This symposium aims to spark dialogue and share insights on language and persuasion across diverse methodological and disciplinary approaches. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary contributions that push the boundaries of how we understand influence and persuasion.
Contributions may address (but are not limited to) the following themes:
- Traditional domains of persuasion: Advertising, political discourse, media communication, and institutional rhetoric.
- Digital and social media: Persuasion in online platforms, influencer language, viral content, and algorithm-driven messaging.
- Conspiracy theories and disinformation: The language of anti-science and alternative media, the construction of truth, mis/disinformation discourse.
- Forensic linguistics and legal contexts: Language as evidence, manipulation in courtroom discourse, persuasive strategies in legal argumentation.
- AI and Large Language Models (LLMs): How machine-generated text persuades, ethical implications of automated persuasion, and human-AI interaction in persuasive contexts.
- Interpersonal and everyday persuasion: Conversational strategies, negotiation, and subtle linguistic cues in face-to-face or mediated communication.
- Cross-cultural and multilingual perspectives: How persuasion operates across languages and cultural norms.
Call for Abstracts
We invite the submission of abstracts for full papers (20 min talk + 10 min Q&A).
Abstract length: 300 words excluding references.
In addition to full papers, we invite abstracts for posters. All poster presenters are invited to give an optional lightning talk. Lightning talks are short (3-5 minutes), focused presentations on work in progress or smaller projects. The lightning talks are a great opportunity to share emerging ideas and get feedback from peers in an informal, dynamic format. It is also possible to do a poster without a lightning talk.
Abstract length: 150 words excluding references.
Abstracts should be submitted in pdf format through this link by July 1, 2026.
Notifications of acceptance will be sent in August.
If you have any questions, email us at persuasionconf@gmail.com