Chapter 17: Persuasive Strategies
Multiple Select Question You are trying to persuade your audience to take up vegetable gardening. To which three of the following motivations would you most likely make an appeal? 1) environmental responsibility 2) financial savings 3) improved health 4) love and esteem 5) social status
Answer(s): 1) Environmental responsibility 2) Financial savings 3) Improved health
Multiple Select Question What are some methods to increase credibility during an actual speech? 1) Give the speech with enthusiasm. 2) Have the speech clearly organized. 3) Stretch the truth to tell the audience what it wants to hear. 4) Provide accurate information based on reliable sources.
Answer(s): 1) Give the speech with enthusiasm 2) Have the speech clearly organized 4) Provide accurate information based on reliable sources
Multiple Select Question Which of the following are examples of an open-minded speaker? Select all that apply. 1) Greg said "I don't know" when a listener asked a question he couldn't answer. 2) Javier said that experts who disagreed with his view were quacks. 3) Jana admitted under questioning that she misquoted a source. 4) Mila refused to mention potential problems with her proposal.
Answer(s): 1) Greg said "I don't know" when a listener asked a question he couldn't answer 3) Jana admitted under questioning that she misquoted a source
Multiple Select Question Which of the following are common motivators for audience? 1) love 2) fallacies 3) self-improvement 4) health 5) success 6) smells
Answer(s): 1) Love 3) Self-improvement 4) Health 5) Success
Multiple Select Question To analyze your listeners before your speech, you can: 1) send a questionnaire to audience members. 2) check out a book on audience analysis. 3) read about the audience on the Internet. 4) interview some audience members by phone.
Answer(s): 1) Send a questionnaire to audience members 4) Interview some audience members by phone
Multiple Select Question You should learn what fallacies are in order to: 1) learn how to use them correctly. 2) avoid using them in your speeches. 3) prevent yourself from being influenced by them. 4) persuade the most skeptical people.
Answer(s): 2) Avoid using them in your speech 3) Prevent yourself from being influenced by them
Multiple Select Question Which of the following are examples of persuasive strategies for delivering a speech to different segments of an audience with varied needs? 1) If an audience is hostile, belittle them with witty comments to make your logic seem superior. 2) Find out why listeners oppose your views and then decide how to refute them. 3) If the audience is unaware of the issue, first explain it to them, and then try to get them to see your views. 4) If you can't get the audience to take your side, at least try to bring them closer to it. 5) If an audience is apathetic, help them to understand how the topic relates to their lives.
Answer(s): 2) Find out why listeners oppose your views and then decide how to refute them 3) If the audience is unaware of the issue, first explain it to them, and then try to get them to see your views 4) If you can't get an audience to take your side, at least try to bring them closer to it 5) If the audience is apathetic, help them to understand how the topic relates to their lives
Multiple Choice Question Deductive reasoning often uses an argument called a syllogism. How are syllogisms constructed? 1) List major premise, or generalization. List minor premise, or specific instance. Draw a conclusion. 2) Note that two things are alike in some ways. Generalize about other similarities. 3) List several pieces of specific evidence. Make a generalization. 4) Note that one event occurs after another. Conclude that the first event caused the second.
Answer: 1) List major premise, or generalization. List minor premise, or specific instance. Draw a conclusion.
Multiple Choice Question Love and esteem, success, and recreational pleasure are all examples of common: 1) motivations. 2) fallacies. 3) analogies. 4) emotions.
Answer: 1) Motivations
Multiple Select Question When using a persuasion scale, a speaker: 1) needs a place to start and an objective for where they would like to finish. 2) can succeed without reaching Stage 6. 3) can only move up one stage from his or her starting point. 4) should set a realistic goal.
Answer: 1) Needs a place to start and an objective for where they would like to finish 2) Can succeed without reaching Stage 6 4) Should set a realistic goal
Multiple Choice Question Emotional appeals can make use of ______ emotions. 1) positive and negative 2) only positive 3) only negative 4) only neutral
Answer: 1) Positive and negative
Multiple Choice Question When giving a speech, you can show your listeners how you are like them, which is called finding: 1) evidence. 2) common ground. 3) self-actualization. 4) fallacies.
Answer: 2) Common ground
Multiple Choice Question Which of the following types of audience analysis is more relevant for a persuasive speech than other kinds of speeches? 1) determining the gender and age distribution of the audience 2) determining what the audience already thinks about the topic 3) determining the socioeconomic status of the audience 4) determining the interests and hobbies of the audience
Answer: 2) Determining what the audience already thinks about the topic
Multiple Choice Question You should share your expertise with your audience by: 1) passing out a résumé. 2) modestly sharing facts. 3) boasting of achievements. 4) reading testimonials.
Answer: 2) Modestly sharing facts
Multiple Choice Question An emotional appeal is designed to: 1) help the audience see the logic behind an idea. 2) rouse the audience to action. 3) keep the audience quiet. 4) amuse or entertain the audience.
Answer: 2) Rouse the audience to action
Multiple Choice Question What is the first step in persuasion? 1) to create visual aids 2) to understand your listeners 3) to plan for a question-and-answer session 4) to know the location of the speech
Answer: 2) To understand your listeners
Multiple Choice Question Reasoning refers to: 1) the facts and figures used to support an assertion. 2) using logic to draw conclusions from evidence. 3) being accountable for offensive remarks made during a speech. 4) peacefully debating someone with an opposing view.
Answer: 2) Using logic to draw conclusions from evidence
Multiple Choice Question Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning? 1) Cars are designed more aerodynamically than trucks. Aerodynamic vehicles use less gas. If I sell my truck and buy a car, I will save money on fuel. 2) Walking improves blood circulation, helps keep joints limber, and can reduce stress. Walking is probably good for overall health. 3) People born in the United States are citizens. I was born in Illinois. I am a citizen. 4) Tom is taller than Sally. Sally is taller than Joe. Tom must be taller than Joe.
Answer: 2) Walking improves blood circulation, helps keeps joints limber, and can reduce stress. Walking is probably good for overall health.
Multiple Choice Question Which of the following is a true statement about using facts and figures in a speech? 1) It is acceptable to make up inaccurate figures if you know the underlying point is valid. 2) If the audience catches you making one mistake, they assume you have made others. 3) Speakers who are highly competent can skip using facts and figures to support their claims. 4) A few minor errors will not affect the speech very much.
Answer: 2) if the audience catches you making one mistake, they assume you have made others
Multiple Choice Question If you lack personal experience with a topic, you should find: 1) interesting visuals. 2) compelling quotations. 3) a credible source. 4) a different topic.
Answer: 3) A credible source
Multiple Choice Question The audience's perception of a speaker as believable, trustworthy, and competent is referred to as: 1) open-mindedness. 2) induction. 3) credibility. 4) evidence.
Answer: 3) Credibility
Multiple Choice Question Trissa's public speaking teacher tells her that her speech needs more evidence. What is the teacher referring to? 1) Information that comes from books 2) Fallacies that help persuade the audience 3) Proof like examples or statistics 4) Clues in the speech for the audience to determine the main point
Answer: 3) Proof like examples or statistics
Multiple Choice Question Sierra's public speaking teacher says she needs to appeal to the needs and desires, or motivations, of her audience. What is the benefit of appealing to an audience's motivations? 1) Motivations can be appealed to in order to trick people to agree with your point of view. 2) Needs and desires must be appealed to for people to comprehend your point of view. 3) The audience will be more likely to adopt your point of view if they understand its relevance to their lives 4) Appealing to needs and desires of the audience makes them less interested in the speech.
Answer: 3) The audience will be more likely to adopt your point of view if they understand its relevance to their lives
Multiple Choice Question When using inductive reasoning: 1) you have no specific evidence from which to base a conclusion. 2) your reasoning moves from the general to the specific. 3) you have to make a leap to go from the evidence to the conclusion. 4) you must be able to prove your conclusion definitely.
Answer: 3) You have to make a leap to go from the evidence to the conclusion
Multiple Choice Question A fallacy is: 1) a formula for reasoning. 2) reasoning that goes from specific to general. 3) an error in reasoning. 4) reasoning that goes from general to specific.
Answer: 3) an error in reasoning
Multiple Choice Question When does a lack of open-mindedness have the potential to do the most damage to a speaker? 1) when the speaker mingles at the door with listeners who are shuffling in 2) at the point in the speech when the main argument is revealed 3) during the introductory statement 4) during the question-and-answer session at the end of a speech
Answer: 4) During the question-and-answer session at the end of a speech
Multiple Choice Question The facts, examples, statistics, testimony, and other information that support an assertion are collectively known as: 1) rubrics. 2) deductions. 3) jargon. 4) evidence.
Answer: 4) Evidence
Multiple Choice Question Finding common ground means: 1) explaining why the listeners should be more like you. 2) pretending to like the same pastimes as your listeners. 3) compromising your viewpoint to win over listeners. 4) highlighting characteristics you share with listeners.
Answer: 4) Highlighting characteristics you share with listeners
Multiple Choice Question How should you approach giving a speech to a group with varied needs? 1) You should just focus on what best meets your needs as a speaker. 2) It is most important to meet the needs of the least informed group. 3) You should focus your efforts on meeting one major need from each group in your audience. 4) If you can't meet all of their needs, you should try to meet the needs of the most important group.
Answer: 4) If you can't meet all of their needs, you should try to meet the needs of the most important group
Multiple Choice Question The impulses and needs that influence a person to act a certain way are known as: 1) fallacies. 2) analogies. 3) deductions. 4) motivations.
Answer: 4) Motivations
Multiple Choice Question By appealing to more than one motivation, you 1) risk speaking too long. 2) decrease your odds of persuading the audience. 3) lessen your credibility as a speaker. 4) reach more audience members.
Answer: 4) Reach more audience members
Multiple Choice Question The act of reaching conclusions on the basis of logical thinking refers to which of the following? 1) evidence 2) fallacies 3) motivation 4) reasoning
Answer: 4) Reasoning
Multiple Choice Question Kalinda is giving a speech about why her audience should support legislation to protect an endangered bird species. She doesn't know how her audience feels about this topic. What is one way she could learn more about her audience's attitudes? 1) It doesn't matter, since she is persuading them anyway 2) Make an educated guess 3) Determine how people feel about the topic generally 4) Survey her audience
Answer: 4) Survey her audience
Multiple Choice Question Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning? 1) The grass in the front yard is wet, the car in the driveway is wet, and the street by the yard is wet. Therefore, it must have rained. 2) A nearby gas station was robbed. A nearby dry cleaner was robbed the next day. Therefore, crime is probably up in our neighborhood. 3) Summer is the hottest season of the year. The summer months are June, July, August. July is probably the hottest month of the year. 4) The planets of our solar system orbit the sun. Venus is a planet of our solar system. Therefore, Venus orbits the sun.
Answer: 4) The planets of our solar system orbit the sun. Venus is a planet of our solar system. Therefore, Venus orbits the sun.
Multiple Choice Question When you use a persuasion scale, your goal should be to move the audience: 1) to Stage 1 2) higher up the scale. 3) lower down the scale. 4) to Stage 6.
Answer: 2) Higher up the scale
Multiple Choice Question Using inaccurate facts and figures during a speech: 1) can be a useful way to make a vivid point. 2) is usually a minor mistake. 3) is acceptable if they illustrate a true idea. 4) can undermine your credibility.
Answer: 4) Can undermine your credibility
Hasty Generalization
a conclusion that is based on inadequate evidence
Syllogism
a deductive scheme consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
a ranking of human needs from simple to complex
Straw Man
a weak opponent or dubious argument set up so that it can be easily defeated
Fallacy
an argument based on a false inference
False Cause
assuming that because two events are related in time, the first caused the second
Credibility
audience perception of a speaker as believable, trustworthy, and competent
False Analogy
creating a comparison that is exaggerated or erroneous
Attack on a Person
criticizing an opponent rather than the opponent's argument
Red Herring
diverting listeners from the real issue to an irrelevant matter
Bandwagon Fallacy
equating popularity with truth and proof
Either-Or Fallacy
presenting only two alternatives when in fact more exist
Deduction
reasoning from a generalization to a specific conclusion
Induction
reasoning from specific evidence to a general conclusion
Evidence
the facts, examples, statistics, testimony, and other information that support an assertion
Motivations
the impulses and needs that stimulate a person to act in a certain way
Self-Actualization
the need of humans to make the most of their abilities
Building on an Unproven Assumption
treating an opinion that is open to question as if it were already proved
Reasoning
using logic to draw conclusions from evidence
