Persuasion: All Around You! “Can You Hear Me Now?”

Persuasive messages are everywhere… …on buses, billboards, the Web, even cereal boxes. some tell you: what to wear or buy, to believe something or act in a certain way to agree with a point of view

How do you figure out which ones to believe? You begin by breaking these messages down to their basic elements: 1. The Argument 2. Persuasive Techniques

Part One: The Argument An argument is a claim supported by reasons and evidence. Sound arguments appeal to logic, not emotions. Logic- a reasonable way of thinking about something.

A Strong Argument: 1. presents a claim; 2. provides support; 3. anticipates objections

Presents a claim: A claim is the writer’s position on a problem or issue. The claim is often based on a premise, or general principle, that most readers would agree is true. Example: “Most people want to make a difference” is probably a valid premise.

Provides support: Support is the reasons and evidence that back up the claim. Evidence can include facts, statistics, examples, and quotations from experts.

Anticipates objections: that people with the opposing viewpoint might raise and attempts to answer those arguments with counterarguments. Counterarguments: argument against the opposing viewpoint

Elements of an Argument

Part Two: Persuasive Techniques Argument is the logical part of a persuasive text, but writers often use more than logic to persuade. Persuasive techniques are appeals to people’s needs, values, and feelings.

Taps into people’s desire to belong. Bandwagon Appeal Taps into people’s desire to belong. Millions of teens have made City Jeanz part of their wardrobe. What are you waiting for?

Ethical Appeal Tries to get moral support for a claim by linking the claim to a widely accepted value. Example: If you believe that every child deserves a good education, support the Great Minds Organization.

Appeal to Fear Makes people feel as if their safety, security, or health is in danger. Example: How clean are the hotel rooms you’re staying in? You’ll be shocked at what our documentary reveals. Life Alert

Appeal to Pity Taps into people’s compassion for others. Example: For the cost of one cup of coffee a day, you could save a life. Save the Children

Loaded Terms Uses words with strongly positive or negative connotations to stir people’s emotions. Example: The alley next to the parking lot is dark and dangerous. Vote to increase the number of street lamps in our neighborhood. Residents deserve to feel safe and protected.

Fallacies A fallacy is a wrong or mistaken idea. A rhetorical fallacy is speech or writing that is false or misleading. For example, it’s misleading to describe a corrupt politician as “just an average guy.”

Fallacies A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning. “Either I watch TV or I have nothing to do” is an error in reasoning because it is based on the false assumption that there are only two choices in a situation that really offers more options. Many logical fallacies start with false assumptions, or mistaken beliefs.

Incorrect premise Finally, examine the premise - the general principle that most readers would agree is true- to make sure its really true. An argument based on an incorrect premise is flawed from the start.

Incorrect premise Can you spot the claim that is based on an incorrect premise? Claim 1: If you don’t volunteer, you will never get into college. Claim 2: If you don’t volunteer, you’ll miss out on a potentially great experience.

Persuasion in Text

Persuasion in Advertising

Slogan: “Can you hear me now?” A catchy phrase or statement often used to sell a service or a product

Audience?

Repetition: The name of a product is repeated many times HEAD ON Apply directly to the forehead HEAD ON Apply directly to the forehead HEAD ON Apply directly to the forehead

Bandwagon A statement suggesting that everyone is using a specific product, so you should too

Testimonial A well-known person supports a product or service

Emotional Appeal A person is made to have strong feelings about a situation or product

Audience? Purpose? Persuasive technique?

Expert opinion Experts approve this product, so you should use it “Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum”

Audience Awareness Advertisers know how to target their audiences use appropriate persuasive technique

Who’s the audience?

Audience? Purpose? Persuasive technique?

Audience?

Audience? Purpose?

Audience? Purpose?

Audience? Purpose? Persuasive technique?

Audience? Persuasive technique?

Relevant facts Advertisers spend about $200 billion a year on TV advertising The average cost for Super Bowl ads is $2.6 million per 30 second spot The average American watches about 24,000 TV commercials a year http://television-commercial.net/

Making Connections What is your favorite jingle? What slogan for a product do you find yourself saying? What TV commercial has influenced you to make a purchase? Since Tubby Smith and Billy Gillispie shop at Kroger, does that mean we should too?

Reflection “Persuasion is all around you” In addition to TV commercials, where else do you see persuasion all around you? Is that persuasion influencing you or your family in any way? Explain.