‘My friends say I'm argumentative, but they’re wrong, and here are three reasons why ...’: using humorous examples for teaching critical thinking and persuasive communication

Hanscomb, S. (2021) ‘My friends say I'm argumentative, but they’re wrong, and here are three reasons why ...’: using humorous examples for teaching critical thinking and persuasive communication. In: Vaidya, K. (ed.) Teach Communication With a Sense of Humor: Why (and How to) Be a Funnier and More Effective Communication Teacher and Laugh All the Way to Your Classroom. Curious Academic Publishing.

Abstract

Critical thinking seeks to improve reasoning skills. Its central focus is arguments - identifying, reconstructing and assessing them – but it extends to the study of the cognitive biases, constructive dialogues, wise judgements, effective decision making, and persuasive communication. Aspects of it can be dry, but two things help mitigate this prospect: multiple examples are required to teach it (and there’s no restriction on where these can come from); and a sizeable proportion of the humour found in comedic genres (and elsewhere, including personal observations and experiences) is derived from flawed human reasoning and decision making. Finding entertainingly amusing examples to help students learn this subject area is, thus, relatively easy. In this chapter I list examples under the headings of ‘Fallacies’, ‘Cognitive biases’, ‘Dialogical virtues and vices’, and ‘Other’ (featuring analogies and a multi-functional film scene).

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hanscomb, Dr Stuart
• Authors: Hanscomb, S.
• Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education; L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability
• Publisher: Curious Academic Publishing

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