
Read Ch 5 ; prepare for Quiz

Research your Topic & complete your
Preparation Outline.
Include: Bibliography, Specific Purpose
Statement, and Central Idea (Thesis
Statement).

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Persuasion is the process of creating, reinforcing or changing people's beliefs or actions.
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You are advocating a cause or belief.
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There is a mental give-and-take
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Mental dialogue
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Your goal is to leave nothing to chance in overcoming your audiences objections.

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The part of the audience you want to persuade.
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Those opposed to or neutral toward your position (see figure 14.1)

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Persuasion speeches are partisan – meaning you act as an advocate FOR a belief or action.
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A persuasive speech on question of fact is trying to prove the truth or falsity of an assertion.
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It is usually organized topically.
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You are to present the REASONS WHY someone should agree (p. 196).

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Value judgments: right or wrong, good or bad, moral or immoral, proper or improper, fair or unfair.
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You must justify your claim.
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First, identify your standards.
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Second, identify how your main points measure up to these standards (p. 198).
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Beyond right or wrong is a question of policy – whether something should be done or not.

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Gain Passive Agreement – convince the audience that the policy is desirable, without taking action.
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Gain Immediate Action – goes beyond passive to motivate the audience to act.
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Action reinforces belief.
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Tell the audience exactly what to do and how to do it.

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Problem-Solution Order
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First, show the extend of the problem.
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Second, explain how to solve the problem.
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The speech can be for or against a question of policy.
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See p. 200 and Video 14.1


Problem-Cause-Solution Order
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First, identify the problem.
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Second, analyze the cause of the problem.
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Third, present a solution to the problem.

See p. 202.

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Comparative Advantages Order:

Assume your audience already agrees the problem exists.

Identify the advantages and disadvantages of competing solutions.
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Each point explains why your solution is preferred over other proposed solutions.

See p. 202.

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Motivated Sequence:

Seeks immediate action!

Five Steps:
1. Attention
2. Need
3. Satisfaction
(provide a solution)
4. Visualization (benefits)
5. Action (a call for action)

See p. 203 and video 14.2


Page 220 #1 – Discuss with your partner whether the specific purposes of each speech are concerns a questions of fact, a question of value, or a question of policy. How did you re-write it for each?

Page 220 #2 – In groups, take turns reading your topic for a persuasive speech on a question of policy. Then take turns reading your specific purpose statements to gain passive agreement and to motivate immediate action.

Ethos = from the Greek root “ethikos” meaning “moral character”
Credibility is effected by:
1) Competence – intelligence, expertise
2) Character – sincerity, trustworthiness
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Question: Are you qualified?
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Explain why you are competence – experiences, research, etc.
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Establish Common Ground – How is your speech in common with their beliefs?
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Show enthusiasm and conviction
(Truman p. 207)

Logos = from the Greek root meaning “reason”
Using Evidence – supporting materials
1) Facts
2) New (novel) evidence – be current
3) Credible sources – unbiased and nonpartisan
4) Use reasoning – drawing a conclusion based on the evidence

Question: Why should I believe you?
Next up - Reasoning from Specific Instances – moving from the facts to a conclusion (p. 210)

1) Avoid hasty generalizing:
– Make sure examples are fair, unbiased and representative
– Reinforce with statistics or testimony
– Reasoning from Principle - general to specific conclusion (p. 211)
2)False cause: Causal Reasoning – cause and effect
Avoid: “post hoc, ergo propter hoc” = the fact that one event happens after another does not mean that the first is the cause of the second (black crow)
Don't assume there is only one cause (the economy)

Analogical Reasoning – compares two similar cases and infers what is true of the first case is also true of the second. Used in judging court cases.
3)Invalid Analogies:
Skills for playing ping pong and tennis – valid analogy
British and American politics – not valid
4)Red Herring – introduces an irrelevant issue in order to divert attention from the subject (p. 214)
5)Ad Hominem - “against the man” - attacking the person rather than the issue – called
“mud slinging” in political debates.
6)Bandwagon – assumes something is good or correct because it is popular.
7)Slippery Slope – assumes first step will lead to other steps.

Pathos involves appealing to the emotions and is very effective in persuasive speeches
Examples: fear, compassion, pride, anger, and reverence
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Use emotional language
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Develop vivid examples
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Speak with conviction, sincerity, and passion!
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Use it appropriately and ethically – always tell the truth!
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Build on facts and logic, but also include pathos (see Video
14.4)

When: June 1
Persuasive speech: on a question of Policy
4 minutes long
Extemporaneous delivery from speaking outline:
Final Speaking Outline should be turned in to me before the speech (make 2 copies)
Evaluated similarly to your Informative speech

• Your final speech should be on “Questions of
Policy” (see teacher for exceptions)
• Decide if you will try to gain passive agreement or immediate action (p. 199-200)
• Choose which method you will use from page
200-203 to organize your speech.
• Type a Preparation Outline (see p. 122) be sure to include your transitions and main points. You must have at least three sources
(five is preferred).

Your preparation outline for your final speech must be
Printed by computer, in outline format
State the order of main points you selected
State the goal of the speech: gain passive agreement, or motivate immediate action
State the specific purpose and central idea
See examples on pp. 200-205
Provide at least 3 bibliography references in APA format – these must be used in your speech
No plagiarism! I will be checking for this!