P ERSUASION & L OGICAL F ALLACIES

W ARM -U P Answer True or False to each of the following questions: 1) A really good commercial could convince me to buy something, even if I wasn’t interested in it before. 2) Most things we see in commercials are based on truth – after all, it’s illegal to falsely represent your product. 3) The way people are portrayed in the media has an effect on the way everyday people see themselves.

E THOS Ethos refers to the credibility/trustworthiness of an argument (and the person presenting it) Linked to: - The trustworthiness and credentials of the person/company/etc. presenting the information - The audience’s feelings of morality/ wrong and right

L OGOS Logos refers to the logic and reasoning behind an argument Linked to: - The facts/statistics/etc. used to prove a point - The “soundness” of the speaker’s point (Does it make sense?)

P ATHOS Pathos refers to the emotional impact that an argument has on the audience Linked to: - The connections that the audience can make with the argument. Can they see themselves (or how they’d like to be) in what is being presented to them?

V IDEO L INKS Ehttps:// E [Acura Safety Test] 8https:// 8 [Volkswagen Construction] [Volkswagon Darth Vader]

L OGICAL F ALLACIES What happens when the way an argument is presented isn’t exactly… straightforward? A logical fallacy is a flaw in an argument that makes it invalid.

S LIPPERY S LOPE This is a conclusion based on the false premise that if Event A happens, eventually through a series of small steps Event Z will happen. Since Event Z is undesirable, Event A must not be allowed to happen.

S LIPPERY S LOPE E XAMPLE If we allow the government to ban Hummers because they are bad for the environment, eventually the government will ban all vehicles and we will have to walk everywhere. So, if we don’t want to walk everywhere, we should not ban Hummers.

H ASTY G ENERALIZATION This is a conclusion based on incomplete or biased evidence. Basically, a hasty generalization occurs when a person jumps to a conclusion without having all of the facts. Example: “Even though this is only the first day, I can already tell that this is going to be the worst class ever.”

F ALSE D ILEMMA This is a conclusion that oversimplifies an argument by falsely reducing it to only two sides or choices: Ex: “You’re either a Cowboys or a Redskins fan.”

B ANDWAGON ( AD POPULUM ) This is an appeal that seeks to promote a product or idea by making it seem popular among a desirable group of people. Ex: A Pepsi commercial that shows a group of young, pretty people drinking Pepsi and laughing. This implies that if you buy Pepsi, you too will be young, pretty, and hilarious.

A D H OMINEM This is an attack on a person’s character rather than his or her actual arguments. Ex: “You shouldn’t listen to anything Greg says about evolution, because he never turns his science homework in!”

R ED H ERRING ( NON SEQUITUR ) This is a diversionary argument that attempts to distract from the real issue by focusing on unrelated or irrelevant facts. This tactic avoids opposing arguments by ignoring rather than addressing them.

R ED H ERRING E XAMPLE Environmental Activist: “The BP oil spill is causing lots of problems for the wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.” BP Representative: “The Gulf Coast is such a fun place to visit this time of year – the people and the food are both so enjoyable!”

S CARE T ACTICS ( AD BACULUM ) This is an argument that attempts to convince the listener by focusing on the emotional impact (especially fear) that the argument has. Ex: An anti-smoking Public Service Announcement uses graphic pictures of smokers’ blackened lungs to convince people to quit smoking.

A PPEAL TO P ITY ( AD MISERICORDIAM ) An argument that attempts to convince the listener by exploiting the listener’s feelings of pity or guilt. Ex: A “Stop Hunger Now” advertisement that shows pictures of starving children side by side with appeals to donate money.