Logical Fallacies Real-World Example Discussion Assignment

Thesis Sentence: College students improve critical thinking skills and digital media literacy when they analyze real advertisements for logical fallacies and explain the persuasive techniques used in everyday communication.

Assignment Directions

Directions: Choose one option and post. Careful attention to each requirement ensures a complete and successful response. Use at least 3 complete sentences and be sure to answer each part of the prompt completely. Organized academic writing helps readers follow ideas with clarity and purpose.

Option 2: Find a Real-World Example

Locate a current advertisement or flyer that uses one of the ten types of fallacies. Real examples from social media, print media, or online marketing often provide strong material for analysis. Identify the fallacy being used. Accurate identification of reasoning errors demonstrates mastery of course concepts. Explain how the advertisement or flyer demonstrates this fallacy. Clear explanations should connect specific details from the advertisement to the definition of the fallacy. Thoughtful analysis shows how persuasive messages influence audiences in daily life.

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A recent energy drink advertisement claims that professional athletes choose this product, so regular people should purchase it as well. The advertisement relies on an appeal to authority fallacy because it assumes that celebrity endorsement automatically proves product quality. Viewers may feel persuaded even though the commercial offers no scientific evidence about health benefits. Logical fallacies like this example often appear in popular marketing campaigns and political messaging. Careful consumers learn to recognize weak reasoning patterns before making decisions. Research on argument evaluation shows that people who study fallacies become more skilled at detecting misleading persuasion (Hahn & Oaksford, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2020.07.004).

Scholarly References

1. Hahn, U., & Oaksford, M. (2020). Rational argument. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 24(10), 814–826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2020.07.004
2. Mercier, H. (2018). Reasoning and argumentation in everyday life. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 41, e245. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X1800212X
3. Corner, A., Whitmarsh, L., & Xenias, D. (2019). Uncertainty, skepticism and attitudes toward persuasive messages. Public Understanding of Science, 28(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662518815440
4. Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., & Ecker, U. (2021). The psychology of misinformation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(2), 103–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721421995659