The act of persuasion is defined as “A form of social influence in the process of guiding people toward the adoption of an idea, attitude or action by rational and symbolic means. It is a strategy of problem solving that relies on appeals rather than strength”. (Webster, 2008) While trying to persuade a person to a particular way of thinking can lead to the act of manipulation, which is a deceitful is used to “control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage” (Webster’s, 2008)
When persuasion is used for informational purposes, the presenter and listener must be very careful that critical thinking skills are used, as persuasion is a form of communication that demands the most of critical thinking (U of P, 2007). A person that utilizes persuasion techniques are best versed at presenting all the information in a knowledgeable, non-emotional format, while remaining sensitive to the audience and the beliefs there of.
The proper use of critical thinking will allow the subject of persuasion to follow a mental checklist that will assist him/her in evaluating whether the argument is that of persuasion or manipulation. The listener should have eight questions that they mentally run through that include:
1. Is there any ambiguity, vagueness, or obscurity that hinders my full understanding of the argument?
2. Does the argument embody any hindrances?
3. Is the language excessively emotional or manipulative?
4. Have I separated the reasoning (evidence) and relevant assumptions/facts from background information, examples, and irrelevant information?
5. Have I determined which assumptions are warranted versus unwarranted?
6. Can I list the reasons (evidence) for the argument and any sub-arguments?
7. Have I evaluated the truth, relevance, fairness, completeness, significance, and sufficiency of the reasons (evidence) to support the conclusion?
8. Do I need further information to make a reasonable judgment on...