Chapter 15: Persuasive Presentations

Persuasive Presentation Message designed strategically to induce change in audience Immediate purpose Long-range goal Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Persuasive Purposes Adoption: listeners should start a new behavior (e.g. vote in local elections) Discontinuation: listeners should stop a current behavior (e.g. stop skipping classes) Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Persuasive Purposes Face-to-face is most effective mode of communication In-person is more powerful You will have a captive audience, not a voluntary audience Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Using Argument to Persuade An argument asserts some course of action Proposition of fact: an assertion that can be proved or disproved as consistent with reality (e.g. average student loan debts are higher in the U.S. than any other country) Proposition of value: A statement that we should embrace as important to our culture (e.g. We should support efforts to clean up our parks) Proposition of policy: Proposing a new rule (e.g. Student loans should be forgiven after 20 years of on-time payments) Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Should the drinking age be lowered to 18? Argumentation Topics are controversial in nature—that is, there is more than one side to the argument. Should the drinking age be lowered to 18? YES NO

What are some controversial topics that get you mad or “fired up?”

The Parts of an Argument Issue: A concern or problem about which people disagree (e.g. The welfare system) Claim: The presenter’s opinion about the issue (e.g. The welfare system is unjust and needs reform) Proof: The details that demonstrate the claim is correct and should be accepted. (e.g. people cheat the system, deserving people can’t get benefits, and it costs taxpayers too much money.) There are three types of proof: Logical appeals (reasons with evidence) Emotional appeals Ethical appeals See Ch. 15 (pp. 336-338)

Aristotle’s modes of persuasion Ethos Ethical appeal to the authority or credibility of the writer (we tend to believe people we respect) Pathos Appeal to the readers’ emotions and motivations with vivid emotional language and sensory details Logos Appeal to the readers’ sense of logic; provide evidence to support a claim

Logos: Logical Appeals Types of logical Evidence for Arguments: Facts: objective truths; facts should appeal to listeners’ sense of logic Statistics: numerical data (figures, percentages, averages) from credible sources Quotations and citations: statements from an authority/ recognized expert on the subject Examples: descriptions of situations used to illustrate or explain a point; typical anecdotes to demonstrate truth Personal experiences: personal stories/accounts Analogies: comparisons to similar cases

Pathos: Emotional Appeals Emotional appeals focus on listeners’ values, needs, and feelings Values: hard-work ethic, patriotism, kindness . . . Needs: desire to feel attractive and liked . . . Feelings: sympathy, compassion, etc. . . Tell a story Elicit fear Support this organization to stop animal cruelty Use this toothpaste for a beautiful smile that shines

Ethos: Ethical Appeals Ethical appeals focus on your trustworthiness as a speaker on this topic. Tips for creating an ethical appeal: Present yourself as an authority on your topic (What makes you an expert on the topic?) Present a well-reasoned argument that avoids errors in logic Avoid over-using emotional appeals Raise and counter objections (i.e. acknowledge the other side) Create goodwill

Discuss with a partner Issue (topic) Claim (your point) Proof (evidence) Minimum wage Logical appeals Emotional appeals Ethical appeals The death penalty Euthanasia ???

10 tests of Evidence See pages 334-336 Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Organizing your speech ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Introducing Persuasive Presentation Reveal persuasive purpose to listeners Analyzing listeners Watch out for “Boomerang effect”: audience likes you/your message LESS after your presentation Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Figure 15.1 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Attention Need Satisfaction Visualization Action *Use this sequence to help you outline your speech. Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Figure 15.2 Tips for organizing your arguments. Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Outlining your speech Read sample outline “Change Your Dial to NPR” on pp. 343-344 Use outline template from our course website ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sample persuasive speeches Use your persuasive speech rubric to grade the following presentations: http://youtu.be/KYtm8uEo5vU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kplM0CsniQM http://youtu.be/Tk_7Hd3rDTk ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ethical Considerations Cite sources accurately Respect source credibility Respect audience Respect opponent Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.

Resisting Persuasion Avoid persuasive messages Be skeptical about messages Check claims Check source credibility Think over persuasive appeal Question ethical basis of proposals Use knowledge and experience to analyze persuasive claims Check claims against your values See if actions match message Learn about other viewpoints Copyright © 2013, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All Rights Reserved.