Chapter 17 Review

“Good persuaders make strategic choices in an ethical manner.”

In this chapter, we explored how persuasive speakers strengthen or weaken their audience’s commitment to a particular topic or motivate their listeners to take a particular action. In doing so, persuasive speakers make one of three types of claims—fact, value, or policy. In evaluating a message, audience members may take the central route and carefully process the message or take the peripheral route and be influenced by cues that have little to do with speech content. If they are interested in the topic, they will most likely follow the central route, resulting in more effective and longer-lasting attitude change.

We also shared strategies for relating a persuasive message to your audience, including choosing a thesis based on your listeners’ disposition, linking your message to your audience’s needs and values, demonstrating how the costs of your proposal are worth the benefits, addressing audience reservations about your thesis, and focusing on your listeners’ peripheral beliefs.

Additionally, you can develop your message in an ethical manner by helping your listeners make an informed decision, researching your facts thoroughly, disclosing any biases, and properly attributing your research sources. Finally, we offered strategies for organizing your message, depending on whether you are making a fact, value, or policy claim.

LaunchPad for Speak Up offers videos and encourages self-assessment through adaptive quizzing. Look for the check icon and play icon throughout the chapter for adaptive quizzing and online video activities.

Key Terms

persuasive speech 507

Play video fact claim 508

value claim 508

Play video policy claim 509

Page 534

elaboration likelihood model 510

central route 510

peripheral route 510

strategic discourse 512

social judgment theory 513

latitude of acceptance 513

latitude of rejection 513

boomerang effect 513

needs 515

hierarchy of needs 515

values 516

belief 517

attitude 517

core belief 518

peripheral belief 518

two-sided argument 521

full disclosure 524

causal pattern 525

categorical pattern 525

criteria-application pattern 526

comparison pattern 527

Play video motivated sequence 529

Play video problem-cause-solution pattern 530

Review Questions

  1. Question

    Describe three goals of persuasive speeches.

  2. Question

    What are the three types of claims used in a persuasive speech?

  3. Question

    Describe the elaboration likelihood model. What are the differences between central route processing and peripheral route processing of a message?

  4. Question

    Describe six ways in which a speaker may adapt his or her message for an audience.

  5. Question

    What four steps can you take to ensure that your persuasive speech is ethical?

  6. Question

    Describe two ways to organize a persuasive speech for each of the following—a fact claim, a value claim, and a policy claim.
    Describe two ways to organize a persuasive speech for each of the following—a fact claim, a value claim, and a policy claim.

Critical Thinking Questions

  1. Question

    Why do you think that persuasion that is created when audience members follow central route processing is more effective than persuasion created through peripheral route processing?

  2. Question

    How does using strategic discourse to craft a persuasive speech differ from preparing a speech in which you explain how you feel about a particular issue?

  3. Question

    How would understanding Maslow’s hierarchy of needs help you deliver more effective persuasive speeches? How could it hurt your effectiveness if you do not consider it?

  4. Page 535

    Question

    Consider the way that talking heads and audiences for twenty-four-hour news channels tend to break along ideological and party lines. What does this tell you about latitudes of acceptance and rejection? How would you characterize the latitudes of acceptance and rejection for people who do not like to listen to commentators on either end of the political spectrum?
    Consider the way that talking heads and audiences for twenty-four-hour news channels tend to break along ideological and party lines. What does this tell you about latitudes of acceptance and rejection? How would you characterize the latitudes of acceptance and rejection for people who do not like to listen to commentators on either end of the political spectrum?

Activities

  1. Question

    Working individually or in groups, select a persuasive speech topic. Identify three possible audiences for that speech—sympathetic, hostile, and neutral. Select a thesis and at least three main points for each audience. Discuss how your thesis and main points should differ for each audience type.
    Chapter 17 - Activity Question 1

  2. Question

    Select any thesis for a persuasive speech that advocates action by the audience. How could you use each of the strategies for adapting your argument to the audience in a speech on the topic you have chosen?
    Chapter 17 - Activity Question 2

  3. Question

    Video Activity 17.3: “Martinez, Extra Credit You Can Live Without.” Watch Anna Martinez’s speech. How does Martinez tailor her thesis to fall within audience members’ latitude of acceptance? Identify other strategies she uses to adjust her speech to the audience.
    Chapter 17 - Activity Question 3

  4. Question

    Review the editorial page in several newspapers, and consider their attempts to persuade you. How many editorials make fact claims? Value claims? Policy claims? Can you tell what organizational pattern the writers are using?
    Chapter 17 - Activity Question 4

  5. Question

    Visit factcheck.org, the Web site of a nonpartisan group that investigates claims made by politicians, news organizations, and interest groups to determine how truthful they are. Are you surprised by any of the information presented there? What examples of unethical speech did you come across?
    Chapter 17 - Activity Question 5