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Chapter 16 The Persuasive Speech 16.1 Multiple Choice Questions 1) The act of convincing an audience, through verbal and nonverbal communication, to adopt or change an attitude, belief, or value, or to take an action is called a) motivation. b) refutation. c) persuasion. d) argumentation. Answer: c Rationale: Persuasion involves convincing an audience to adopt or change a viewpoint, belief, or behavior. This can be achieved through various means, including verbal and nonverbal communication techniques. 2) What is the minister doing when he tries to convince the congregation to contribute 10 percent of their income to the church? What is the salesperson doing when she tells a customer to forgo buying a used car and instead purchase a brand new Ford Focus Hybrid? a) Persuading b) Criticizing c) Describing d) Arguing Answer: a Rationale: Both the minister and the salesperson are attempting to persuade their audience to take a specific action or adopt a particular belief or value. 3) Anna Jane is trying to decide the best way to organize her persuasive speech. She wants to show her audience that many college students rely too heavily on energy drinks to stay awake. She then wants to offer her audience alternatives to these overly caffeinated and sugary drinks. In order for Anna Jane to illustrate these points, how should she organize her speech? a) Problem/solution. b) Topical sequence. c) Chronological sequence. d) Motivated sequence. Answer: a Rationale: The problem/solution organizational pattern is ideal for Anna Jane's speech as it allows her to first present the issue (college students relying on energy drinks) and then offer solutions (alternatives to energy drinks). 4) Which organizational style suggests putting your strongest ideas either first or last but not in the middle? a) Problem/solution b) Motivated sequence c) Topical sequence d) Comparative advantage Answer: c Rationale: Topical sequence suggests organizing ideas by topic, with the strongest ideas either presented first to grab attention or last to leave a lasting impression, but not in the middle where they might be overlooked. 5) At a town hall meeting, Yone spoke about the number of children in their community whose families could not afford to buy their children presents this holiday season. Capitalizing on her audience’s attention and concern, Yone challenged her audience to donate a new toy to the “Toys For Tots” organization. Urging the audience to act satisfies what step in Monroe’s motivated sequence? a) Visualizing for results b) Showing a need c) Arousing attention d) Calling for action Answer: d Rationale: Calling for action is the final step in Monroe's motivated sequence, where the speaker urges the audience to take a specific action related to the persuasive message. 6) According to Monroe, visualizing the results means you want to do what? a) Show your audience visual aids. b) Urge your audience in the strongest terms what action to take. c) Create an image in your audience’s minds that illustrates what will happen if they embrace or reject your proposal. d) Show your audience that you appreciate their attention. Answer: c Rationale: Visualizing the results involves creating a vivid mental image in the audience's minds of the potential outcomes if they accept or reject the proposal being presented. 7) Henry is horrified by the escalation of hazing at his school. He wants to persuade his classmates to attend a protest on Friday night in front of the student union building. As he works on his speech, Henry is trying to decide whether he should anger his audience into action or appeal to their sense of compassion for the hazing victims. What is Henry trying to construct? a) A persuasive appeal b) An emotional appeal c) A logical appeal d) A motivated appeal Answer: b Rationale: Henry is trying to construct an emotional appeal by appealing to his classmates' sense of compassion for the hazing victims, hoping to evoke an emotional response that motivates them to attend the protest. 8) Competence is the a) character communicated to the audience. b) demonstrated ability, quality, or special knowledge. c) integrity brought to the message. d) degree of excitement, energy, and involvement in the topic. Answer: b Rationale: Competence refers to the demonstrated ability, quality, or special knowledge that the speaker conveys to the audience, enhancing their credibility. 9) Alameda was excited, energetic, and very involved in her topic when she delivered her persuasive speech about planting a garden. Her credibility was increased because she demonstrated a) dynamism. b) trustworthiness. c) ethics. d) competence. Answer: a Rationale: Alameda's credibility was increased because she demonstrated dynamism, which refers to her enthusiasm, energy, and involvement in the topic, making her more engaging and believable to the audience. 10) Bill knows his audience drives to school. Therefore, in his speech about improving the parking situation, he spends a moment talking about where he parks and the problems he encounters. a) Establishing a common ground with the audience b) Giving the audience information that they do not know c) Telling the audience what they already know d) Showing the audience how he parks Answer: a Rationale: Bill is establishing a common ground with the audience by discussing his own experiences with parking, acknowledging a shared experience that helps to connect with his audience. 11) What are the rules that govern moral behavior? a) Trustworthiness b) Competence c) Dynamism d) Ethics Answer: d Rationale: Ethics are the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or members of a profession, which are based on principles of right and wrong. 12) A(n) _____________ argument helps your audience understand your ideas and increases the likelihood that they will be persuaded. a) emotional b) logical c) fallacious d) chronological Answer: b Rationale: A logical argument presents reasoning and evidence in a clear, coherent manner, helping the audience understand the ideas being presented and increasing the likelihood of persuasion. 13) During a fundraiser in May 2012, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney stated, “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims …” Romney received criticism for this comment because his explanation was a fallacy known as a(n) a) faulty analogy. b) ad hominem. c) non sequitur. d) overgeneralization. Answer: d Rationale: Romney's statement is considered an overgeneralization, as he made a sweeping generalization about a large group of people (47 percent) without sufficient evidence or nuance. 14) Deductive reasoning is a) based on picking apart the weaknesses of an argument. b) moving from specific instances to generalizations. c) building common ground with one’s audience. d) moving from generalizations to specific instances. Answer: d Rationale: Deductive reasoning starts with a general principle or premise and moves to specific instances or conclusions based on that principle. 15) Inductive reasoning is a) moving from generalizations to specific instances. b) building common ground with one’s audience. c) moving from specific issues to generalizations. d) based on subtracting the shortcoming of an argument. Answer: c Rationale: Inductive reasoning starts with specific observations or instances and moves to a general conclusion based on those observations. 16) “As parents, we need to stop our children from having premarital sex! Network and cable stations are piping profane shows into our living rooms that are filled with an extraordinary amount of sexual activity. Similarly, the Internet is filled with filth! Eliminating cable and the Internet from our homes will reduce the sexual activity of our kids!” What type of fallacy does this argument represent? a) Argument ad hominem. b) Over-generalization. c) Faulty analogy. d) Non sequitur. Answer: d Rationale: This argument represents a non sequitur fallacy because there is a disconnect between the premises (profane shows on TV and filth on the Internet) and the conclusion (eliminating cable and Internet will reduce sexual activity). 17) What are flawed arguments called? a) Descriptions b) Fallacies c) Calls for action d) Persuasion Answer: b Rationale: Flawed arguments are called fallacies, which are errors in reasoning that weaken the argument's validity. 18) During election season, mudslinging and making negative comments about an opponent’s character is a common political strategy. What type of argument fallacy does this describe? a) Faulty cause-and-effect argument b) Character assassination c) Ad hominem d) Non sequitur Answer: c Rationale: This describes the ad hominem fallacy, where instead of addressing the argument, attacks are made on the character of the opponent. 19) In her speech, Cisela is trying to convince her audience not to take antibiotics when they are sick. She states, “Taking antibiotics is willingly ingesting poison.” Cisela’s comparison is considered what type of fallacy? a) Emotional b) Logical c) Faulty analogy d) Descriptive Answer: c Rationale: Cisela's comparison is considered a faulty analogy because it equates taking antibiotics with ingesting poison, which is an inaccurate and exaggerated comparison. 20) When minor points do not relate to the major points of a speech, you have which kind of fallacy? a) Ad hominem b) Non sequitur c) Faulty cause-and-effect d) Faulty analogy Answer: b Rationale: When minor points do not relate to the major points of a speech, it is a non sequitur fallacy, meaning the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises. 16.2 Short Answer Questions 1) What is the act of convincing an audience to adopt or change an attitude, belief, or value, or to take an action? Answer: persuasion 2) When your audience already understands the problem but is looking for the best solutions, then the ________ is the most appropriate way to organize your persuasive speech. Answer: problem/solution pattern 3) Identify at least two of the organizational plans that can be used to develop the body of your persuasive speech. Answer: The student should identify at least two from the following list: (1) Problem/solution, (2) Topical, (3) Comparative advantage, and (4) Monroe’s Motivated Sequence 4) Name the five steps in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. Answer: The student should identify all of the following in order: (1) Arousing attention, (2) Showing a need, (3) Satisfying the need, (4) Visualizing the results, and (5) Calling for action 5) The step in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence that occurs when we determine the need or problem our topic suggests is called ________ a need. Answer: showing 6) The step in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence that occurs when we argue how our proposal will meet the need, or resolve the problem described earlier, is called ________ a need. Answer: satisfying 7) The step in Monroe’s Motivated Sequence that occurs when we create a visual image that projects what will happen if our proposal is embraced or rejected is called ________. Answer: visualizing the results 8) Identify the four speaker credibility appeals that help the audience perceive the speaker as someone who is qualified to speak on a particular topic. Answer: competence, dynamism, trustworthiness, ethics 9) Identify two ways to develop logical appeals. Answer: deductive and inductive reasoning 10) Arguments ad hominem, faulty cause-and-effect arguments, non sequiturs, and faulty analogies are all examples of ________. Answer: fallacies 16.3 True/False Questions 1) Persuasion is the act of convincing an audience, through verbal and nonverbal communication, to adopt or change an attitude, belief or value, or to take an action. Answer: True Rationale: Persuasion involves influencing an audience's attitudes, beliefs, values, or actions through communication. 2) Persuasion is simple and easy because the group the speaker must appeal to has the same frame-of-reference as the audience. Answer: False Rationale: Persuasion can be complex and challenging, especially when the speaker needs to appeal to an audience with different frames of reference or perspectives. 3) The problem/solution plan allows you to compare your solution to others, and to show how your plan or proposal is superior. Answer: False Rationale: The problem/solution organizational pattern focuses on presenting a problem and then offering a solution, without necessarily comparing it to others. 4) Visualizing the results is used to create a visual image that projects what will happen if your proposal is embraced, or what will happen if it is rejected. Answer: True Rationale: Visualizing the results involves creating a vivid mental image of the potential outcomes of accepting or rejecting a proposal. 5) Three types of persuasive appeals are credibility, logical, and emotional. Answer: True Rationale: Persuasive appeals can be based on credibility (ethos), logic (logos), and emotion (pathos). 6) The character and integrity perceived by the audience is called competence. Answer: False Rationale: Competence refers to the speaker's demonstrated ability, quality, or special knowledge, while credibility encompasses the audience's perception of the speaker's character and integrity. 7) Dynamism is the speaker’s degree of excitement, energy, or involvement in the topic. Answer: True Rationale: Dynamism refers to the speaker's level of enthusiasm, energy, and engagement with the topic, which can enhance the effectiveness of their persuasion. 8) Trustworthiness and ethics is the speaker’s demonstrated ability, quality, or special knowledge about a topic. Answer: False Rationale: Trustworthiness and ethics are aspects of credibility, which is the audience's perception of the speaker's character and integrity. 9) A logical argument helps the audience understand the speaker’s ideas. Answer: True Rationale: A logical argument presents ideas in a clear, coherent, and rational manner, making it easier for the audience to understand and accept them. 10) Deductive reasoning starts with a general premise, followed by a minor premise, and ends by drawing a conclusion. Answer: False Rationale: Deductive reasoning starts with a general premise, followed by a specific premise, and ends with a conclusion that logically follows from the premises. 11) Inductive reasoning moves from specific instances to generalizations. Answer: True Rationale: Inductive reasoning involves drawing general conclusions based on specific observations or evidence. 12) An incorrect premise means the conclusion is faulty. Answer: True Rationale: If the premise of an argument is incorrect, the conclusion drawn from that premise is likely to be flawed as well. 13) The fallacy that attacks the character of another person is called ad hominem. Answer: True Rationale: Ad hominem is a fallacy where an argument attacks a person's character or traits instead of addressing the argument itself. 14) In an analogy, the minor points are not related to the major points, or the conclusion does not logically follow the points that precede it. Answer: False Rationale: In an analogy, the minor points should be related to the major points, and the conclusion should logically follow from the analogy presented. 15) Emotion is a good substitution for reasoning. Answer: False Rationale: While emotion can be a powerful tool in persuasion, it is not a substitute for reasoning. Effective persuasion often involves a combination of logical reasoning and emotional appeal. 16.4 Matching Questions For the questions that follow, match the word or phrase with its meaning. a) The kind of “character” you communicate to your audience b) Creating a visual image that projects what will happen if our proposal is embraced or rejected c) Demonstrated ability or quality; a measure of a speaker’s knowledge concerning a topic d) Urging the audience to demonstrate its support e) Design focused on creating a sense of need and then explaining how that need can be satisfied f) Degree of excitement you bring to your presentation g) Rules that govern moral behavior h) Character and integrity perceived by the audience i) Attempting to capture the audience’s interests j) Determining the problem our topic suggests k) Arguing how our proposal will resolve the problem 1) Arousing attention 2) Calling for action 3) Trustworthiness 4) Competence 5) Dynamism 6) Ethics 7) Showing a need 8) Satisfying the need 9) Motivated sequence 10) Visualizing the results Answers: 1) i 2) d 3) a 4) c 5) f 6) g 7) j 8) k 9) e 10) b 16.5 Essay Questions 1) List and explain the techniques for enhancing your credibility. Answer: Dunn and Goodnight discuss four ways a speaker can enhance his/her credibility when delivering speeches: (1) Establish common ground with your audience. Telling your audience how you share things in common helps you become more relatable to the audience. (2) Indicate special knowledge about your topic. Telling your audience that you have special knowledge about your topic and are uniquely qualified to speak to them will help you enhance your credibility. (3) Construct a logical argument. This helps your audience understand your ideas. You can do this in one of two ways: use deductive reasoning, which asks you to start with a general premise that is followed by a minor premise, and ends by drawing a conclusion; or use inductive reasoning, wherein you speak about specific instances and move on to generalizations. (4) The last way to enhance your credibility is to develop emotional appeals. Emotional appeals are used to trigger the emotions or feeling of an audience. To do this you can try to stir the feelings of the audience. You can use emotionally charged language in your speech or personalize your speech by telling a story. 2) List the five steps on Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, and the function of each step. Next, choose a persuasive speech topic and use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence to organize your persuasive speech. Answer: Example Speech: The Right to a Dignified Death Arousing Attention: We attempt to capture the audience’s attention with our opening remarks. Example: “Curled in a fetal position and shrunk to half her normal weight, 16-year-old Karen Ann Quinlan lay helpless in a ‘chronic vegetative state’ for years until natural death released her and her parents from this indignity.” Showing a Need: We determine the need our problem topic suggests. Example: “Such unnecessary suffering is an evil that should be corrected in modern America.” Satisfying the Need: We argue how our proposal will meet the need or resolve the problem described earlier. Example: “The right to die and to do so with dignity should be recognized and respected.” Visualizing the Results: We create a visual image that projects what will happen if our proposal is accepted or rejected. Example: “Imagine a close friend or relative supported by artificial means with no hope of recovery. Contrast with this scene the natural and peaceful death of a loved one supported by family and friends.” Calling for Action: We urge the audience to demonstrate its support. Example: “Write letters to congressional representatives and create your own living wills.” 3) There are four organizational plans to use when developing a persuasive speech argument. Identify these plans and briefly discuss them. Answer: The four organizational plans include: (1) The problem/solution pattern describes a problem that exists and offers a solution. The solution and the proposed challenge (or call for action) are often the same. (2) The topical sequence approach identifies and provides detailed descriptions of each reason why your audience should adopt your proposal. Putting your strongest point first or last in the body of your speech will help your audience remember it. (3) The comparative advantage plan is beneficial when your audience is already familiar with the problem. You compare several approaches to solving the problem and then point out why your proposal is the best. (4) Finally, Monroe’s motivated sequence design focuses on creating a sense of need, and then explaining how that need can be satisfied (similar to problem/solution). Monroe’s motivated sequence is as follows: (1) Arousing attention, (2) Showing a need, (3) Satisfying the need, (4) Visualizing the results, and (5) Calling for action 4) Name the speaker credibility appeals listed in your text. Explain how each one can enhance a speaker’s credibility during their presentation. Answer: Competence, dynamism, trustworthiness, and ethics are all important to speaker credibility. Competence is a demonstrated ability, quality, or special knowledge. Dynamism is a degree of excitement, energy, and involvement in the topic that the speaker brings to the presentation. Trustworthiness refers to the kind of “character” the speaker communicates to the audience. Finally, ethics are the rules that govern moral behavior and are connected to a speaker’s trustworthiness. Competence can be enhanced by the use of supporting material and incorporating evidence into the body of your speech. Using supplemental research will increase the likelihood that the audience will listen and support your position. Dynamism is expressed by demonstrating concern for the involvement in your topic. Dynamism is demonstrated through your language choices, and through facial expressions, gestures, movement, and varied vocal inflections. Trustworthiness is expressed by revealing some of your background as a form of introduction to your audience. Mentioning how you are directly involved in your speech communicates sincerity and trustworthiness. Ethics, closely related to trustworthiness, is expressed through oral citations within your speech to show the audience that you are giving credit where credit is due and consciously avoiding plagiarism. 5) What are argument fallacies? Name and define the five fallacies listed in your text. Answer: Fallacies are flawed arguments. (1) Argument ad hominem occurs when speakers attack the character of another person. (2) Faulty cause-and-effect arguments occur when a speaker offers no proof to show that one event caused the other to happen. This type of argument leaves the speaker vulnerable to attack. (3) A non sequitur occurs when the minor points are not related to the major points, or the conclusion does not logically follow the points that precede it. (4) Over-generalizations add dramatic effect to your speech but are not logical. (5) A faulty analogy occurs when the speaker attempts to make an invalid comparison of two seemingly different objects or situations. Test Bank for Communication: Embracing Difference Daniel M. Dunn, Lisa J. Goodnight 9780205943661, 9780205865635, 9781269602877
