Deck 1: The Study of Persuasion

Question 1

What are the three reasons to study persuasion as outlined in Chapter 1?

A) Requirements, problems, and strategy
B) Practice, analysis, and understanding
C) Utilitarianism, universalism, and dialogic
D) Communication, influence, and judgments

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A noted "sophist" in ancient Greece was:

A) Plato
B) Gorgias
C) Socrates
D) Aristotle

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Persuasion is defined as:

A) Systematic, organized, and sustained rhetoric aimed to win over the masses
B) Pressure to conform to the authority of power
C) Communication between two people when each treats the other as an object to manipulate
D) Human communication designed to influence the judgments and actions of others

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In the area of ethics in persuasion, weighing the ends against the means or the means against the ends is known as:

A) Utilitarianism
B) Situationalism
C) Universalism
D) Dialogic ethics

Question 5

An experiment has been prepared to determine whether or not young men are more likely to shop at a discount clothing store. Which of the following methods of studying persuasion does this situation more closely follow?

A) Rhetorical criticism
B) Social-scientific approach
C) Philosopher's approach
D) None of the above

Question 6

Which of these examples is indicative of dialogic ethics?

A) Oversimplify content so that everyone will understand message
B) Win at all costs
C) Always pretend to be an expert so that people will believe you
D) Appeal to the best motives in people, not their worst motives

Question 7

Which of the following does your text list as one of the three vital functions of persuasion?

A) Persuasion adds to our understanding about human psychology and the individual's place in society
B) Persuasion answers our questions about the human condition
C) Persuasion can help the market sell more of its products
D) Persuasion helps people who lack information to back up their story

Question 8

The main philosophical point utilitarianism makes is:

A) We must always act so that the principle of our actions is capable of being universalized
B) We must act to promote as much good as possible for the greatest number
C) Moral virtue is the appropriate location between two extremes
D) Utilitarianism is not a philosophical theory

Question 9

Which is not a common element that constitutes the defining characteristics of persuasion?

A) Human communication
B) Attempted influence
C) Modifying judgments
D) Manipulating statements

Question 10

Who said that power is the greatest good?

A) Socrates
B) Gorgias
C) Polus
D) Plato

Question 11

You'd like to sell your car and you place an ad in the local newspaper. Three people respond to your ad and you make an appointment with each to show up at roughly the same time. You want all three to show up at the same time to persuade them that your car is a hot item. This is referred to as:

A) Stacked competition
B) Group persuasion
C) False advertising
D) None of the above

Question 12

Universalist ethics may be derived from:

A) Law
B) Tradition
C) Religion
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 13

You are trying to sell a car that was in a bad accident a few years back. Everything has been fully replaced and repaired and the car is in good shape. You are trying to decide whether or not you should tell prospective buyers about the car's past. According to your text, this is an ethical question most likely answered by:

A) Situationalism
B) Dialogic ethics
C) Universalism
D) Utilitarianism

Question 14

In the dilemma-centered framework for rhetorical criticism referred to as the RPS approach, which of the following was not included?

A) Requirements
B) Strategies
C) Predictions
D) Problems

Question 15

Which one of the following is NOT one of the parts of studying persuasion?

A) Practice
B) Understanding
C) Reading
D) Analysis

Question 16

What is persuasion?

A) Human communication designed to influence the judgments and actions of others
B) Convincing someone artfully to do what you want
C) Communicating with a person about how you'd like them to engage a certain action
D) None of the above

Question 17

Which of the following does your text list as part of understanding persuasion?

A) It only happens in a certain time frame
B) It requires giving advice on what you want done
C) It is a never-ending cycle
D) None of the above

Question 18

Persuasion involves three parts: practice, understanding, and:

A) Rhetoric
B) Belief
C) Criticism
D) Analysis

Question 19

Social scientists use all of the following to further their study of persuasion except:

A) The RPS approach
B) Quantitative analysis
C) Focus Groups
D) Polls

Question 20

Propaganda:

A) Represents the works of large organizations or groups to win over the public
B) Aims to convert large groups of people
C) Is systematic, sustained, organized, and one-sided
D) Is synonymous with "persuasion"

Question 21

Jon Stewart's interview with ______ about the financial meltdown provided the case study to open Chapter 1:

A) Jeremy Bentham
B) Jim Cramer
C) Frank Luntz
D) Frank Rich

Question 22

Who did Jon Stewart interview and critique for what he saw as unethical persuasion?

A) Kenneth Burke
B) John Locke
C) Jim Cramer
D) Jeremy Bentham

Question 23

In your text, persuasion is ultimately defined as:

A) Putting rhetorical power and effectiveness above truth and justice
B) Seeking to examine how symbols are used to shape the audience
C) Human communication designed to influence the judgments and actions of others
D) Akin to propaganda

Question 24

Propaganda can be best explained as:

A) Organized
B) Planned
C) One-sided
D) All of the above

Question 25

Why do we study persuasion?

A) For practice
B) For understanding
C) For analysis
D) All of the above

Question 26

What are the two methods of studying persuasion?

A) Rhetorical criticism and social-scientific approach
B) Writing and research
C) Observation and exposition
D) Experimentation and behaviorism

Question 27

Plato's primary vehicle for passing views was:

A) Socratic dialogue
B) Idiotic dialogue
C) Rhetorical dialogue
D) Mandarin dialogue

Question 28

Which of the following is a method of studying persuasion?

A) Rhetorical criticism
B) Experientialism
C) Platonic method
D) both A and C

Question 29

Who of the following defended rhetoric by suggesting that it was an instrument for giving effectiveness to truth?

A) Socrates
B) Plato
C) Aristotle
D) All of the above

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT listed in the text as a reason to study rhetoric?

A) Practice
B) Propaganda
C) Analysis
D) Understanding

Question 31

What option below best exemplifies utilitarianism?

A) Assumes some practices to be virtuous and others objectionable
B) Promotes the greatest good for the greatest number
C) Assumes that communication between two persons is facilitated when each treats the other as "thou," a person, rather than "it," an object to manipulate
D) Enjoins us to pay particular attention to the special circumstances of a matter

Question 32

What do rhetorical critics do?

A) Write a speech
B) Edit a speech
C) Attempt to figure out why a particular speech had the effect it did
D) All of the above

Question 33

Which of these are defining characteristics of persuasion?

A) Attempted influence
B) Human communication
C) Modifying judgments
D) All of the above

Question 34

Propaganda must have what element(s)?

A) Contain pictures
B) Be systematic and one-sided
C) Contain opposing views
D) Be in support of a president or dictator

Question 35

Dialogic ethics states that communication between two people is facilitated when people do what?

A) Treat each other like a "thou"
B) Treat each other sometimes with a bit of manipulation
C) Engage in dialogue often
D) Both A and B

Question 36

The question, "What made the Gettysburg Address so memorable?" would be best answered by using:

A) The social-scientific approach
B) Rhetorical criticism
C) Sophistic rhetoric
D) Fallacy analysis

Question 37

"Act to promote as much good as possible" is which type of ethical persuasion?

A) Universalism
B) Dialogic ethics
C) Utilitarianism
D) Situationalism

Question 38

"Sham arguments" are also known as;

A) Fallacies
B) Propaganda
C) Requirements-Problems-Strategies
D) Behavioral approach

Question 39

A "statistical technique" used to compare studies of the same or similar variables and to reconcile apparent inconsistencies is known as:

A) Synthesis
B) Meta-analysis
C) Paradigm cases
D) Persuasion

Question 40

A noted Sophist in ancient Greece was Aristotle.

Question 41

In the area of ethics in persuasion, weighing the ends against the means or the means against the ends is known as "universalism."

Question 42

In the dilemma-centered framework for rhetorical criticism referred to as the RPS approach, "P" stands for "predictions".

Question 43

Propaganda is defined as being systematic, sustained, organized, and one-sided.

Question 44

The two methods of studying persuasion are experimentation and behaviorism.

Question 45

Dialogic ethics states that communication between two people is facilitated when people treat each other like a "thou."

Question 46

The two methods of studying persuasion are rhetorical criticism and the social-scientific approach.

Question 47

Aristotle defined rhetoric by suggesting that it was an instrument for giving effectiveness to truth.

Question 48

Your text defines persuasion as "Systematic, organized, and sustained rhetoric aimed to win over the masses."

Question 49

Universalist ethics may be derived from law, tradition, and religion.

Question 50

Define and describe the RPS format and how it is used to analyze instances of persuasion.

Question 51

Describe the differences between the social-scientific approach to studying persuasion and the rhetorical criticism approach.

Question 52

Explain Plato's objections to rhetoric, and then explain Aristotle's defense.

Question 53

Define "propaganda." How does it differ, if at all, from other forms of "persuasion"?

Question 54

What is the "not me" phenomenon and in what ways might it be connected to your life?

Question 55

Select an instance from your life where you've had to make an ethical decision concerning persuasion. Analyze that instance through the lens of the four ethical perspectives presented in the textbook.