5 research outputs found
Symbolic interaction as the basis for rhetorical theory
Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Kansas, Speech and Drama, 1972
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The Status of Recent Experimental, Empirical, and Rhetorical Studies in the Teaching of Persuasion
It was the problem of this study to determine the status of recent experimental, empirical, and rhetorical studies in the teaching of persuasion. An instrument was devised which included studies related to ten major categories traditionally covered in the persuasion course
Environmental information and cognitive needs
Contemporary architectural and urban design have been vigorously
criticized for being monotonous, impersonal and poor in content. The
discussion which has subsequently developed on the question of the man - environment relationship has succeeded in elucidating certain aspects of
the issue and in influencing the work of many designers. Still, it has
up to now failed to produce the distinct paradigmatic guidelines needed
for a drastic change in the way designers approach design problems.For this reason, the environment's potential content (ie. the
object of cognition) is firstly examined. Our surroundings are found to
be exceptionally rich in information that is stored in them in the process
of their shaping. This content is ordered and represented in a model.The exploration of the nature of man's cognitive needs, on the
other hand, shows that man often decodes more environmental messages
than what is usually assumed. Such cognitive activity, which may be
independent of the primary functions performed in space and may even
refer to the entirety of the environment's content, is complementary to
man's overall understanding of the world.To rephrase the functionalist dictum, not only "form follows
function" but also form itself functions through cognition. Designers,
who can thus be seen as the editors of environmental messages, must
acquire a deep understanding of this function and its qualities. They
must constantly try to make the best out of an environment's own potential
content so as to meet the demands of the users'cognitive needs for the
given setting. This content should be transmitted legibly and in an organized manner following the afore-mentioned model.By examining the requirements set by cognition both in a holistic
sense as well as in terms of their particular complexities and varieties,
it is believed that the present study will contribute substantially to
the theory and practice of design
The rhetoric of social movements : toward a perspective for criticism
Thesis (M.A.)--University of Kansas, Speech and Drama, 1974
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Cognitive complexity revisited
Cognitive Complexity is an important and obtrusive phenomenon over a wide range of situations, and is worthy of study in its own right. Although the term "Cognitive Complexity" occurs in an informal way in the psychological literature, there is no general agreement about what it means or connotes.
A new approach was needed in order to re-conceptualise cognitive complexity. This re-conceptualisation originated in the unobtrusive observation of cognitive complexity in a relatively free, uncontrolled and naturalistic environment. From this came the formulation of an appropriate and explicit methodology, which encouraged subjects to display cognitive complexity in an unhurried way in a private interview situation by talking about topics in the news and personal issues. Initial experimental techniques (including an impressionistic analysis, pen pictures and a content analysis), led on to the development of the main analysis which identified types of cognitive complexity and their constituents in the interview transcripts. The types of cognitive complexity identified were true (divided into outstanding and pedestrian), disjunctive, borderline, no cognitive complexity and secondhand cognitive complexity. The main constituents of true cognitive complexity (outstanding) were systemic and penetrating thinking, independence of thought and truth-seeking. Pedestrian cognitive complexity was characterised by analogical and investigative reasoning, clarity and incisiveness.
The importance of this re-conceptualisation of cognitive complexity is that it has resulted in the development of a new methodology which facilitates the display by subjects of more than one type of cognitive complexity. This methodology which identifies the types of cognitive complexity can be applied in real-life situations in which people are facing complex decisions