Persuasive Techniques

3 Categories Pathos Logos Ethos

Pathos What it is: What it does: Examples: An appeal to emotion Attempt to evoke an emotional response in the audience (happiness, fear, guilt, pain, sadness, etc.) Examples: Images of starving children to persuade you to send money. People enjoying themselves while driving in a BMW.

Logos What it is: What it does: Examples: An appeal to logic or reason Provides you with the evidence and statistics (the facts) you need to fully understand the argument. Examples: One glass of Florida orange juice contains 75% of your daily Vitamin C needs. Lipitor lowers your cholesterol.

Ethos What it is: What it does: Examples: An appeal to credibility of character What it does: Tries to convince you that the speaker is more reliable, honest, and credible; therefore, you should consider the arguments offered. Often uses experts (Doctors) or celebrities to endorse. Examples: 4 out of 5 dentists recommend Trident gum. Michael Jordan makes us want to wear Hanes.

Practice A child is shown covered in bug bites after using an inferior bug spray. Answer: Pathos Tiger Woods endorses Nike. Answer: Ethos Sprite Zero is 100% sugar-free. Answer: Logos A 32-oz. bottle of Tide holds enough to wash 32 loads.

Practice A commercial shows an image of a happy couple riding in a Corvette. Answer: Pathos Cardiologists recommend Ecotrin more than any other brand of aspirin. Answer: Ethos Advil Liqui-Gels provide up to 8 hours of continuous pain relief. Answer: Logos

Practice Miley Cyrus appears in Oreo advertisements. Answer: Ethos People who need more energy drink Red Bull Energy Drink. Answer: Logos A magazine ad shows people smiling while drinking Pepsi. Answer: Pathos