Rhetoric Quiz Study Guide

These flashcards cover key rhetorical fallacies and devices, as well as important concepts related to rhetoric.

Ad Misericordiam

An appeal to pity or emotions, arguing for a conclusion based on sympathy or compassion rather than logical reasoning.

Bandwagon Appeal

A persuasive technique that encourages people to adopt a belief or action because it is popular or widely accepted.

Celebrity Endorsement

A marketing strategy where a well-known person endorses or supports a product, implying it’s trustworthy due to their influence.

Faulty Cause & Effect

A logical fallacy where a cause-and-effect relationship is incorrectly assumed between two events.

Glittering Generalities

A propaganda technique using vague, emotionally appealing statements that lack real substance or evidence.

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy where a conclusion is drawn from insufficient or biased evidence.

Plain Folks

A rhetorical device that presents an argument as relatable or credible by using ordinary people rather than experts.

Slippery Slope

A fallacy suggesting that a small first step will lead to a chain of related events with disastrous consequences.

Testimonial

A form of persuasive argument where a person supports or endorses a product or idea based on personal experience.

Violence

The use of force or threats to intimidate or coerce agreement with a particular argument.

Contempt

A feeling of disrespect or disdain toward someone or something, often ridiculing an opponent's argument.

Repetition

A rhetorical device involving repeating words or phrases to emphasize a point.

Hyperbole

An exaggerated statement used for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally.

Logos

A rhetorical appeal to logic and reason, using facts and statistics to persuade the audience.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that compares two unlike things to illustrate a point.

Pathos

A rhetorical appeal to emotion, persuading the audience by appealing to their feelings.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things or abstract concepts to create vivid imagery.

Emotion

A rhetorical appeal aiming to evoke feelings like fear, anger, or happiness to influence an audience.

Ethos

A rhetorical appeal to the character or credibility of the speaker, convincing the audience of their trustworthiness.