In modern days political campaigns are not done over TV or in a door-to-door manner, as they used to be. Nowadays the most successful campaigns utilise online targeting commercials, which are carefully tailored according to the psychological types of voters. The tactics they use to spread the message and to obtain sensitive information could be called controversial.

This thesis aims to examine which critical thinking skills, if any, are used by the campaign agencies, whether their targeted message adheres to the Gricean Cooperative Principle, and to what extent it’s relevant to the application of critical thinking. 

Firstly, if to look at the example of such targeting messages as mentioned in the article (aimClear, 2015), it could be deducted that those messages adhere to the Gricean Maxim of Quantity because they provide just the amount of information necessary to influence the voter, tailored to their specific demographic or psychographic profile. On the other hand, it violates the same principle by withholding critical information that could provide a more balanced or comprehensive understanding of the issues (Levinson, 1983).

Secondly, if the information provided in the campaigns is accurate and evidence-based then it adheres to the Maxim of Quality. Nonetheless, if the information is skewed in the favour of one political candidate, biased, or has exaggerated statements then it violates the Maxim of Quality, as it fails to meet the standard of truthfulness (Brown & Levinson, 1987). 

Thirdly, a typical targeted message is tailored to the particular audience by using psychographics, thus making it adhere to the Maxim of Relation (Sperber & Wilson, 1986). However, such a tailored approach may omit information relevant to the broader societal context, which may not align with the wider public interest (Cap, 2010).

Lastly, according to Grice, (1975), the message should adhere to the principle of Manner – avoid obscurity and ambiguity; be orderly and clear. Which is aligned with targeted messages as they tend to be clear and direct. Nevertheless, the violation could occur if the information is purposefully simplified to manipulate the issue’s complexity (Levinson, 1983).

Critical thinking skills can be utilised by political campaigns in many ways. For example: to analyse language and to avoid fallacies such as guilt by association and ensure that their messaging is both persuasive and ethically sound (Halpern, 2023); to seek out contradictory evidence and develop more robust, defensible campaign strategies (Halpern, 1998); to conduct thorough risk-benefit analyses and minimising potential downsides (Butler, 2012). These are just several examples, critical thinking skills are beneficial for successfully conveying the information. 

Research shows that critical thinking skills can be effectively taught and learned. For example, Marin and Halpern (2011) found that explicit instruction in essential skills of thinking led to significant gains in students’ ability to analyse arguments, recognise reasons, and resist persuasive appeals. Similar results were achieved by Forsyth et al. (2013) by using computerised learning games to teach students critical thinking skills related to research methodology. 

Political advertising agencies can learn and apply these skills through workshops, scenario-based learning, reflection and feedback, and cross-disciplinary collaborations (e.g., between data analysts and creative teams). 

Gricean cooperative communication is relevant to political advertising agencies to the extent that it guides the ethical and effective exchange of information. Critical thinking aids agencies in adhering to Grice’s maxims, ensuring clarity, relevance, and truthfulness in messaging. However, agencies can deviate from these principles to persuade or manipulate voters. 

In conclusion, the thesis highlights a tension between cooperative communication and political campaigns’ competitive, outcome-driven nature. Thus, while Gricean principles are foundational, they are selectively applied in the context of political strategy.

Reference list

AimClear. (2015, November). aimClear’s psychographic targeting for political advertising agencies’ wins. Search Engine Land. https://searchengineland.com/aimclears-psychographic-targeting-for-political-advertising-agencies-wins-237290

Butler, H.A. (2012), Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment Predicts Real-World Outcomes of Critical Thinking. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26, 721-729. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.2851

Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge University Press. https://shorturl.at/hikGH

Cap, P. (2010). Legitimisation in Political Discourse: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective on the Modern US War Rhetoric. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. https://shorturl.at/48Svb 

Forsyth, C. M., Graesser, A. C., Walker, B., Millis K. Pavlik, P., & Halpern, D. F. (2013). Didactic galactic: Acquiring knowledge learned in a serious game. In H. C. Lane, K. Yacef, J. Mostow, & P. Pavlik (Eds.). Proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education: 16th International Conference (AIED 2013) (pp. 832–835). Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.

Grice, H. P. (1975). ‘Logic and conversation’. In P. Cole and J. Morgan (eds) Studies in Syntax and Semantics III: Speech Acts, New York: Academic Press, pp. 183-98.

Halpern, D. F. (1998). Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: Disposition, skills, structure training, and metacognitive monitoring. American Psychologist, 53(4), 449–455. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.53.4.449

Halpern, D. F., & Dunn, D.S. (2023). Chapter 1: Critical Thinking. An Introduction. In Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (6th ed.). New York, NY, US: Psychology Press. 

Levinson, S. C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press. https://shorturl.at/gd1lH

Marin, L. M., & Halpern, D. F. (2011). Pedagogy for developing critical thinking in adolescents: Explicit instruction produces greatest gains. Learning and Instruction, 21(2), 143-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2010.08.002

Sperber, D., & Wilson, D. (1986). Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Harvard University Press. https://shorturl.at/2Ikdd