides a method for identifying the structure of multimodal arguments and argues that adding modes to our theoretical tool box is an important step toward a comprehensive account of argument.

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Outlines of a Theory of Visual Argument

Cited by 138 publications

References 2 publications

The Advantages of Compliance or the Disadvantages of Noncompliance? A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relative Persuasive Effectiveness of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Messages

The Advantages of Compliance or the Disadvantages of Noncompliance? A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relative Persuasive Effectiveness of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Messages

The structure of argumentation in health product messages

Going Multimodal: What is a Mode of Arguing and Why Does it Matter?

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