Unethical Communication Behaviors
1. Committing Plagiarism a. Claiming someone else’s ideas as your own b. Quoting without citing the source
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2. Relaying False Information a. Deliberate lying b. Ignorant misstatement c. Deliberate distortion and suppression of material d. Fallacious reasoning to misrepresent truth Withholding Information; Suppression a. About self (speaker); not disclosing private motives or special interests b. About speech purpose c. About sources (not revealing sources; plagiarism) d. About evidence; omission of certain evidence (card stacking) e. About opposing arguments; presenting only one side Appearing to Be What One Is Not; Insincerity a. In words, saying what one does not mean or believe b. In delivery (for example, feigning enthusiasm) Using Emotional Appeals to Hinder Truth
a. Using emotional appeals as a substitute or cover-up for lack of sound reasoning and valid evidence
b. Failing to use balanced appeals
Read Table (Unethical Communication Behaviors) attached. The behaviors are presented in what some (but certainly not all) communication experts would describe as “most serious to least serious” ethical faults.
Do you agree or disagree with the order of this list? Explain your answer and whether you would change the order of any of these behaviors.
Are there any other behaviors that you would add to the list?