Argumentation

This book addresses two questions: what makes an argument persuasive and what makes a claims that support them plausible?

Argumentation outlines different types of arguments and how they influence beliefs and behaviour. It offers graduate students, researchers, and instructors on human reasoning advice on how to evaluate arguments. Serving as a source for understanding arguments in decision-making, it is ideal for courses on cognition, reasoning, and psychology.Drawing from the study of human reasoning, Argumentation describes different types of arguments and explains how they influence beliefs and behaviour. Raymond Nickerson identifies many of the fallacies, biases, and other flaws often found in arguments as well as 'stratagems' (schemes, illogical and alogical tactics) that people regularly use to persuade others. Much attention is given to the evaluation of arguments. Readers will learn a new schematic for evaluating arguments based on cognitive science. As a source for understanding and evaluating arguments in decision-making, it is ideal for courses on cognition, reasoning, and psychology.