Lecture Notes: Persuasion and Logic in Communication

Key Themes:

Persuasion by Preda-bility: Mentions the concept of a speaker using persuasion not by direct instruction but by setting a scene or creating a situation where the audience is led to a conclusion without explicit direction.
Advertising Example: Sprite:
- The speaker uses the example of a Sprite commercial to illustrate persuasion through suggestion rather than direct instruction.
- Despite being in a commercial, the speaker emphasizes not telling people to "drink Sprite," highlighting an indirect persuasion technique.
- Even when given situational prompts (e.g., eating tacos, holding a cold Sprite), the speaker avoids direct persuasion, using humor and reverse psychology.
Question of Choice: Ends with a rhetorical question to the audience, asking "Do you want a Sprite?" suggesting choice over persuasion.

Narrative Example: Personal Story
- Story about a sorority friend, Tracy Marcinko, who got a perm and entered a wet t-shirt contest.
- The story seems irrelevant but ties into a larger argument about hair care and logic.
- Objection is raised about relevance during storytelling, indicating a need for tying back to the main point.

Example of Legal Argumentation:
- Discusses the importance of logical rules in building a case, such as the rule about not wetting hair post-perm.
- Uses logical deduction: If Tracy's curls were ruined by water, then wet hair after perm contradicts the maintenance rule.
- Deduces timing of events based on hair condition to infer witness credibility.
- Example shows how logical inference can refute a witness's testimony by linking facts and expected behaviors.

Personal and Emotional Bias:
- Reference to personal conflict, such as marrying someone of similar age to one's child, and its impact on credibility and actions.
- The conclusion reveals a confession by Chutney, who admits to shooting her father, further emphasizing how storytelling and logical deduction lead to uncovering the truth.