Mapping Arguments: 10 Evidence-Based Coaching Practices
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Mapping Arguments, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
About 2 minutes
Try it here: map one argument
Lay out the claim, its reasons, and the strongest objection. Seeing the structure makes the weak spots easier to find.
Write the argument one piece at a time: the claim, its reasons, and the best objection.
Practices that may help
- Argument Mapping
Argument mapping is the practice of drawing the logical structure of an argument as a diagram — claims, supporting reasons, objections, and rebuttals made spatially explicit. Developed into a pedagogical system by Tim van Gelder, it is one of the few critical-thinking interventions with controlled-study support: students who learned argument mapping showed significantly larger gains in reasoning ability than those in conventional classes. - Add the strongest objection to every major supporting reason
For each supporting reason, find the best counter and put it on the map.
Argument Mapping - Evaluate the argument structure, not the source
Map the logic and evaluate it independently of who made the argument.
Argument Mapping - Surface the hidden premises
Find the unstated assumptions that the argument needs to work.
Argument Mapping - Separate the claim from its reasons
Start every map by writing the central claim and the distinct reasons offered for it.
Argument Mapping - Map the argument before you commit to a decision
Create a quick argument map as a pre-commitment check on major decisions.
Argument Mapping - Map interests for both sides before generating solutions
Write down both parties’ known and inferred interests before proposing anything — the map reveals trades that no single position could.
Interests vs. Positions: The Core of Integrative Negotiation - Logroll by trading issues of unequal importance
Concede on what matters less to you in exchange for gains on what matters more.
Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference - Rate the strength of each logical link
Assign a confidence to each "supports" or "rebuts" link, not just to the conclusion.
Argument Mapping - Lead with a character, not a point
Open with a specific person in a specific situation before you state your argument.
Storytelling for Persuasion, Made Practical
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- Every reason I come up with points the same way, and that smoothness is starting to make me suspicious
- I notice I believe things mostly based on who said them
- On paper my reasoning checks out, but the conclusion still feels shaky and I can’t locate why
- I’ve got a strong opinion about this but when I try to spell out why, it all runs together
- I’m about to commit to something big and I can feel that I’ve already decided in my gut
Related concerns
- Argument Mapping Decisions
Argument mapping is the practice of drawing the logical structure of an argument as a diagram — claims, supporting reasons, objections, and rebuttals made spatially explicit. Developed into a pedagogical system by Tim van Gelder, it is one of the few critical-thinking interventions with controlled-study support: students who learned argument mapping showed significantly larger gains in reasoning ability than those in conventional classes.
- Argument Mapping On A Budget
Argument mapping is the practice of drawing the logical structure of an argument as a diagram — claims, supporting reasons, objections, and rebuttals made spatially explicit. Developed into a pedagogical system by Tim van Gelder, it is one of the few critical-thinking interventions with controlled-study support: students who learned argument mapping showed significantly larger gains in reasoning ability than those in conventional classes.
- Argument Mapping With My Team
Argument mapping is the practice of drawing the logical structure of an argument as a diagram — claims, supporting reasons, objections, and rebuttals made spatially explicit. Developed into a pedagogical system by Tim van Gelder, it is one of the few critical-thinking interventions with controlled-study support: students who learned argument mapping showed significantly larger gains in reasoning ability than those in conventional classes.
- How To Diagram An Argument
For each supporting reason, find the best counter and put it on the map.
Add the strongest objection to every major supporting reason
- What Is Argument Mapping
Argument mapping is the practice of drawing the logical structure of an argument as a diagram — claims, supporting reasons, objections, and rebuttals made spatially explicit. Developed into a pedagogical system by Tim van Gelder, it is one of the few critical-thinking interventions with controlled-study support: students who learned argument mapping showed significantly larger gains in reasoning ability than those in conventional classes.
- Argument Mapping As A Parent
Argument mapping is the practice of drawing the logical structure of an argument as a diagram — claims, supporting reasons, objections, and rebuttals made spatially explicit. Developed into a pedagogical system by Tim van Gelder, it is one of the few critical-thinking interventions with controlled-study support: students who learned argument mapping showed significantly larger gains in reasoning ability than those in conventional classes.
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