FIRST, you will:
1. Watch the HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/going-clear) that takes a deep dive into eight former members of the Church of Scientology. A synopsis of the documentary (https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/going-clear/Synopsis) and an interview with director Alex Gibney (https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/going-clear/interview-with-alex-gibney) is also available.
SECOND, you will:
Write a paper that analyzes and evaluates how the piece uses persuasion to persuade the audience. You will use course material (readings, lectures, class discussions) to do the following:
Define the message being communicated in the piece. Name, define, and analyze the message and persuasive elements in the piece. Answer whether you feel the audience will be persuaded to the message.
Why or why not? Answer whether you were persuaded by the message. Why or why not? How will this piece affect future opinions on this topic?
Will this change how we see things? Or will it stay the same? Why? You should synthesize all of the topics above and answer them in detail using materials covered in the course to inform your opinion on the piece. I should see specific examples from the media you used as well as terms and concepts from class.
Consider the following course materials and topics: Foundations of Persuasion; Cialdini and principles; Attitudes and Behavior; Source; Message; Emotional Appeals; Cognitive Dissonance; Processing Persuasion. Format Your paper should be submitted as a Word document or PDF in APA style .
Your paper should be in in traditional essay format with an introduction, body, and conclusion—in addition to a well-organized paper that answers the prompts above in-depth. You will also need a works cited page in addition to your in-text citations.
