Chapter 16: Persuasive Speaking

Coercion

A process whereby thoughts or behaviors are altered but in coercive acts, deceptive or harmful methods propel the intended changes, not reason.

Receptive Audience

Already knows something about your topic and is generally supportive of, or open to, the point that you are trying to make.

Monroe's Motivated Sequence

An organizational pattern that attempts to convince the audience to respond to a need that is delineated in the speech.

Questions of Policy

Ask the speaker to advocate for an appropriate course of action.

Questions of Fact

Ask whether something can be verified as true or false. They tend to deal with deep-seated controversies such as the existence of global warming, the cause of a major disaster, or someone's guilt or innocence in a court of law.

Backing provides foundational support for the claim by offering examples, statistics, testimony, or other information which further substantiates the argument.

Backing for the Claim?

Syllogisms

Begins with a major (or general) premise, then moves to a minor premise, then concludes with a specific claim.

Questions of Value

Calls for a proposition judging the (relative) worth of something. These propositions make an evaluative claim regarding morality, aesthetics, wisdom, or desirability.

Proposition of Policy

Calls for people to stop a particular behavior, or to start one.

Refutation Pattern

Can be engaged to persuade audience members that your side of the argument is better or more accurate. In a refutation speech, the speaker must anticipate the audience's opposition, then bring attention to the tensions between the two sides, and finally refute them using evidential support.

Proposition of Value

Compares multiple options to determine which is best.

Reasoned Arguments

Consists of facts, statistics, personal testimonies, or narratives, are employed to motivate audiences to think or behave differently than before they heard the speech.

Causal Pattern

Describes a general cause and effect. It first addresses some cause and then shares some effects resulted.

Speeches to Actuate

Designed to motivate particular behaviors.

Pathos

Draws on emotions, sympathies, and prejudices of the audience to appeal to their non-rational side.

Fallacies

Errors in reasoning that occur when a speaker fails to use appropriate or applicable evidence for their argument.

Causal Reasoning

Examines related events to determine which one caused the other. You may begin with a cause and attempt to determine its effect.

Proposition of Fact

Focuses on whether or not something exists.

True

Human beings are constantly in some emotional state, which means that tapping into an audience's emotions can be vital to persuading them to accept your proposition.

a. Begging the Question. b. Causal Fallacy. c. Bandwagon Fallacy. d. Poisoning the Well.

Identify the following fallacies (adapted from Labossiere, 1995): a. If those actions were not illegal, they would not be prohibited by law. b. Our team had a losing record until we won the last three games. I wore blue socks in the last three games. Blue socks are lucky, and if I keep wearing them, we can't lose! c. The store Joe works at changed the dress code, requiring him to buy all new work clothes. When he went to the manager to complain, she told him that no one else voiced concern, so he must be the only one who had that problem. d. Your roommate has invited his classmate, Annie, over to work on a project. Before Annie arrives, your roommate explains that she will probably be late because she never helps with the work and always leaves him to take care of everything.

True

Illustrations can be crafted verbally, non-verbally, or visually.

Sound Arguments

In a persuasive speech, the argument will focus on the reasons for supporting your specific purpose statement.

Persuasive Speech

Intend to influence the beliefs, attitudes, values, and acts of others. In a persuasive speech the speaker attempts to influence people to think or behave in a particular way.

Deductive Reasoning

Moves from a general principle to a claim regarding a specific instance.

Inductive Reasoning

Moves from specific examples to a more general claim.

Fallacies Directed to the Person

Occurs when the speaker focuses on the attributes of an individual opponent rather than the relevant arguments.

Fallacies of Suggestion

Occurs when the speaker implies or suggests an argument without fully developing it.

Fallacies of Case Presentation

Occurs when the speaker mischaracterizes the issue.

Fallacies of Faulty Assumption

Occurs when the speaker reasons based on a problematic assumption.

True

Persuasive speeches attempt to influence or reinforce actions.

True

Persuasive speeches revolve around propositions that can be defended through the use of data and reasoning.

True

Some persuasive speeches attempt to influence or reinforce particular beliefs, attitudes, or values.

Hostile Audience

Take issue with your topic or you as a speaker.

Fear Appeals

Tend to be more effective when they appeal to a high-level fear, such as death, and they are more effective when offered by speakers with a high level of perceived credibility. Fear appeals are also more persuasive when the speaker can convince the audience they have the ability to avert the threat.

Evaluation Criteria

The audience can judge and choose to align with their position.

Ethos

The audience's perception of a speaker's credibility and moral character. It is a Greek word that is closely related to our terms ethical and ethnics. Aristotle taught speakers to establish credibility with the audience by appearing to have good moral character, common sense, and concern for the audience's wellbeing.

Logos

The logical means of proving an argument.

Speeches to Convince

The speaker seeks to establish agreement about a particular topic.

Neutral Audience

They are not passionate about the topic or the speaker, often they do not have enough information or because they are not aware that they should be concerned.

Direct Method Pattern

This pattern consists of a claim and a list of reasons to support it.

Questions of Fact. Questions of Value. Questions of Policy.

Types of Persuasive Speeches?

True

Visual Imagery can enhance the emotional appeal of a message.

1. The attention step should get the audience's attention as well as describe your goals and preview the speech. 2. The need step should provide a description of the problem as well as the consequences that may result if the problem goes unresolved. In this step, the speaker should also alert audience members to their role in mitigating the issue. 3. The satisfaction step is used to outline your solutions to the problems you have previously outlined as well as deal with any objections that may arise. 4. In the visualization step, audience members are asked to visualize what will happen if your solutions are implemented and what will happen if they do not come to fruition. They should be rich in detail. 5. The action appeal step should be used to make a direct appeal for action. You should describe precisely how the audience should react to your speech and how they should carry out these actions.

What are the five separate steps of Monroe's Motivated Sequence?

1. Signaling the argument to which you are responding. 2. Stating your own argument. 3. Providing justification or evidence for your side of the argument. 4. Summarizing your response.

What are the four steps of Refutation?

Claim: An assertion that you want the audience to accept. Data: Refers to the preliminary evidence on which the claim is based. Warrant: An often unstated general connection. The warrant is like a connector that, if stated, would likely begin with "since" or "because".

What are the three common elements of logos?

You need a backing to strengthen your basic argument.

What do you need to strengthen your basic argument?

Persuasive speeches are meant to motivate behavior.

What is the function of a persuasive speech?

A causal speech is effective when the speaker wants to convince their audience of the relationship between two things. With sound causal reasoning, a speech of this sort can be used to convince the audience of something they were previously opposed to believing.

When is a causal pattern effective?