PROPAGANDA

 

Developed by Robert Allen and Lorne Green, the game of Propaganda teaches students to identify the many direct and subtle persuasion techniques used by professionals from advertisements, public relations, politics, and mass media seeking to manipulate the public's attitudes and behavior.  Based on the book Thinking Straighter by George Henry Moulds, Propaganda provide a pleasurable method for clearer social thinking.

While playing Propaganda, players learn to recognize techniques of persuasion that are often used by advertisers, politicians, editorial writers, and in normal human interaction. Players increase their ability to identify the truth from smokescreens. They learn to figure out the reality of situations rather than getting duped by the techniques. Hence, players learn to become critical thinkers.

 

 

Propaganda is a question and response game. At practice and competitions, a central designated moderator reads one or more sentences. And students must decide which, if any, technique of propaganda is used. Each player must also decide whether to answer "bold" if they feel very confident about their answer or "cautious" if they are unsure. For example, "I did poorly in algebra, but the teacher was just too hard." The technique used in that example is Rationalization.

 

A few other examples of techniques of Propaganda are Prejudice, Casual Oversimplification, Faulty Analogy, Tabloid Thinking, Hasty Generalization, Attacking a Straw Man, Appeals to Ignorance, Emotion, Appeal to Flattery, Folksy Appeal, and Metaphor and Simile.
 

In MAGLOA, students spend a great deal of time studying together and exchanging ideas and notes as part of their learning experience. They are encouraged to work collaboratively to improve their analytical and comprehension skills.