MPS Chap. 16 The Strategy of Persuasion The focus of persuasion is not on the source, the message, or the receiver, but on all of them equally. They all cooperate to make a persuasive process. The idea of co-creation means that what is inside the receiver is just as important as the source s intent or the content of messages. In one sense, all persuasion is selfpersuasion we are rarely persuaded unless we participate in the process. The importance of persuasion It is impossible to isolate yourself from persuasive messages Politics, education, religion, business you name it! Persuasion enables good judgment As a student of public speaking, delivering a persuasive message can benefit you in a number of ways It requires you to select an issue you think is important and to communicate your concern to your audience Voicing your beliefs will demand that you confront their logic and support you must test your ideas for their validity You must gather supporting materials and draw valid inferences from them as you develop your arguments As a listener you can benefit by participating in the persuasive process A speaker can make you aware of problems around you and show you how you can help solve them You hear other points of view and, consequently may better understand why others have beliefs different from yours A speech that challenges your beliefs often forces you to reevaluate your position Participating as a listener heightens your critical thinking and improves your ability to explain and defend your beliefs A definition of persuasion Persuasion: the process of influencing another person s values, beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors Persuasion is often equated with power, but persuasion does not necessarily require power Power implies authority or control over another e.g. Employers who want you to be on time will state that policy and issue reprimands, withhold promotions, and even terminate your employment to ensure you obey the policy They do not need to persuade you
2 Persuasion is more accurately equated with influence than with power As a speaker you try to influence your audience to adopt your position You probably have little power over your listeners Types of influence: Change: the most dramatic request your listeners to change a value, belief, attitude or behavior. The response is dramatic because you attempt to change opposition to support, or support to opposition Instill: you can attempt to instill an attitude, belief or behavior. You instill when you address a particular problem about which your audience is unaware or undecided. If you persuade an audience that a problem exists, you have instilled a belief. Intensify: You can attempt to intensify values, beliefs, attitudes, or a behavior. In this case you must know before your speech that audience members agree with your position or behave as you will advocate. Your goal is to strengthen your listeners positions and actions. Types of persuasive speeches Speeches to convince: a speech to convince aims to affect your listeners beliefs or attitudes. Each of the following purpose statements expresses a belief the speaker wants the audience to accept: To convince the audience that hate speech is constitutionally protected To convince the audience that hybrid cars are commercially feasible To convince the audience that there is a constitutional right to privacy To convince the audience that sealed adoption is preferable to open adoption The speaker s purpose in each of these speeches is to establish belief. While the speech does not call upon audience members to act, action may be the natural outgrowth of their belief Speeches to actuate: may establish beliefs, but they always call for the audience to act. The specific purpose statements below illustrate calls for action: To move, or actuate the audience to donate nonperishable food to a local food bank
3 To move the audience to spay or neuter pet cats and dogs To move the audience to begin a low-impact aerobic workout program To move the audience to sign a petition banning smoking in all public places on campus Speeches to inspire: the speech to inspire attempts to change how listeners feel. Examples include commencement addresses, commemorative speeches, eulogies, and pep talks. Some purpose statements: To inspire the audience to honor the service of fallen fire fighters To inspire the audience to appreciate those who made their education possible To inspire audience members to give their best efforts to all college courses they take The purpose of inspiration is usually noble and uplifting. These speeches typically have neither the detailed supporting material nor the complex arguments characteristic of speeches to convince or actuate Persuasive speaking strategies Sources of persuasion: Ethos: character appeal (audience perception of speaker credibility) Logos: logical appeal (audience perception of rationality) Pathos: emotional appeal (audience feelings affecting its judgment) So you ve got the speaker (credibility), the speech (logos), the listener (pathos) as sources of persuasion Establish your credibility: credibility is your reputation it is fluid and varying according to your listeners you possess only the credibility your listeners grant you Credibility varies according to time Initial credibility: your image or reputation prior to speaking Derived credibility: the image the audience develops of you as you speak Terminal credibility: the image the audience has of you after the speech and for a period afterwards Convey competence: Know your subject (use clear, vivid and credible supporting materials) Document your ideas Cite your sources
4 Acknowledge your personal involvement or experience with the subject Convey trustworthiness: Establish common ground with your audience If the audience knows that you understand its values, experiences and aspirations, they will be more receptive to your arguments. When you let them know you identify with those values, experiences, and aspirations, you increase your persuasiveness. Demonstrate your objectivity in approaching the topic The information sources you include in your speech should demonstrate thorough, unbiased research. Convey dynamism: Focus your goals: Associated with delivery do you care about what you re talking about? Are you energetic, exciting, inspiring, spirited and stimulating? Dynamic delivery communicates confidence and concern If you don t APPEAR to be confident and concerned, for all practical purposes, you re not. Limit your goals: a common mistake made by beginning speakers is to seek dramatic changes in the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of their listeners. Persuasion is more likely if your goals as a speaker are limited, rather than global Argue incrementally: persuasion is more permanent if you achieve it incrementally one step at a time In a fixed period of time, the greater number of points you have to prove, the less time you have to support and explain each Because you must move through several steps in a limited period of time, you may be forced to abbreviate some of your arguments your support When your listeners hear another speaker attack your position, they may lack sufficient evidence to counter those attacks Your goal should be to inoculate your listeners to possible counterarguments
5 The stronger your arguments, the greater the likelihood that you will bring about enduring change in the opinions of your audience If you know your audience has been introduced to counterarguments, you may need to address those arguments before introducing your own Connect with your listeners: Persuasion is more likely if a speaker establishes common ground with the audience Assess listeners knowledge of your topic Assess how important your audience considers your topic The more important, the more likely your audience will listen The more important, the more the likely it will be hard to change existing beliefs, etc. Motivate your listeners Persuasion is more likely if the audience is self-motivated in the direction of the message You must discover what motivates your listeners Requires an understanding of their needs and desires Identify as many of the needs and desires of your listeners as possible Review your list and select those that your speech satisfies As you prepare your speech explain how the action you advocate fulfills the audience s needs Relate your message to listeners values Persuasion is more likely if the speaker s message is consistent with listeners beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors People want to establish consistency in their lives Your ability to persuade is enhanced if you request an action that is consistent with your audience s values Organize your arguments: Persuasion is more likely if arguments are placed appropriately Primacy theory: recommends that you put your strongest arguments first in the body of your speech to establish a strong first impression This theory suggests that you should win your listeners to your side as early as possible Move your strongest argument to the position of point A Recency theory: maintains that you should present your strongest argument last, thus leaving your listeners with your best argument
6 Move your strongest argument to point C If your audience opposes what you advocate, you may want to present your strongest argument first so as to make them ore receptive to the rest of your ideas If your audience already shares your beliefs and attitudes and your goal is to motivate them to action, you may want to end your speech with your most compelling argument In any event do not place your strongest argument in the middle When you sandwich it between two weaker arguments, you recue its impact Support your ideas: Well supported ideas benefit your speech in two ways They provide an ethical underpinning for your position Well-supported ideas enhance your ethos credibility Enhance your emotional appeals: Anger, fear, jealousy, hate, joy, love, pride All emotions affect judgment (for better or worse) When properly constructed, emotional appeals make your listeners active participants in the development of your message Tap audience values: conduct careful analysis before you speak The more attached a listener is to the values a speaker promotes, the more emotional is the appeal Use vivid emotionally-toned examples Visual images are powerful here Use emotive language Use effective delivery feel what you say, say what you feel (if it serves your aim) Again three sources of persuasion: Ethos: character Pathos: emotion Logos: reason No bogos please!