CA100 Final Exam: UW Madison

Three kinds of persuasive speeches

Question of Policy, Question of Fact, Question of Value

Question of Policy: Direct Action

Goal is to convince the audience to take action in support of a given policy.

Question of Policy: Passive Agreement

Goal is to convince the audience that a given policy is desirable without encouraging the audience to take action in support of the policy.

Methods of Persuasive Speech Organization

Problem/Solution, Problem/Cause/Solution, Comparative advantages, Monroe’s motivated sequence

Credibility/Ethos (3 types+definitions)

Initial Credibility: Credibility of speaker before they even speak.

Derived Credibility: Credibility established by what speaker says and does during speech

Terminal Credibility: Credibility of speaker at end of speech

Reasoning/Logos (4 types+definition)

Reasoning from specific instances: Multiple smaller instances to arrive at a larger claim.

Reasoning from principle: Use a larger claim to create a smaller claim.

Causal reasoning: Cause for something based on evidence.

Analogical reasoning: Speaker compares two similar cases and infers that what is true for the first case is also true for the second.

Logical Fallacies

Hasty Generalization, False Cause, Invalid Analogy, Bandwagon, Red Herring, Ad Hominem, Either-Or, Slippery-Slope, Appeal to Tradition, Appeal to Novelty

Hasty Generalization

Speaker jumps to a general conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence.

False cause

Speaker mistakenly assumes that because one event follows another, the first event is the cause of the second. (Correlation does not equal causation)

Invalid analogy

Analogy in which the two cases being compared are not essentially alike.  

Bandwagon

 Assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable.

Red herring

Introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion.

Ad Hominem

Attacking person rather than dealing with the real issue in the argument.

Either-Or

Forces listeners to choose between two alternatives when more than two alternatives exist.

Slippery-Slope

Assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented.

Appeal to tradition

Assumes that something old is automatically better than something new. 

Appeal to novelty

Assumes that something new is automatically better than something old.

Egocentrism

Audience cares about their own beliefs and well-being (everyone is ego-centric)

Audience Centeredness

Trying to get a specific response from your audience, make them agree with you. 

Situational audience analysis (3 Factors)

Size of your audience, Setting, Disposition

Disposition

Try to figure out where your audience stands on your topic (audiences interests, their current beliefs and values, how much does your audience know about the topic)

Types of supporting materials

Statistics, Testimony, Examples

Statistics

Mean, Median, Mode

Testimony (2 Types)

Expert Testimony, Peer Testimony

Examples (3 Types)

Brief examples, Extended examples, Hypothetical examples

Denotative Meaning

 The literal or dictionary meaning of a word or phrase.

Connotative Meaning

The meaning suggested by the associations or emotions triggered by a word or phrase.

Rhythm (4 Methods)

Alliteration, Repetition, Parallelism, Antithesis

Imagery (4 Methods)

Metaphor, Simile, Concrete words, Abstract words

What is a commemorative speech?

Commemorative speeches are speeches of praise or celebration. Aim is to pay tribute to a person, a group of people, an institution, or an idea. It should inspire the audience. Its success will depend on how well you put into language the thoughts and feelings appropriate to the occasion.