Notes on Similarities and Differences in Studying Argumentation: A Synthetic View

The chapter constitutes a synthetic note based on the empirical studies presented in the volume and provides a comprehensive discussion of selected theoretical and empirical issues at the forefront of research, by ensuring a view of how interpersonal argumentation in educational and professional contexts is presently questioned and investigated. The chapter highlights the common issues of the volume concerning the analysis of how people argue in different contexts, in order to identify similarities and differences in the modes and concepts related to specific fields, and to examine argumentative strategies that are suitable for learning, knowledge orientation, and decision-making processes. Two dimensions (argumentative stages, symmetric/asymmetric nature) are presented as crucial components, which help to give a comprehensive picture of the argumentative interactions occurring in different educational and professional contexts. The chapter claims that, taken together, the studies presented in the volume show the complexity of argumentative processes by taking into account, at different levels, the nature of the relationship among participants to the argumentative discussions.