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Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication ACLC

Persuasive discourse across domains

PERSUADE’s main goal is to understand, explain and improve argumentative language in institutionalized communication (law, science, health, politics). How is institutionalized language employed for persuasive purposes, why do some argumentative strategies facilitate communication and others impede it, how can we improve persuasive communication?

Key objectives

PERSUADE’S main objectives are to:

  1. develop theoretical tools for the rigorous analysis of prominent argumentative strategies employed to convince addressees
  2. set up suitable evaluation frameworks that help us assess argumentative quality and improve communication
  3. understand the design and optimization of argumentative communication, its persuasive effects, the development of communication skills and their improvement where needed

Impact

PERSUADE will have scientific impact by enabling cross-fertilization between the disciplines most relevant to the study of persuasive discourse, such as argumentation theory, rhetoric, linguistics, discourse studies, communication, as well as research fields such as law, politics, media, health.

PERSUADE will have societal impact by developing effective tools for the improvement of communication skills in close interaction with practitioners. Based on their insights regarding effectiveness of communication, measuring communication success and practical constraints imposing the use of certain communication strategies, our findings offer support for devising sound and effective arguing tools.

Events

  • monthly research colloquium (last week of every month), open to all members of the group, students of MA Communication and Information Sciences and students of the Research Master Linguistics and Communication
  • two annual ACLC lectures initiated by the group
  • annual symposium around a particular institutional setting (law, politics, etc.)
  • a special issue based on the symposium or an edited volume
  • talks in conferences; peer-review papers in international journals
  • training programs (for PhDs and professionals)
  • policy papers

Coordinator and group members

Corina Andone (coordinator)
Bart Garssen
Jean Wagemans
Jose Plug
Charles Forceville
Menno Reijven
Emma van Bijnen