1. Chapter 17
Methods of persuasion

2. Methods of persuasion: Introduction
To influence your audience’s attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors, you should focus on three persuasive skills in your presentation:
ethos (establishing her credibility as a speaker)
logos (presenting sound reasoning behind her claims)
pathos (using emotional appeals)

3. Methods of persuasion: An overview
In this chapter we will explore in more detail:
Ethos
Logos
Pathos
Sample speech: Anna Martinez, “Extra Credit You Can Live Without”

4. Understanding ethos (credibility)
Credible and moral speakers win audience trust, as they are seen as:
Knowledgeable
Honest
Genuinely interested in doing the right thing

5. Understanding ethos (credibility)
Components of ethos include:
Competence
practical wisdom derived from knowledge and experience with topic
Trustworthiness
virtue characterized by being honest and fair
Goodwill toward the audience
illustrated by empathizing with members’ views and putting their needs, feelings, and concerns first

6. Understanding ethos (credibility)

7. Understanding ethos: Building your credibility
Introductions should:
highlight your experience
research
relate topic to listeners
Choose words that:
demonstrate understanding of the audience
show respect

8. Building credibility

9. Understanding ethos: Avoiding loss of your credibility
You lose credibility when you say something that shows a lack of competence, trustworthiness, or goodwill.

10. Tips for credibility
Tip: Show respect to your audience even when they refer to those who disagree with you. Your presentation’s strong evidence, clear organization, and effective delivery will demonstrate your competence, goodwill, and trustworthiness.
Tip: Once you lose your credibility it is very difficult to repair.

11. Logos (facts and reasoning):
Research evidence from credible sources (see Chapter 7) and then present that evidence in your speech.

12. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using evidence
Identify your sources and their qualifications.

13. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using evidence
Give listeners new evidence to increase their perception of your credibility.

14. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using evidence
Provide precise evidence by including:
Dates
Places
Numbers
Other important facts

15. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using evidence
Look for compelling evidence.
Use concrete or detailed examples.
Help audiences visualize your points and engage their senses.

16. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using evidence

17. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using evidence
Characterize your evidence accurately by carefully wording your claims.

18. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
Inductive reasoning:
generalize from facts, instances, or examples to make a claim

19. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
There are four types of inductive reasoning:
Example reasoning
Comparison reasoning
Causal reasoning
Sign reasoning

20. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
Example Reasoning: using specific instances to support a claim
Choose many examples
Choose representative examples
Consider potential counterexamples

21. Example reasoning

22. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
Comparison Reasoning: arguing that two instances are comparable, so that what is true for one is likely to be true for another.

23. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
Causal Reasoning: arguing that one event has caused another
Explain link between cause and effect
Support link with credible evidence
Show a correlation between cause and effect

24. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
Avoid committing post hoc fallacy that mistakes chronology for cause.
Watch out for reversed causality by mistaking the effect for the cause.

25. Logos (facts and reasoning): Using reasoning
Sign Reasoning: arguing that something is true based on indirect indicators (signs).

26. Logos (facts and reasoning): Avoiding logical fallacies
Reasoning is faulty when link between claim and supporting material is weak.

27. Logos (facts and reasoning): Avoiding logical fallacies
Ad populum fallacy (aka, bandwagon): assuming truth based on popular opinion.

28. Logos (facts and reasoning): Avoiding logical fallacies
Straw person fallacy: substituting a weaker claim that is easier to rebut for a real counterargument

29. Logos (facts and reasoning): Avoiding logical fallacies
Slippery slope fallacy: believing that one event or policy will tip us over an edge into a huge disaster

30. Logos (facts and reasoning): Avoiding logical fallacies
False dilemma: arguing that only two solutions are possible, and that only one of those choices (the speaker’s solution) is correct.

31. Logos (facts and reasoning): Avoiding logical fallacies
Appeal to tradition: arguing that an idea or policy is good because people have accepted or followed it for a long time.

32. Tips for using logos
Tip: Be sure to stay audience-centered. Use evidence that your audience will find credible.
Tip: Try to use evidence that is novel or fresh to the audience. This will help keep them interested.

33. Pathos (emotions)
Appealing to your audience’s emotions more than their minds (pathos) puts a human face on the problem that your speech is addressing, and can be a big motivator.

34. Pathos (emotions)
Use sound reasoning and concrete details to make a logical connection between your point and the emotions you are evoking.

35. Pathos (emotions)
Avoid using hasty generalizations or unethical appeals to stimulate listeners’ emotions.

36. Pathos (emotions)
Consider using a fear appeal in which your argument presents a serious threat that audience members believe they have the power to remedy.

37. Tips for using pathos
Tip: Try to use a variety of emotions. For example, you can stimulate anger, pity, and empathy with a single example of pet abuse.
Tip: If you use a fear appeal, be sure you provide your audience with a way to prevent the problem.

38. Sample speech: Anna Martinez, “Extra Credit You Can Live Without”
Read the sample speech on pgs
The speech’s three main points deal with the:
problems created by students’ credit card debt
causes of the problems
steps to becoming a more careful credit card consumer