Chapter 16: Methods Of Persuasion

Front 1

Initial Credibility

Back 1

the credibility of a speaker before he or she speaks

Front 2

Terminal Credibility

Back 2

the credibility of a speaker at the end of the speech

Front 3

Four basic methods of reasoning and how to use them

Back 3

1) Reasoning from specific instances- progress from a number of facts-conclusion
2) Reasoning from principle- general principle to specific conclusion
3) Casual Reasoning- establish the relationship between cause and effect
4) Analogical Reasoning- a speaker compares two similar cases and infers that what is true for the first cause is true for the second

Front 4

Derived Credibility

Back 4

the credibility of a speaker produced by everything she or he says and does during the speech

Front 5

Tips for using evidence (4)

Back 5

1) Use specific evidence
2) Use novel evidence
3) Use from credible sources
4) Make clear the point of your evidence

Front 6

Fallacies of reasoning (5)

Back 6

1) Red-Herring
2) Ad Hominem
3) Either-or
4) Bandwagon
5) Slippery Slope

Front 7

Red-Herring

Back 7

introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion

Topic A is under discussion.
Topic B is introduced under the guise of being relevant to topic A (when topic B is actually not relevant to topic A).
Topic A is abandoned.

Front 8

Ad Hominem

Back 8

attacks the person rather than dealing with the issue

Front 9

Either-or

Back 9

forces listeners to choose between 2 alternatives when more than two alternatives exist

Front 10

Bandwagon

Back 10

assumes that because something is popular, it is good, correct, or desirable

Person P is pressured by his/her peers or threatened with rejection.
Therefore person P's claim X is false.

Front 11

Slippery Slope

Back 11

assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented

Event X has occurred (or will or might occur).
Therefore event Y will inevitably happen.