Philosophical Influence Theories regarding persuasion: l Maslow & Aristotle

Abraham Maslow §Psychologist §Classified needs in to 5 categories: “Hierarchy of Needs”

§He stated that it is difficult for someone to satisfy needs on a higher level until lower level needs are met.

Maslow’s Hierarchy 1. Physiological Needs: things which keep a person alive, food, water, and shelter are most common 2. Safety: involves ones well being or sense of security

3. Belonginess : involve wanting to have friends or be loved by others l Everyone needs human contact to live a healthy and well adjusted life. l Every one wants to be accepted by others.

4. Self Esteem: refers to the feelings people have about themselves l People need to like themselves 5. Self Actualization: realizing your full potential

4 Key Factors of Persuasion 1.Attitudes - positive or negative 2.Values - important guidelines for living one’s life 3.Ego Involvement - more involved, more difficult to change their mind. 4.Credibility - how believable the speaker is (People resist change)

Different Type of Audiences ( 4 of them ) 1. Supportive- friendly, like you and what you have to say, don’t need a great deal of information. 2. Uncommitted Audience - neutral, not for you or against you, need information to make up their minds, hopefully they are unbiased or objective.

3. Indifferent - members are apathetic to you, typically this is a captive audience (like a classroom), often where the audience is being forced to attend. 4. Opposed - members are hostile to you or the message, speaker has to show they are willing to compromise if they are hoping to change the audience members minds.

Audience Demographics Understanding the background of an audience is important to understanding how the speaker should compose the theme of the speech.

Details that could be important §1. Age §2. Gender §3. Occupation §4. Educational Background §5. Religious background §6. Ethnic background §7. Economic background

Aristotle §explored the idea of 3 types/forms of persuasion used in messages

1. Logos: §Appeals to the analytical side of your mind, organization and evidence works well. l IE: 3 out of 4 Dentist recommend Crest according to the American Dental Association.

2. Pathos: §Appeals to the emotional side of the mind, touch on emotions such as fear, love, anger, compassion, patriotism etc… l IE: There are starving children here in America and it is our duty as Americans to protect and feed our own.

3. Ethos: §Based on speakers credibility §Audience trusts or respects the speaker and they are persuaded because of it. l IE: Celebrity Endorsements: Michael Jordan only buys Hanes.

Three Types of Reasoning: First: 1. _________ Reasoning: From general to specific. Deductive General Spec

Deductive Reasoning Questions to ask about Deductive Arguments:  Is the General Statement True?   Is the Specific Example True?   Does the Specific Example apply to the General Statement? Are Cheerleaders popular? Is Connie popular? Is it because she is a cheerleader, or for other reasons? Is Connie a Cheerleader?

Second Type of Reasoning 2._________: Reasoning from specific to general. Inductive Spec General

Inductive Reasoning Ex. Evidence: Conclusion: Questions: I met 5 people from Conroe, they were all mean. People from Conroe are mean. Are there enough examples? (you only met 5 people) Are the examples typical? (anything unusual?) Are there important exceptions, or special cases? (at doctor’s office / dentist?)

Third Types of Reasoning 3. _____________: All effects have a specific cause. CAUSE - - -> - - -> - - -> EFFECT Ex1. Evidence: Conclusion: Questions: Cause & Effect Jane studied for hours. She will get an “A” on the test Is the Cause connected to the Effect? Will studying for hours ensure an “A”?

5 Types of Faulty Reasoning §1.________________: Vague and general statements that cannot be ________ or _________. Ex. “Pepsi is the best soda.” §2.___________: Pilling up information about an ____ without much ______. Ex. “Join the Army. You’ll meet new people, go different places and can even get a college education.” Glittering Generality Card Stacking disprovenproven backing idea

Types of Faulty Reasoning §3. _______________: Everyone else is doing it, ____ should do it also. Ex. “We are all going to the party, you don’t want to be left out.” §4. _________________: An endorsement by someone who is ___________ from the product / idea. Ex. George Foreman endorsing Meineke mufflers. Bandwagon Appeal Unrelated Testimonial you disconnected

Types of Faulty Reasoning §5. ___________: Attacks the person rather than the idea. (___________) Ex. “Oh yeah, well I have a better class average than you do.” Name Calling Ad Homenim