Classic and Modern Propaganda in Documentary Film: Teaching the Psychology of Persuasion

Abstract

Primary source material found in documentary film has the potential to richly inform college teaching. This article describes using 2 historically significant documentary-style films to teach concepts in the psychology of persuasion. Exemplary clips taken from Triumph of the Will(Riefenstahl, 1935) and Fahrenheit 9/11(Moore, 2004) illustrated theoretical and applied topics typically taught in undergraduate social psychology. Evidence of student learning along with positive student evaluations support the use of this approach as an effective way to teach about concepts and techniques in persuasion and propaganda.

Notes

^a Pratkanis and Aronson(2001), chap. 37, “Propaganda in the Third Reich”

^b Nolley(2005), “Fahrenheit 9/11: Documentary, Truth-telling, and Politics.”