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Chapter 15: Persuasive Presentations
Essay Questions
1. What is a persuasive speech? How does it differ from an informative speech?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
2. Explain the persuasive purposes of adoption and discontinuance.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
3. Provide three examples of topics for a persuasive speech that do not appear in the book.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
4. Identify and give examples of the three forms of proof.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Apply
5. What is a boomerang effect, and why is it important to be aware of this concept when analyzing your audience?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
6. Explain the propositions of fact, policy, and value, and provide an example for each.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Apply
7. What do we know about fear appeals and how they work in a persuasive speech?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
8. Why are face-to-face efforts more effective at persuading others than are public service campaigns?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
9. What are some of the ethical considerations that are important to consider in persuasive speaking?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
10. Provide a rationale for why you should “respect your opponent” when persuading.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
11. What are the tests of evidence that you can use when critically evaluating your persuasive speeches or the persuasive speeches of others?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
12. How can you resist persuasion? Explain at least three of the ten ways suggested in the book.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
13. Describe the five steps in the Monroe Motivated Sequence.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
14. Provide an example of a deductive argument.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Apply
15. Provide an example of an inductive argument.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Apply
16. Explain what a syllogism is and provide an example.
Answer: Answers will vary.
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Bloom’s level: Apply
17. List and describe four ways to resist persuasion.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
True/False Questions
18. Persuasion is the skillful manipulation of people to get them to do something against their will.
19. The first step in the Monroe Motivated Sequence is the need step.
20. The call to action step serves as a means of gaining the audience’s attention in the Monroe Motivated Sequence.
21. In the Monroe Motivated Sequence, after need is established the next step is to visualize.
22. In persuasive speaking it is best to reveal your immediate purpose in your introduction.
23. Respect for your audience as an ethical consideration discourages tricks, lies, distortion, and exaggeration.
24. Accurate citation of sources is an ethical consideration in a persuasive speech.
25. One test of evidence is “Does the evidence come from unbiased sources?”
26. With regard to immediate purpose, it is best to anticipate dramatic results.
27. You should avoid revealing your purpose until later in the presentation.
28. Weaknesses of inductive arguments include questioning the major premise, application of minor premise, and the meaning of the conclusion.
29. If you give a presentation about the benefits of an activity, your purpose is discontinuance.
30. Adoption and discontinuance are examples of two immediate goals of persuasive presentations.
31. Public service campaigns are more effective at persuading than are face–to-face efforts.
32. Because your classmates are a captive audience, the chances that you will persuade someone are increased.
33. Weaknesses of deductive arguments include questioning the major premise, application of minor premise, and the meaning of the conclusion.
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Answer: F
Bloom’s level: Remember
34. An inductive argument moves from a general proposition to a specific instance.
35. A syllogism is a deductive argument with a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.
36. Emotional proof for an argument is also known as pathos.
37. Which of the following is most likely to be the topic for a persuasive speech?
a. Additional legislation should be passed to aid handicapped individuals.
b. The provisions of the legislation to protect the handicapped are public policy.
c. The various building requirements for serving the physically challenged are part of the law.
d. What can computers do for the visually impaired?
38. To rebut an argument means to
a. argue against it.
b. support it.
c. provide evidence for it.
d. provide additional arguments for it.
39. Which of the following is not a means of resisting persuasion?
a. avoidance
b. skepticism
c. verification
d. acceptance
40. Which of the following is not one of the steps in the Monroe Motivated Sequence?
a. attention
b. cause
c. visualization
d. action
41. In the Monroe Motivated sequence, the step where you attempt to get the audience to see how they will benefit from your ideas is called the
_____________ step.
a. attention
b. action
c. visualization
d. need
42. In terms of presenting intercultural persuasive messages, which of the following is not true?
a. You should abandon the norms with which you are familiar and rely solely on American norms.
b. If you’re from a high-context culture, you might prefer to be less direct.
c. If you’re from a highly individualistic culture, you might advance your own opinion without thinking of other viewpoints.
d. You need to blend some of your cultural norms with the persuasive norms of American culture.
43. If you encourage the audience to start a new behavior, your persuasive purpose is
a. continuance.
b. deterrence.
c. adoption.
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d. discontinuance.
44. “The University should add public speaking as a graduation requirement” is an example of a proposition of
a. fact.
b. policy.
c. proof.
d. value.
45. Which of the following is not a test of evidence?
a. Is this a proposition of fact, value, or policy?
b. Is the evidence consistent with other known facts?
c. Are the statistics from a reliable source?
d. Does the evidence come from unbiased sources?
46. When someone tries to convince listeners to stop smoking, the persuasive purpose is
a. continuance.
b. deterrence.
c. adoption.
d. discontinuance.
47. In order to ethically respect your audience, you should
a. lie to your audience.
b. distort opposing viewpoints.
c. speak truthfully and accurately.
d. exaggerate your claims.
48. Personal proof, consisting of expertise and authority, is also known as
a. ethos.
b. pathos.
c. logos.
d. togos.
49. Which of the following is a logical proof?
a. The Lord says you shall have no other gods before you.
b. If the pro-choice advocates have their way, they will be held responsible for murder.
c. You should study public speaking because the faculty has made the course a requirement.
d. Use Ivory soap because it is inexpensive, antibacterial, safe, and effective.
50. Which of the following statements about inductive arguments is false?
a. Inductive arguments include a number of specific instances.
b. Inductive arguments include a major and minor premise.
c. Inductive arguments result in a generalization.
d. Inductive arguments require an inference.
51. Which of the following statements about deductive arguments is false?
a. Deductive arguments result in a conclusion.
b. Deductive arguments have three parts.
c. A partial deductive argument is an enthymeme.
d. Deductive arguments require an inference.
52. Gerald has a great deal of expertise about parakeets. He used to work in a pet store that sold over twenty different types of birds. If he was to
give a speech on the subject, Gerald might be said to have what type of expertise?
a. ethos
b. pathos
c. logos
d. pogos
53. Nadine was giving a speech at the main intersection of campus, trying to get students to vote for her candidate for state Senate. Her speech
was very passionate and emotional. What type of arguments might she have been using?
a. logos
b. pathos
c. ethos
d. togos
54. Which of the following statements about syllogisms is false?
a. A syllogism has a major premise.
b. A syllogism has a subjective premise.
c. A syllogism has a minor premise.
d. A syllogism has three parts.