Deck 10: Persuading Your Audience

Question 1

Several pro-choice advocates want to address an anti-abortion rally and convince the crowd of their viewpoint. They should understand that generally, people

A) change in small increments over a long period of time.
B) almost never change attitudes or beliefs no matter what.
C) are more easily persuaded on major issues than minor ones.
D) often reverse their opinion on the spot if the speaker is good enough.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In which situation is a "negative persuasion" effect occurring?

A) when a speaker moves the audience in the opposite direction of what was intended
B) when an audience perceives a speaker as overly pessimistic and gloomy
C) when a speaker stirs listeners to accept a harmful or hateful viewpoint
D) when a hostile audience is swayed by an unusually charismatic speaker

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The governor opposes the installation of wind turbines as a new energy source in his state because "we have never done anything like this before." What is he using to make his point?

A) testimonial
B) transfer
C) anecdotal evidence
D) appeal to tradition

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The audience values tradition, is resistant to new ideas, and demands many expert opinions plus sources for information and guidance before they will consider your argument. They likely come from

A) low-ambiguity-tolerance cultures.
B) high-ambiguity-tolerance cultures.
C) low-power-distance cultures.
D) high-power-distance cultures.

Question 5

Questions of policy almost invariably involve

A) short-term orientations.
B) questions of value.
C) long-term orientations.
D) questions of fact.

Question 6

In the world of public speaking, competence refers to

A) the amount of factual information you have gathered about a subject.
B) the interest you have in a subject.
C) the ability you actually demonstrate in discussing a subject.
D) the knowledge and expertise the audience thinks you have about a subject.

Question 7

A lecturer is concerned that the people attending her upcoming presentation will have very different opinions from hers. What can she use to persuade a group like this?

A) selective exposure
B) contradictory signs
C) negative social proof
D) anecdotal evidence

Question 8

These four statements are made by candidates for the U.S. Senate. Which one attempts to use a "thin entering wedge" to convince the voters?

A) "Economic experts agree that the growing national debt will be the ruin of this country."
B) "Banning assault weapons today will create a police state of unarmed citizens tomorrow."
C) "Illegal immigrants take jobs away from American citizens. I know, I've seen a few do it."
D) "Jobs, jobs, jobs! They're the only answer to America's future."

Question 9

As a general rule of persuasive speaking, never ask the audience to

A) make only small changes in their thinking.
B) imagine the situation or circumstances of someone else.
C) do what you have not done yourself.
D) reconsider long-held values.

Question 10

If your audience has many members from collectivist cultures, you would do well to incorporate themes such as

A) independence and nonconformity.
B) family and loyalty.
C) uniqueness and directness.
D) competence and achievement.

Question 11

A theater buff is doing a persuasive speech based on questions of fact, arguing that Shakespeare had a ghost writer. She will want to emphasize

A) emotional appeals.
B) personal interest.
C) uncertainty avoidance.
D) logical proof.

Question 12

A lecture by a powerful but controversial political blogger appeals to fear and paranoia to promote his views. Listeners should remember that these types of emotional appeals

A) represent what the speaker truly believes.
B) make the speaker seem credible.
C) can relate to either high or low motives.
D) constitute proof.

Question 13

The female employee quotes a city alderman and then says, "It's no wonder he's against free daycare for city workers. He's a man." Which kind of fallacious strategy is she using?

A) personal interest
B) character attack
C) agenda-setting
D) name-calling

Question 14

The need for food, water, and air is satisfied for most U.S. college students, so referring to these _____ from Maslow's hierarchy will probably not motivate classmates.

A) belonging needs
B) safety needs
C) psychological needs
D) physiological needs

Question 15

He is exploring the subject with questions of

A) culture.
B) fact.
C) value.
D) policy.

Question 16

A presidential campaign manager tapes a pep talk telling volunteer workers they are "the best, the brightest, the most brilliant strategists I have ever seen," knowing that assigning these traits will get them to act accordingly. What is he doing?

A) agenda-setting
B) positive labeling
C) name-calling
D) low-context speaking

Question 17

What is the most effective way to persuade an audience, to encourage them to remain convinced over time and resist counterarguments in the future?

A) with psychological proof
B) with logical proof
C) with credibility proof
D) with emotional proof

Question 18

Speakers are often advised to appeal to the attitudes of listeners if they want to convince them. They need to understand that an attitude is

A) a judgment or feeling about what is good or bad.
B) an overt and observable action.
C) a conviction in the existence of something.
D) a tendency to behave in a certain way.

Question 19

A speaker argues that A results from B, and since A is undesirable, B should be eliminated. This speaker is reasoning from
A) cause and effect.

A) fallacy.
B) sign.
C) analogy.

Question 20

A campus leader wants to persuade other students to jump in and participate in service projects in the community one Saturday a month. What is her persuasive goal?

A) to change values
B) to motivate to action
C) to strengthen beliefs
D) to weaken attitudes

Question 21

In reasoning from causes and effects, you have two choices: you may reason from cause to effect (from observed cause to unobserved effect) or from effect to cause (from observed effect to unobserved cause).

Question 22

What are questions of fact, and how are they used in persuasive speeches? Describe how you would develop the main points, organize the information, and lend support while working on a persuasive speech based on questions of fact.

Question 23

What is unique about questions of policy? Explain how they are different from questions of value.

Question 24

_____, speakers argue for what they consider good or bad, moral or immoral, just or unjust.

Question 25

When listening to seemingly logical arguments, or when shaping your own logical proof, beware of _____, those arguments that appear to address issues but really don't.

Question 26

A head waiter has noticed poor customer service lately, so he plans a training session to make the case for stricter employee regulations and standards. This could be considered a speech with questions of demonstration.

Question 27

If you're persuading listeners that one policy will be more effective than another, then a(n) _____ organization pattern will probably work best.

Question 28

The three types of questions that help shape and construct persuasive speeches are questions of _____.

Question 29

Research indicates that even when audiences give a "yes response" on a small scale, they are not likely to agree with the speaker's larger arguments or comply with larger requests.

Question 30

Like speeches on questions of fact, speeches on questions of value often fit the best in topical organization.

Question 31

Name the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, from bottom to top. For each, give a specific example of how a speaker could motivate an audience by appealing to it.

Question 32

A child psychologist speaking at a PTA meeting stresses fairness and accuracy, interest in the audience and their family's welfare, and concern for enduring values and lasting truths. These qualities are indicative of _____.

Question 33

Freedom to do what you please and ability to have leisure time are two elements that define happiness, a major concern at the center of restrained cultures.

Question 34

What is important to know about the use of fallacies of reasoning to support persuasive arguments? Identify and briefly define three fallacies.

Question 35

Audience influence occurs on a persuasion continuum, and it takes a significant amount of movement in the direction intended by the speaker for persuasion to be considered successful.

Question 36

What makes a speaker credible, and how the three aspects of credibility are defined, will vary from one culture to another.

Question 37

What are the three traits that contribute to credibility? Briefly define each. Then list at least one way that speakers can demonstrate each of these traits.

Question 38

Japan, Venezuela, Ireland, Mexico, Britain, and Germany are stereotypically "_____" cultures that value success and strength.

Question 39

List the five steps of the motivated sequence, in the proper order. Overall, how is this organizational strategy best used in persuasive speaking?

Question 40

Some questions of fact are easily answered, but questions of fact in persuasive speeches are different - they do have answers, but the answers are not easy to find, and in fact may never be found.