SPC2608- Final Exam Study Guide
Recall the goals and approaches of persuasive speeches. Know the two goals of persuasive speaking and how they compare and contrast to one another regarding questions of policy
The two goals of persuasive speaking specially are passive agreement and active engagement. Passive agreement is getting the audience to agree a certain solution is desirable. Active engagement is getting an audience to act on what you've decided, such as requesting a call to action by signing petitions. In regards to questions of policy, passive agreement would be getting an audience to agree with your proposed policy, fulfilling all steps in Monroe's motivated sequence other than Action. Active engagement goes one step further than passive agreement because the Action step of Monroe's motivated sequence is in use as you are calling the audience to action.
Recall Monroe's motivated sequence as a method of organizing persuasive speeches on questions of policy. Know the steps and what a speaker should accomplish in each step
Attention: Basic intro. (attention getter, reveal topic, gain for audience, establish credibility/goodwill, preview main points) Need: Identify current policy/problem and its ramifications Satisfaction: Uses theory to develop a practical solution that overcomes objections, explain proposed plan and objections to overcome Visualization: Restate problem/solution and identify benefits of the solution Action: Call audience to action (what) and describe specific behaviors to be taken (how)
Recognize the psychology of audiences as it relates to persuasive speaking. Know what it means that audiences engage in a "mental dialogue" with the speaker
Audiences engaging in a "mental dialogue" with the speaker refers to the audience's mental give and take of information in a speech and the audience working within their own frame of reference to create a value judgement of what they are experiencing, using critical listening to judge and critique. You are fully engaged with all aspects of the speaker and the speech: including the style, stance on topic, potential counter arguments/objections, delivery style, emotion, credibility/sources, and how convincing the speech is
Identify ways to generate emotional appeals. Know the three methods of generating emotional appeals the book describes
Emotional appeals can be generated using three methods: emotional language, vivid examples, and sincere enthusiasm. Emotional language includes using descriptive vocabulary with literary devices, such as allusions and similes, to evoke an emotion. Vivid examples include using an anecdotal story with explicit detail to evoke an emotion. Sincere enthusiasm includes delivery, facial expressions, vocal variety, gestures, and a performative element all using passion to evoke an emotion
Identify the role of emotional appeals in persuasive speaking. Be prepared to explain a quote from the book: "When persuasion is end, passion also must be engaged"
Emotional appeals in persuasive speaking are used to convince the audience of the point the speaker is trying to make by evoking emotion through sensory actions and tone. If the audience cannot feel, hear, and see the passion, they will not be convinced and will not be on board with the point being presented.
Recall the importance and characteristics of evidence in persuasion. Know the four tips for using evidence that the book describes
Evidence is important in persuasion because it establishes credibility for the speaker and allows the speaker to enhance their points with accounts from other respected sources. The four tips for using evidence include specific evidence, novel evidence, credible evidence, and relevant/clear point evidence. Specific evidence refers to using evidence in a specific way to demonstrate a specific point. Novel evidence refers to new evidence. Credible evidence refers to peer reviewed sources that have been examined by others in the same field. Relevant/clear point evidence refers to making sure the evidence is well connected by reasoning with no hasty conclusions, accepted premises, and no mistaking correlation for causation
Why is Monroe's motivated sequence so effective in organizing persuasive speeches on questions of policy?
Monroe's sequence is so effective because it follows the natural process of how humans think using logic
Recognize the importance and purpose of persuasion in public speaking. Know the differences between persuasive and informative speaking and the challenges that come with each type
Persuasive speaking involves critical listening from the audience and has to convince the audience of something. Challenges of persuasive speaking include the fact that it is difficult to change somebody's mind and the speaker has to have all bases covered, leaving no holes to fill. Informative speaking involves comprehensive listening from the audience and has to objectively inform the audience of something. Challenges of informative speaking include the fact that the speaker has to establish a high level of trust in credibility and accuracy, there is an infinite amount of information available, and it can be hard to remain objective and avoid biases in sources when gathering information
Identify the elements of persuasive speaking on questions of fact, value, and policy. Be prepared to create specific purpose statements on each of them
Questions of fact seek to change the audience's beliefs on something, either using multiple facts to argue one conclusion or one set of facts to argue more than one conclusion. For example, to persuade the audience to believe the earth is indeed flat. Questions of value seek to change the audience's attitude on something by establishing standards first, then applying them. For example, to persuade the audience in favor of marriage equality. Questions of policy seek to change the audience's behavior by first identifying current operations and ramifications, then suggesting a solution and plan of implementation, and finally demonstrating benefits and calling the audience to action. For example, to persuade the audience to act by signing petitions to advocate for free healthcare.
Recall the role of ethics when speaking persuasively. Know the ethical obligations of speakers when speaking persuasively
The ethical obligations of speakers when speaking persuasively include making sure goals are ethically sound, using ethical methods to communicate ideas, being honest, avoiding biases hasty generalizations and stereotypes, making sure you know all sides of an argument, remembering not to replace emotions with evidence, and making sure that all information is accurate and all sources are novel and credible
Recall the importance and characteristics of credibility in persuasion. Know how credibility of a speaker can affect a persuasive speech's success or failure
The importance of credibility in persuasion is that high credibility is based on the audience's perception of the speaker. Characteristics of credibility in persuasion include competence, how the audience regards a speaker's intelligence knowledge and or expertise on the topic, and character, how an audience regards a speaker's sincerity trustworthiness and concern for the audience's well-being. Credibility is formed in three phases: initial, derived and terminal. Credibility of a speaker can affect a persuasive speech's success or failure because the speaker must be credible by practicing what they preach and using additional evidence to become more persuasive and gain credibility.
Recall who is the target audience in a persuasive speech. Know why it is important to identify this group of people
The target audience in a persuasive speech is the fence sitters, those on the fence people who are undecided and are actively seeking to choose one side or the other. It is important to identify this group of people because they have no biases prior to the speech and are looking to change their ideas and choose their stance, therefore they will be more receptive and are more easily persuaded.
Recall the three orders in which one could organize a persuasive speech on a question of policy
The three orders in which one could organize a persuasive speech on a question of policy include problem-solution, problem-cause-solution, and Monroe's motivated sequence. Problem-solution states the problem and then the way to solve it. For example: my car isn't moving, I need to get gas. Problem-cause-solution incorporates the reasoning for the problem. For example: my car isn't moving, I ran out of gas, I need to get gas. Lastly, there's Monroe's motivated sequence, which takes you through the attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.