Persuasive Techniques

Front 1

Alliteration

Back 1

Gains attention, adds emphasis; often in headlines.
Draws attention to key words.
Not persuasive on its own but can be when used with other techniques such as puns.

Hint 1

Repetition of a consonant, especially at the start of words

Front 2

Anecdote

Back 2

Positions reader to respond emotionally, e.g. with fear or pleasure.
'Rings true' so positions readers to take notice and accept information.

Hint 2

Short account or story, often entertaining; gives a human angle that engages the reader; can convey information.

Front 3

Appeal to Authority

Back 3

Reassures the reader that the writer's viewpoint is shared by someone with expert knowledge.
Influences the reader to respond positively and agree.

Hint 3

Uses the opinion of an expert or authority figure to impress audience or to prove a point.

Front 4

Appeal to Common Sense

Back 4

Pressures the reader to agree by implying that anyone who disagrees lacks practical intelligence and cannot see what is self-evident.

Hint 4

Common sense is practical and everyday knowledge that is accepted as obvious and therefore 'true'.

Front 5

Appeal to Family Values

Back 5

Leads the reader to view traditional nuclear families as the most desirable kinds of families.
Can position the reader to blame destructive or antisocial behaviour on separated or single-parent families.

Hint 5

Suggests that traditional family life provides the essential values for a healthy, stable society. Usually takes the nuclear family for granted.

Front 6

Appeal to Fear and Insecurity

Back 6

Pressures the reader to feel that solutions are needed urgently so they should agree with the proposals.
Also persuades the reader to believe that the writer has their best interests at heart by wanting to protect them.

Hint 6

Suggests that people's safety, security or freedom are at risk; often exaggerates a situation to present a 'worst-case-scenario'.

Front 7

Appeal to the Hip-Pocket Nerve

Back 7

Incites strong emotions, e.g. anger at being overcharged or because money is being misused.
Positions the reader to reject the view of those who want to raise prices, fees, etc.

Hint 7

Threatens our financial well-being because we fear or believe that we are being overcharged or 'ripped off'.

Front 8

Appeal to Tradition and Customs

Back 8

Encourages the reader to resist change, and to feel that links with the past should be retained.
Can position readers to view 'modern' lifestyles as interior and damaging the social fabric.

Hint 8

Appeals to a sense of security based on the belief that rituals and traditions are valuable and should be preserved.

Front 9

Appeal to Loyalty and Patriotism

Back 9

Positions the reader to agree with (and possibly take part in) actions that will benefit the nation or the group.
Can arouse feelings of anger or fear that position people to take action to support and cause or group

Hint 9

Assumes a commitment to our group, a love of our country that old ways of doing things should be highly values.

Front 10

Appeal to Sense of Justice

Back 10

Positions the reader to agree that 'the punishment should fit the crime'.
Arouses feelings of anger when somebody is punished too harshly or a criminal 'gets off' lightly.

Hint 10

Plays on our belief that we all have the right to be treated fairly and we should strive for just outcomes.

Front 11

Attack

Back 11

Positions us to think badly of the person and therefore to dismiss their ideas or viewpoint.

Hint 11

Belittle or denigrate an individual or group.

Front 12

Praise

Back 12

Makes us admire or like the person or group and therefore agree with their ideas.

Hint 12

Presents a person or group as outstanding, attractive, etc.

Front 13

Cliches

Back 13

Reassure the reader through a familiar expression that can position the reader to accept an idea because they are lulled into an uncritical mindset.
Often have a comic effect. This can produce a light-hearted, amusing tone, or a sarcastic, critical tone.

Hint 13

Overused phrases that a wide range of readers can quickly grasp and understand.

Front 14

Colourful Language

Back 14

Creates a memorable image and catches the reader's interest.
Positions the reader to take a strongly positive or negative view of the subject.

Hint 14

Creates a strong image through unusual and striking words, especially adjectives.

Front 15

Connotations and Loaded Words

Back 15

Associated meanings of words arouse feelings and attitudes that position the reader to like/dislike, accept/reject an idea, person, proposal, and so on.

Hint 15

Connotations are meanings associated with or implied by words, as opposed to their literal or 'dictionary' meanings.

Front 16

Emotional Appeals

Back 16

Provoke an emotional response, bypassing reason and logic.
Position the reader through their emotional response to be sympathetic to, or rejecting of, the writer's viewpoint.

Hint 16

Any appeals to the emotions that arouse hopes, fears, desires, and so on as shown in the examples. These feelings affect readers' responses to issues.

Front 17

Emotive Language

Back 17

The reader is positioned to react very emotionally and to agree with the writer's viewpoint before reason comes into play.

Hint 17

Deliberate use of strong words and phrase to arouse the reader's feelings and so manipulate them to agree.

Front 18

Evidence

Back 18

Positions the reader to view the writer's argument as more convincing because it appears to be objective and reliable.
Beware - facts and figures can be used selectively, by omitting evidence to the contrary.

Hint 18

The use of facts and figures to provide rational, scientific 'proof' as the basis for a substantiated point of view.

Front 19

Exaggeration, Overstatement and Hyperbole

Back 19

Exaggeration positions a reader to respond emotionally and so be more likely to accept or reject a viewpoint.
Can generate humour to make the reader view the writer's viewpoint positively.

Hint 19

Presents an extreme view of a situation for dramatic impact and to provoke strong emotional responses.
Hyperbole is an extravagant statement not meant to be taken literally.

Front 20

Generalisation

Back 20

Powerful because appeals to commonly heald beliefs, prejudices and views.
Positions the reader to regard and judge others in a narrow stereotyped way.

Hint 20

A sweeping statement that suggests what is true for some is true for most or all.

Front 21

Graphs and Diagrams

Back 21

Give a quickly understood picture of the 'facts' that support a viewpoint in an article or similar - help to persuade and position the reader to agree.

Hint 21

Facts and figures presented in a visual form.

Front 22

Inclusive Language

Back 22

The reader is positioned to agree with the writer because it appeals to their desire to belong to the group or plays on their fears of being 'left out' or regarded as an outsider.
Conformity.

Hint 22

Usus 'we', 'our', 'us', etc. to include the readers in the same group as the writer. Assumes that everyone in the group shares the writer's viewpoint.

Front 23

Sarcasm

Back 23

The reader is positioned to share the writer's ridicule (and rejection) of an idea or object.
The writer can also influence the reader to agree through a sarcastic and/or humorous tone that is clever and engaging.

Hint 23

A feature of language that allows the writer to say one thing when their real meaning is the opposite.

Front 24

Metaphor and Simile

Back 24

Create a striking and memorable image, often with the emotional impact that can influence the reader's viewpoint. Because more witty and engaging than dry description, can position the reader to support the writer's viewpoint.

Hint 24

Compare two different things, suggesting a similarity between them. A simile uses 'as if' or 'like'; a metaphor does not.

Front 25

Pun

Back 25

Grabs the reader's interest and attention, especially through the use of humour.
The 'double' meaning of a word usually has a positive or negative connotation - this helps to influence the reader's response to the issue.

Hint 25

A play on a word that suggests a double meaning.
Often plays on a word with a similar sound but different spelling.

Front 26

Reason and Logic

Back 26

Position the reader to accept the writer's viewpoint as objectively true because it is not just personal opinion or emotional reaction.
Persuade the reader through a well-argued case that can stand up to scrutiny.
Often used with a calm tone and/or formal style.

Hint 26

Used to link the ideas and develop an argument supporting the writer's point of view.
Can take into account the opposing viewpoint in order to show why the writer's argument in superior.

Front 27

Repetition

Back 27

Increases the impact of a main point or key term and so engages the reader's attention.
Can produce a more urgent or insistent tone, encouraging the reader to agree.

Hint 27

Using the same word or phrase and idea several times adds emphasis.

Front 28

Rhetorical Question

Back 28

Suggests that the answer is self-evident and therefore the reader must agree with it.
Directly addresses the reader as a way of engaging their agreement.

Hint 28

A question with an implied but unstated answer - used purely for effect.