Notes on Persuasive Speaking and Strategy

Definition: Osborn and Osborn ( $1997$ ) define persuasion as "the art of convincing others to give favorable attention to our point of view."
Core Mechanics: Persuasion is a planned, artful process that uses reasoned arguments to influence or reinforce beliefs, attitudes, values, or acts.
Functions:
- Speeches to Convince: Goal is to establish agreement about a topic or reinforce a particular belief.
- Speeches to Actuate: Designed to motivate specific behaviors or actions (e.g., purchasing a product like a $20$ "Spoonatula").

Propositions of Fact: Argue whether something is true or false. Focus on existence, causality, or predictions (e.g., the cause of the $8.3\text{ billion}$ USPS budget shortfall or the existence of racial profiling).
Propositions of Value: Judge the worth, morality, or desirability of something. Requires establishing specific evaluation criteria (e.g., the "sanctity of life" vs. "quality of life" in the Terri Schiavo case).
Propositions of Policy: Advocate for a course of action. Usually addresses the status quo, identifies a significant problem, and proposes a solution with more benefits than costs.

Receptive Audiences: Support the speaker's view. Strategy: use identification to highlight shared values and provide clear steps for immediate action.
Neutral Audiences: Apathetic or uninformed. Strategy: foster interest by relating the topic to their lives or loved ones; provide informative resources.
Hostile Audiences: Opposed to the proposition. Strategy: wait to present the main goal, focus on areas of agreement first, and acknowledge their reservations with respect.

Ethos (Credibility): Reflects the audience’s perception of the speaker’s moral character and concern for their well-being. Built through appearance, confidence, and ethics.
Logos (Logic): The use of reasoned arguments. The Toulmin Model identifies three core elements: claim (assertion), data (evidence), and warrant (connection between the two).
Pathos (Emotion): Taps into audience sympathies or fears. Enhanced by verbal stories (e.g., Nancy Brinker discussing Susan G. Komen), nonverbal cues (e.g., Trey Gowdy's tone), and visual imagery (e.g., Montana Meth Project billboards).

Inductive Reasoning: Moving from specific instances to a general conclusion.
Deductive Reasoning: Moving from a general premise to a specific conclusion via a syllogism.
Causal Reasoning: Establishing a cause-effect relationship between events.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: Includes five steps: Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, and Action appeal.
Direct Method: Lists reasons that directly support the central claim; best for neutral or mildly apathetic audiences.
Causal Pattern: Explains the relationship between a cause and its specific effect.
Refutation Pattern: Used for hostile audiences to address their opposition directly through four steps: signal, state, justify, and summarize.

Review Question 1: Think of an instance in which you knew you were being persuaded. What were you being persuaded to do? Was the persuader focused on changing your beliefs, attitudes, values, or actions?
Review Question 2: Draft a purposeful statement to convince and one to actuate on a chosen topic.
Review Question 3: Draft a proposition of fact, value, and policy for topics such as shortening class time, pro-anorexia images, or airline fees.
Review Question 4: How would you build ethos and use logical/emotional appeals to convince administrators to increase alumni support for a school?
Review Question 5 (Fallacy Identification):
- a: "If those actions were not illegal, they would not be prohibited by law." (Answer: begging the question).
- b: "Blue socks are lucky… we can't lose!" (Answer: causal fallacy).
- c: "No one else voiced concern, so he must be the only one." (Answer: bandwagon fallacy).
- d: "…she will probably be late because she never helps…" (Answer: poisoning the well).
Review Question 6: Which organizational pattern best fits the topic of retirement planning in your twenties? (Suggested Answer: Monroe's Motivated Sequence due to the clear call to action).