Deck 16: Speaking to Persuade

Question 1

"Public school education is better than homeschooling" is a claim of

A) fact.
B) value.
C) conjecture.
D) policy.
E) inference.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which component of the Toulmin Model of Argument is indicated by words in a claim such as "likely," "possibly," or "probably"?

A) reservation
B) data
C) warrant
D) backing
E) qualifier

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Josh is giving a presentation to his employees about the new bonus program for those who meet the quarterly sales goal. His employees care very much about the program, but they are having difficulty making a decision about whether to support it because of some of its vague requirements. Which of the following persuasive strategies should Josh use to help his employees make a decision about supporting the program?

A) Build personal credibility with the audience.
B) Strengthen the audience's resistance to counterpersuasion.
C) Acknowledge their concerns and present new information to alleviate those concerns.
D) Give the audience a reason to care about the issue.
E) Provide the audience with information.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A song in the musical The Fantasticks includes a verse sung by two parents: "Why do the kids put beans in their ears? No one can hear with beans in their ears. After a while, the reason appears. They did it cause we said, 'No.'" Which theory explains this behavior?

A) Aristotle's Modes of Proof
B) Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion
C) Psychological Reactance Theory
D) Common Ground Theory
E) Persuasive Evidence Theory

Question 5

Miguel is planning a persuasive presentation on the importance of voting. He has discovered that his classmates agree with him. In order to strengthen their way of thinking, Miguel should use all of the following strategies except:

A) Excite the audience's emotions.
B) Serve as a personal role model.
C) Advocate a course of action.
D) Find common ground.
E) Present new information.

Question 6

Social psychologist William McGuire suggests that when an audience agrees with you about a persuasive issue, you should inoculate them by increasing their resistance to counterpersuasion. You can do this by

A) giving the audience more reasons to support the position you share with them.
B) making jokes that demonstrate the absurdity of the opposition's arguments.
C) building up audience resistance to counterpersuasion by showing them how to refute opposing arguments.
D) attacking the opposition's credibility.
E) coming up with clever, demeaning slogans to characterize the opposition.

Question 7

Which component of the Toulmin Model of Argument answers the following questions, "How did you get there?" and "What gives you the right to draw that conclusion?"

A) claim
B) evidence
C) warrant
D) reservation
E) qualifier

Question 8

An important first step when choosing persuasive strategies is to

A) decide whether to use ethos, pathos, or logos as proof.
B) classify audience attitudes.
C) find common ground.
D) choose persuasive arguments.
E) reject fallacies.

Question 9

__________ is a place where the speaker and the audience meet without disagreeing.

A) Context
B) Content
C) Novel evidence
D) Common ground
E) Psychological reactance

Question 10

Which of the following terms refers to a claim supported by evidence and reasoning for or against a claim?

A) reservation
B) argument
C) warrant
D) backing
E) qualifier

Question 11

"Free speech advocates and anti-pornography advocates would probably agree that pornography should not be available to children." This statement represents a speaker's thinking as he/she attempts to __________ for a persuasive presentation on modifying anti-pornography laws.

A) set a reasonable goal
B) find common ground
C) accept differences of opinion
D) only use evidence that supports her point of view
E) build personal credibility

Question 12

During her presentation about the harmful effects of fast food on the body, Susan details the stringent methodology used in an important study, along with providing the credentials of the study's authors. Which component of the Toulmin Model of Argument was she using?

A) data
B) warrant
C) qualifier
D) reservation
E) backing

Question 13

Which component of the Toulmin Model of Argument recognizes exceptions to the argument?

A) data
B) warrant
C) qualifier
D) reservation
E) backing

Question 14

Which of the following persuasive strategies is recommended for dealing with an audience that is unconcerned about the issue you are addressing?

A) Build your personal credibility with the audience.
B) Strengthen the audience's resistance to counterpersuasion.
C) Acknowledge both sides of the argument.
D) Give the audience a reason to care about the issue.
E) Provide the audience with general information.

Question 15

Whereas informative presentations tell audiences something by giving them information or explanations, persuasive presentations ask for something from audiences-their agreement or a change in their ______________.

A) attitudes or options
B) values or beliefs
C) opinions or behavior
C) options or beliefs
D) opinions or attitudes

Question 16

"There are 354 steps to reach the crown of the Statue of Liberty" is a claim of

A) fact.
B) value.
C) conjecture.
D) policy.
E) inference.

Question 17

When an audience strongly disagrees with you, you are more likely to persuade them if you

A) choose a modest and realistic goal for change.
B) try to change both their attitudes and behavior.
C) excite their emotions.
D) tell them why their reasoning is faulty or fallacious.
E) gain their attention and interest.

Question 18

Which of the following is an opinion and not a behavior?

A) Eat dinner with your family at least five times a week.
B) Stop drinking so much caffeine.
C) Try to walk at least 20 minutes a day, three times a week.
D) The best chocolate in the world is Belgian dark.
E) Take a trip to the Galapagos before it's too late!

Question 19

A good way to start building a persuasive argument is by listing all of the ____________ you could use-all of the reasons why an audience should agree with you.

A) facts
B) values
C) claims
D) policies
E) inferences

Question 20

Which component of the Toulmin Model of Argument answers the question, "How do you know that?"

A) claim
B) evidence
C) warrant
D) reservation
E) qualifier

Question 21

"I'm not a doctor but I play one on TV" is representative of which type of fallacy of argument?

A) attacking the person
B) appeal to authority
C) appeal to popularity
D) appeal to tradition
E) faulty cause

Question 22

Aristotle's term for emotional proof is

A) logos.
B) pathos.
C) ethos.
D) mythos.
E) telos.

Question 23

According to Aristotle, "a speaker's __________ may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses."

A) logos
B) pathos
C) ethos
D) mythos
E) telos

Question 24

A presentation on donating blood emphasizes that it does not hurt, takes very little time, and will not transmit diseases. What persuasive organizational pattern is being used in this presentation?

A) problem/cause/solution
B) better plan
C) overcoming objections
D) Monroe's Motivated Sequence
E) attitude alignment

Question 25

Which of the following terms best explains why we believe statements such as: "Confident speakers know what they are talking about"?

A) logistics
B) heuristics
C) favorability
D) disposition
E) values

Question 26

In Rhetoric, Aristotle identifies the following forms of proof:

A) data, warrant, and claim.
B) novel, dramatic, and believable evidence.
C) informative, persuasive, and inspiring.
D) inductive, deductive, and conductive.
E) logos, pathos, and ethos.

Question 27

What form of proof was this speaker relying upon when she said the following? "The number of working poor has increased 7% since 2007."

A) logical proof
B) personal proof
C) value proof
D) emotional proof
E) narrative proof

Question 28

A presentation on violence in schools discusses how widespread and serious violence has become, why violence in schools has increased, and what should be done about it. What persuasive organizational pattern is used in this presentation?

A) problem/cause/solution
B) better plan
C) overcoming objections
D) Monroe's Motivated Sequence
E) none of the above

Question 29

As they were discussing the new policy regarding sexual harassment in the workplace, Richard told Tim that he didn't know what he was talking about because he was single man who doesn't understand women. Which fallacy of argument could be attributed to Richard's comment?

A) attacking the person
B) appeal to authority
C) appeal to popularity
D) appeal to tradition
E) faulty cause

Question 30

Lady Liberty's invitation from Emma Lazarus's poem, "Give me your tired, your poor…" taps into which of the forms of proof?

A) logos
B) pathos
C) ethos
D) mythos
E) telos

Question 31

"States should prohibit teenagers from using indoor tanning salons unless they have their parents' permission" is a claim of

A) fact.
B) value.
C) conjecture.
D) policy.
E) inference.

Question 32

Commercials about protecting your family from harm, donating to worthy causes, and demonstrating your love for someone succeed because they understand the power of

A) logical proof.
B) personal proof.
C) value proof.
D) emotional proof.
E) narrative proof.

Question 33

Which component of Aristotle's forms of proof deals with speaker credibility?

A) ethos
B) pathos
C) logos
D) inductive
E) deductive

Question 34

"The amount of recycling in America will decrease in the next ten years" is a claim of

A) fact.
B) value.
C) conjecture.
D) policy.
E) inference.

Question 35

If you want to use fear appeals in a presentation, you should consider using any or all of the following strategies except:

A) Threaten their freedom to believe and behave as they wish.
B) Scare the heck out of listeners.
C) Discuss solutions as well as problems.
D) Emphasize the costs and harms of not taking any action.
E) Emphasize the benefits of taking action.

Question 36

Some of your colleagues have suggested that the company sponsor an annual picnic rather than a more formal annual dinner. John disagrees because, in his opinion, the last time the company sponsored a picnic, it was poorly planned and unsuccessful. Which fallacy of argument could be attributed to John's comment?

A) faulty cause
B) hasty generalization
C) appeal to popularity
D) appeal to tradition
E) appeal to authority

Question 37

Persuasive proof that addresses the values, faith, and feelings that make up our social character, and is most often expressed in traditional stories, sayings, and symbols, is known as

A) logos.
B) pathos.
C) ethos.
D) mythos.
E) telos.

Question 38

Which of the following terms refers to an error in thinking that has the potential to mislead or deceive others?

A) pathos
B) warrant
C) fallacy
D) validity
E) reliability

Question 39

Some of your colleagues have suggested that the company sponsor an annual picnic rather than a more formal annual dinner. John disagrees with the others because the company has held a formal dinner every year for more than ten years. Which fallacy of argument could be attributed to John's comment?

A) attacking the person
B) appeal to authority
C) appeal to popularity
D) appeal to tradition
E) faulty cause

Question 40

What fallacy is committed in this statement? "Barbara went outside during the blizzard without her hat or gloves. No wonder she now has a cold."

A) faulty cause
B) hasty generalization
C) appeal to popularity
D) appeal to tradition
E) appeal to authority

Question 41

Your personal credibility is a powerful tool in a persuasive presentation, particularly when the audience disagrees with you.

Question 42

Use the following persuasive strategies when audience members agree with you: excite audience emotions, provide a personal role model, and advocate a course of action.

Question 43

An audience that is undecided because its members are merely uninformed about a problem is one of the easiest audiences to persuade.

Question 44

Before choosing persuasive strategies for an indecisive audience, determine why they are indecisive.

Question 45

When audience members disagree with you, consider giving them an inoculation.

Question 46

As a first step in persuading others, your textbook recommends deciding whether your audience will recognize your persuasive claim as one of fact, value, conjecture, or policy.

Question 47

Persuasive presentations seek to change audience opinions (example: "vegetarian diets are good for your body and good for the planet") and audience behavior (example: "stop eating red meat").

Question 48

A persuasive presentation is not appropriate for an audience that already agrees with you.

Question 49

"Your family is more important than your job" can be classified as a persuasion goal that seeks to change behavior.

Question 50

If you want to change audience members' opinions or behaviors, you need to understand why they resist the change.

Question 51

Inoculation works best when audience members are involved in and care about an issue.

Question 52

It is nearly impossible to establish credibility with an audience that disagrees with you.

Question 53

As a first step in persuading others, your textbook recommends classifying audience attitudes in terms of whether they agree or disagree with you, or whether they are undecided.

Question 54

Psychological Reactance Theory explains why the "Just Say No" to drugs campaign was successful in reducing the number of teenagers experimenting with drugs.

Question 55

Use the following persuasive strategies when audience members disagree with you: build your personal credibility and set reasonable goals.

Question 56

Amanda is concerned about the lack of parking on her campus. She thinks the rise in enrollment is partly to blame and she has some ideas about how to handle the situation. What persuasive organization pattern would be the best fit for her presentation?

A) problem/cause/solution
B) better plan
C) overcoming objections
D) Monroe's Motivated Sequence
E) attitude alignment

Question 57

Finding common ground with an audience that disagrees with you requires identifying ideas and positions on which both you and your audience can agree.

Question 58

When using Monroe's Motivated Sequence to organize a persuasive presentation, use the following steps in the following order:

A) action step, attention step, visualization step, need step, satisfaction step
B) need step, attention step, visualization step, satisfaction step, action step
C) attention step, need step, satisfaction step, visualization step, action step
D) satisfaction step, need step, attention step, action step, visualization step
E) visualization step, attention step, need step, action step, satisfaction step

Question 59

Use the following persuasive strategies when audience members are adamantly undecided: acknowledge the legitimacy of different viewpoints and provide new information.

Question 60

Psychological Reactance Theory explains that when you perceive a threat to your freedom to believe or behave as you wish, you may go out of your way to do the forbidden behavior or rebel against the prohibiting authority.

Question 61

Logos is a form of proof that uses traditional stories, sayings, and symbols to persuade.

Question 62

"Confident speakers know what they're talking about" and "the quality of an item directly correlates with its price" are examples of heuristic arguments.

Question 63

In Toulmin's Model of Argument, a reservation indicates that, under certain circumstances, the claim might not be warranted or true.

Question 64

A fallacy is an error in thinking that has the potential to mislead or deceive others.

Question 65

Warrant answers the question: "What gives you the right to draw that conclusion?"

Question 66

Heuristics are true statements believed by most people.

Question 67

In Toulmin's Model of Argument, the claim, evidence, and warrant make up the three primary and essential elements or an argument.

Question 68

"Enrollment at our college has increased more than 10 percent in the last two years" is a claim of policy.

Question 69

Mythos is best expressed through stories, sayings, and symbols.

Question 70

Ethos is proof that relies on the audience's perceptions of a speaker's credibility.

Question 71

Television commercials use pathos to sell products.

Question 72

According to Brehm's Psychological Reactance Theory, you can reduce the likelihood of a reactance response by avoiding strong, direct commands such as "don't," "stop," and "you must."

Question 73

"Private health insurance offers much better care than does public health insurance" is a claim of value.

Question 74

Evidence answers the question: "What is the argument trying to prove?"

Question 75

In Toulmin's Model of Argument, you should not include a qualifier if there is a reservation.

Question 76

In Rhetoric, Aristotle identifies four major types of proof: logos, pathos, ethos, and mythos.

Question 77

Without the support of good evidence, your audience may be reluctant to accept your claims.

Question 78

In Rhetoric, Aristotle claims that the speaker's personal character may be the most effective means of persuasion the speaker has.

Question 79

In Toulmin's Model of Argument, backing provides support for the argument's warrant.

Question 80

Mythos can connect your message with your audience's social and cultural identity, and give them a reason to listen carefully to your ideas.