UNIT 4: Fallacies in Advertising
The effectiveness of a fallacy often depends on the strength of an audience’s critical thinking skills. In this unit, you will explore the way marketers use fallacies to influence consumers. Fallacies are psychologically compelling, and they are not always easy to detect. This discussion will focus on recognizing how fallacies are used in advertising. You will explore how identifying these fallacies can make you a more informed consumer of products, services, and information.
DISCUSSION DIRECTIONS
In this unit’s discussion, you will interact with your classmates on the course content. Remember, your goal for discussions is to ensure that:
Responses are on topic, original, and contribute to the quality of the discussion.
Responses make frequent, informed references to unit material.
Responses are clearly written, with a minimum of 150 words.
You submit two or more Discussion Board replies to classmates as described in the discussion topic that are thoughtful and advance the discussion.
Keep in mind that when you post, you should include references to the textbook and any material found online. The class is all about sharing knowledge, so use discussions to create a community resource for yourself and your classmates.
POST 1: INITIAL RESPONSE
Find an advertisement that uses some of the fallacies covered in Chapter 10 of the reading material. Provide a brief summary of the content of the ad. Post a link to the advertisement in your main discussion post.
Identify the advertisement; include a link to the advertisement (video or print advertisement). What does the advertisement address? How does it attempt to present a specific perspective?
Which fallacy did it use?
How is this fallacy effective?
How is this fallacy ineffective?
