Midterm ENGL103

exigence

The problem, topic, or situation that someone is trying to address or respond to in their communication

Audience

The intended AND unintended recipients of a communication

constraints

limits on the way a discourse is presented or communicated

rhetorical triangle

framework that helps you analize the different elements of a piece of a discourse and how they work together to communicate a message

Writer, reader purpose

The 3 elements of a framework that helps you analize the different elements of a piece of a discourse and how they work together to communicate a message

writer

the person delivering the communication

reader

the audience receiving the message

purpose

The goal or outcome that the writer is trying to accomplish with their communication

persona

An aspect of someone that is presented to someone else and/or perceived by others that is NOT the writer’s actual identity

example of personas

Charli XcX, Chappel roan

purpose

The goal or outcome that the writer is trying to accomplish with their communication

rhetorical situation

Any set of circumstances that involves at least one person using some sort of communication to modify the perspective of at least one other person or convey a message, either directly or indirectly

examples of rhetoric

wearing a shirt that has the word “senior” indirectly coneying a message about who you are

going to a protest and shouting “abolish ICE” is a direct message

exigence example

the meaning is responding to/exists because..

audience example

principal walks into our classroom, unintended audience, the students are the intended audience from the teacher giving the lesson

constraints example

word count, use of a certain language, the means by which it is communicated (email, text, in-person)

connotation

The feelings, images, assumptions, and biases that come with a word that may or may not be related to its dictionary definition

denotation

The basic meaning of a word that you would find in a dictionary (de- DEFINITION)

the connnotation of a word can be categorized in three categories

positive, neutral, negative

example of denotation

cold (low temperature)

example of connotation

pos-childlike neautral-youthful neg-childish

ethos

Used to assure the consumer of the quality, uniqueness, or value of the product

pathos

These are the easiest techniques to identify becausethey all rely on emotional appeal and emotional manipulation

logos

Techniques that use logic and reason to persuade the reader to buy a product

techniques in ethos

product comparison

magic ingredients

snob appeal

techniques in pathos

use of humor

transfer

color coding

techniques in logos

audience control

scarcity principle

bribery

product comparison

When the advertisement compares their product with a competitor who has a similar to product to build credibility with their audience that this new product is better

magic ingredients

When an advertiser builds credibility by showing that their product has something special or unique that makes it stand out from competitors

snob appeal

Advertisers make certain ads appear like they will bring the consumer into a elite or group that has high status (more credibility) if they buy the product or service

use of humor

Advertisers usually try to appeal to humor over every other emotion because funny ads tend to be more memorable and likely to be shared

transfer

When the advertiser uses images or words with explicitly POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CONNOTATION to make the consumer associate the product with a specific emotion.

color coding

use or emphasize specific colors to evoke target emotions

audience control

Uses the word “YOU” as a way to directly involve the audience with the product to make it logically useful and “obaintable” to the consumer

scarcity principle

When an advertisement says that its product is limited in quantity or availability (or that a limited discount will apply)

bribery

When the advertiser uses an additional offer or free item to BRIBE the consumer into wanting the product

advertising psychology

A branch of psychology that specifically studies how advertisements use psychology to market products effectively to consumers and audiences

neuromarketing

the use of brain patterns, behavior and eye-tracking to market ads even more effectively

four types of neuromarketing

facial recognition

limiting decision paralysis

fear of loss

rounded numbers for simplicity

facial recognition

ads with human faces on them are more memorable to the viewer because we focus on the face.

limiting decision paralysis

limited to two choices in the ad

fear of loss

marketers use the human FOMO and fear of loss to create urgency for consumers to buy a product

rounded numbers for simplicity

rounded, even numbers and products that guarntee simplicity rather than “complex” numbers or anything difficult

persuasion

techniques that focus on emotional responses rather than the facts about the product

4 types of persuasion advertisement

brand loyalty

values

celebrity/model appeal

bandwagon or anti-bandwagon approach

brand loyalty

creating an identity that the consumer has with the brand to get the consumer coming back or to feel part of an “in-group” by using the product

values

Convincing consumers that the product has more “value” beyond its use as a product.

example of values advertisement

eco-friendly, organic, vegan

celebrity/model appeal

persuasion based on the fantasy that using this product will make you like the target individual or have a chance to be with the individual.

bandwagon or anti-bandwagon approach

The idea that your should buy this product BECAUSE everyone is buying it OR buy this product because it will make you stand out from the crowd

cognitive dissonance

A technique that is part of both neuromarketing and persuasion that tells the consumer that they would be X if they owned the product

• often creates or highlights a conflict that only can be solved by the product

zeigarnik effect

The psychological phenomenon where people remember “unfinished” or “incomplete” things more than completed things

example zeigarnik effect

movie trailers

classial conditioning

When a company creates a brand persona for itself or for a specific product to associate certain ideas, feelings, or assumptions with it

types of classical conditioning

slogans, colors, mascots, connotation

example of classical conditioning

Nike - “just do it”

examples of limiting decision paralysis

gatorade commercial shows only two flavors or one flavor of gatorade

fallacies

common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument

you are more susceptible to fallacies:

the less intelligent and critical thinking you are.

slippery slope

a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C, …, will happen too.

example of slippery slope

If we ban Teslas, then they will come for Fords next and then after that every car type will be banned.

hasty generalization

a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all relevant facts.

example of hasty generalization

Even though I have only seen 30 seconds of this movie, I know I am not going to like it.

misinformation

Inaccurate information shafted without the intention to cause harm.

examples of misinformation

spreading a rumor, sharing an incorrect news article by mistakes, taking satire seriously

disinformation

False information deliberately created to harm a person, group, organization, or country.

examples of disinformation

propaganda, fabricated news stories, deepfakes

sweeping generalization

when you make an assumption about an entire group of people, practice, or other larger groups based on limited interaction with that group or bias. (Uses the word ALL or EVERY

example of sweeping generalization

I was disrespected at the McDonald’s drive-through, so I guess all fast food workers are bad.

bifurcation

oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or two choices when in fact many options exist.

example of bifurcation

You either vote Democrat or Republican, or your vote is worthless.

strawman

The distortion of someone else’s argument to make it easier to attack or refute. Instead of addressing the actual argument of the opponent, one may present a somewhat similar but not equal argument, or they may just create a false statement altogether that has no relation to the original argument.

example of strawman

Base argument: I think drug-based offenders should face less prison

time.

Fabricated argument: My opponent wants drug offenders to face less prison time because she thinks hard drugs should be legal!

moral equivalence

compares minor misdeeds with major ones OR with people who have committed immoral actions, suggesting that both are equally immoral even though one is far less than the other.

example of moral equivalence

You don’t want to help me cheat on my test because you basically hate me and want me to die.

alphabet soup

when a speaker overuses vocabulary, terminology, or acronyms that are exclusive to a topic to confuse audiences or make it seem like they know more about a subject than they do (gatekeeping as a fallacy)

example of alphabet soup

I have studied shot composition, film gradients, and lens flare timing, and your opinion on film does not really matter if you can’t identify those.

circular argument

when the speaker restates their own argument rather than presenting evidence or new facts to move the argument forward

example of circular argument

Kids are too young to use social media because they are still kids.

red herring

a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments or avoiding the main argument altogether rather than addressing the topic at hand.

example of red herring

The pollution from the factory may be dangerous for the environment, but what about all the jobs it is providing in this economy?

Yes, my campaign acknowledges that crime is bad, but we have a 10-point city improvement program that will focus on this and many other important problems in the city like road pavement, homelessness, and trash pickup.

appeal to authority

when an argument uses an authority figure, celebrity or a respected source as one of its only sources of support for an argument.

example of appeal to authority

sunkI think the tariffs are good because my economics teacher thinks they are good.

sunk cost

when someone justifies something in their argument because of the time, money, and effort that has already been put into it (gambling fallacy)

example of sunk cost

I did the recipe wrong but I won’t start over because I already have been cooking for 2 hours.

appeal to pity

someone improperly appeals to pity or similar feelings like empathy, as a method of persuading someone to agree with a conclusion

example of appeal to pity

Your honor, my client may have brutally murdered and tortured 7 people, but he had a very hard childhood.

ad hominem/name calling

when they majority of an argument simply consists of attacking, insulting, or belittling the person making the argument or people/group/beliefs related to the argument

example of ad hominem

Your argument about declining American values does not hold value because you weren’t even born here.

appeal to tradition

when an argument values or devalues something because it appeals the idea of “how things have always been” “used to” “always been” “back then” “the good old days”

example of appeal to tradition

We should not allow students to call teachers by their first names because teachers have always only gone by their last names.

othering

when an arguer creates an “in group” by saying that only people who belong to X group would understand the argument or position. (gender, language)

example of othering

Your criticism of the Mexican restaurant’s food is invalid because you are not Mexican.

moral superiority

The arguer creates two groups (the Righteous and the Wicked - one good, one bad). The arguer uses these groups to claim that the actions done to the Wicked are correct and justifiable because they are “bad” and the Righteous are “good.”

MOST dangerous fallacy

moral superiority

example of moral superiorty

The bombing campaign in Iran has already killed 150 children, but every person in the country is anti-America and casualties will happen.

Utopia

an ideal world where everything is perfect

dystopia

an imagined society with great corruption or suffering. Often ruled by a dictator or fascist government

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