Persuasion

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Persuasion

• See It My Way

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What Is Persuasion?

• Persuasion is a type of writing designed to
  change the way a reader or listener thinks or
  acts.
• Persuasive writing can be found in
• speeches
• newspaper editorials
• essays
• articles
• advertisements

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Building an Argument

• A sound persuasive argument consists of
• a clearly stated opinion
• relevant reasons for that opinion
• evidence that supports each reason
• Evidence may take the form of facts, statistics,
  examples, anecdotes, or expert testimony.
• Most persuasive writing also includes a call to
  action.

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Types of Persuasive Appeals

• Logical appeals focus on facts in order to
  persuade the audiences brain that the writers
  opinion is correct.
• Spaying Fluffy will prevent her from getting
  certain types of cancer.
• Emotional appeals attempt to persuade the
  audiences heart of the writers opinion.
• If Fluffy is spayed, she will be a healthier,
  happier companion.
• Ethical appeals target the audiences sense of
  duty or of right and wrong.
• Preventing unwanted litters of kittens is
  everyones responsibility.

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Persuasive Techniques

• Persuasive techniques often appeal to the
  audiences emotions or ethics. Extreme forms of
  persuasion are called propaganda.
• Some persuasive or propaganda techniques include
• loaded words
• glittering generalities
• bandwagon appeals
• testimonials

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Persuasive Techniques

• Loaded words carry strong emotional associations.

• Our awesome volleyball team won the tournament,
  pulverizing the Jarvis Highs horrible team in
  the final.
• Glittering generalities are a kind of loaded
  words. These overwhelmingly positive statements
  ignore any evidence to the contrary.
• Laugh-a-Minute is unquestionably the funniest
  television series ever to air.

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Persuasive Techniques

• Bandwagon appeals imply that everyone agrees
  with the writers opinion and warns readers or
  listeners not to be left out by disagreeing or
  failing to act.

• Clearly, no one opposes recycling.
• Dont be considered a dinosaur by failing to
  recycle.
• Testimonials are endorsements by celebrities or
  other well-known personalities who have no
  connection to or expert knowledge of the product.
• After I won the Super Bowl, what I wanted most
  was a big bowl of Malloys Chicken Chowder.
  (said by a player in the game)
• Moms like me know that nothing keeps kids going
  like Malloys Chicken Chowder. (said by an
  ordinary Mom)

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Faulty Arguments

• Common kinds of faulty reasoning, or logical
  fallacies, to watch for include
• circular reasoning
• hasty generalization
• name-calling
• either-or reasoning
• false cause and effect

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Faulty Arguments

• Circular reasoning occurs when the reason for an
  opinion is simply the opinion stated in different
  words.

• Taylor Swift is the best singer in the world
  because shes so talented and good at what she
  does.
• A hasty generalization is a statement based on
  insufficient evidence.
• A student driver hit another car last week if we
  allow students to leave school for lunch,
  accidents will increase tenfold.

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Faulty Arguments

• Name-calling, also known as an ad hominem attack,
  occurs when a writer attacks a person who holds
  an opposing view rather than attacking the view
  itself.

• People who think students should remain on campus
  for lunch are cowards who hate freedom.
• My opponent is a bleeding-heart liberal who is
  soft on crime.

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Faulty Arguments

• Either-or reasoning occurs when a writer
  describes a situation as though there were only
  two choices when in fact there may be several
  options.

• If you love cats, you obviously hate dogs.
• False cause and effect occurs when a writer
  asserts that because one event follows another,
  the first event must have caused the second.
• Wearing the new uniforms, our track team lost
  therefore, we must return to wearing the old
  uniforms immediately.

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What Have You Learned?

• 1. Which kind of appeal does this statement make?
• In a democracy, it is every citizens duty to
  vote.
• a. logical b. emotional c. ethical
• 2. A sports star who endorses a soft drink is
  offering
• a. loaded words b. bandwagon appeal c.
  testimonial
• 3. Stating that people who disagree with the
  writers opinion are selfish is an example of
• a. name-calling b. either-or reasoning c.
  false cause and effect

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The End