Persuasive AppealsPersuasive Appeals

Persuasive AppealsPersuasive Appeals Methods used to convince people to Methods used to convince people to

agree with a position.agree with a position.

There are several different types of There are several different types of persuasive appeals.persuasive appeals.

3 Primary Forms of Appeal3 Primary Forms of Appeal Logical Appeal (logos)Logical Appeal (logos)

Emotional Appeal (pathos)Emotional Appeal (pathos)

Ethical Appeal (ethos)Ethical Appeal (ethos)

Logical Appeal (Logos)Logical Appeal (Logos)

An appeal to reasonAn appeal to reason

The author appeals to the “head” The author appeals to the “head” rather than the “heart”rather than the “heart”

Uses logic, facts, statistics, or other Uses logic, facts, statistics, or other types of hard evidencetypes of hard evidence

Emotional Appeal (Pathos)Emotional Appeal (Pathos)

The author tries to appeal to the reader’s The author tries to appeal to the reader’s “heart” or emotions in an effort to get the “heart” or emotions in an effort to get the reader to care about an issue/problem.reader to care about an issue/problem.

The author may “put a human face” on The author may “put a human face” on facts and figuresfacts and figures

The author may try to “inspire” the readerThe author may try to “inspire” the reader

Ethical Appeal (Ethos)Ethical Appeal (Ethos)

The author appeals to the reader’s sense of right The author appeals to the reader’s sense of right and wrong or to the writer’s claim to be a good and wrong or to the writer’s claim to be a good and moral person who can be trustedand moral person who can be trusted

Focus on one or more of the following:Focus on one or more of the following: CommunityCommunity HomeHome FamilyFamily ParenthoodParenthood Religious/spiritual beliefsReligious/spiritual beliefs CharacterCharacter ResponsibilityResponsibility Public servicePublic service

Which persuasive appeal is Which persuasive appeal is used in each of the following?used in each of the following?

Vote for John Doe for Congress Vote for John Doe for Congress because…because…A.A.He is a good family man and a He is a good family man and a churchgoer.churchgoer.B.B.He is tough on law and order, so your He is tough on law and order, so your family won’t have to live in fear.family won’t have to live in fear.C.C.He is an experienced legislator who has He is an experienced legislator who has served two terms as a state senator.served two terms as a state senator.

PropagandaPropaganda The use of persuasive techniques in The use of persuasive techniques in

order to get people to believe, act, or order to get people to believe, act, or vote in a certain wayvote in a certain way

TestimonialTestimonial getting celebrities to say they like a getting celebrities to say they like a

product or candidate or issueproduct or candidate or issue

Snob AppealSnob Appeal when words flatter a consumer or when words flatter a consumer or

voter by making him think he’s voter by making him think he’s special or elitespecial or elite

StereotypeStereotype over-simplified mental pictures of an over-simplified mental pictures of an

entire groupentire group

Glittering GeneralitiesGlittering Generalities using vague but positive words to using vague but positive words to

shed a positive light on a topic or shed a positive light on a topic or issueissue

BandwagonBandwagon peer pressure in order to sway your peer pressure in order to sway your

wallet or votewallet or vote

Scientific/Expert SlantScientific/Expert Slant getting experts to give their opinion getting experts to give their opinion

Name-CallingName-Calling shedding a negative (and not always shedding a negative (and not always

factual) light on an issue or productfactual) light on an issue or product

Plain FolkPlain Folk words that make the speaker seem words that make the speaker seem

like “one of us” or like a regular like “one of us” or like a regular personperson

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Rhetorical DevicesRhetorical Devices RepetitionRepetition ParallelismParallelism Rhetorical QuestionRhetorical Question Periodic SentencePeriodic Sentence Anticipate and Counter Opposing Anticipate and Counter Opposing

ArgumentsArguments Figurative LanguageFigurative Language Memorable ConclusionMemorable Conclusion

RepetitionRepetition

Restating an idea using the same Restating an idea using the same wordswords

ParallelismParallelism

Repetition of a grammatical structureRepetition of a grammatical structure

Rhetorical QuestionRhetorical Question

A question with an obvious answer A question with an obvious answer that is asked to move the audience that is asked to move the audience into a particular way of thinkinginto a particular way of thinking

Periodic SentencePeriodic Sentence

A sentence constructed so that the A sentence constructed so that the main clause comes at the end of a main clause comes at the end of a series of subordinate clauses. series of subordinate clauses.

The purpose of this is to build tension The purpose of this is to build tension in the audience before delivering the in the audience before delivering the intended message.intended message.

Anticipate & Counter Opposing Anticipate & Counter Opposing ArgumentsArguments

Strategy in which a speaker Strategy in which a speaker anticipates how his/her opponent will anticipates how his/her opponent will respond and provides a respond and provides a counterargument before the counterargument before the opponent has a chance to opposeopponent has a chance to oppose

Figurative LanguageFigurative Language

Language that is not meant to be Language that is not meant to be taken literallytaken literally SimileSimile MetaphorMetaphor PersonificationPersonification

Strong sensory imagery can also be Strong sensory imagery can also be used to persuadeused to persuade

Memorable ConclusionMemorable Conclusion

Providing a strong ending in order to Providing a strong ending in order to leave the audience with a lasting leave the audience with a lasting memory of what they have just memory of what they have just heard/readheard/read

Persuasive Persuasive TechniqueTechnique

ExampleExample

ParallelismParallelism “…“…to know the whole to know the whole truth; to know the truth; to know the worst and to provide worst and to provide for it.”for it.”

Rhetorical QuestionRhetorical Question ““Is this the part of Is this the part of wise men…?”wise men…?”

Figurative Language Figurative Language (allusion)(allusion)

“”…“”…listen to the song listen to the song of that siren till she of that siren till she transforms us into transforms us into beasts.”beasts.”

“Speech to the Virginia Convention” T-Chart of Persuasive Techniques