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Answer Key
1. B
2. A
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1. Who argued that ethical rhetoric depends on the character of the speaker?
A) Plato
B) Aristotle
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Sigmund Freud
2. Who first advanced the appeal in the theory of oratory?
A) Aristotle
B) Plato
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Sigmund Freud
3. You approach a friend and say, “You should come shopping with me.” This is best
defined as an example of
A) an appeal.
B) coercion.
C) an argument.
D) persuasion.
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4. Jack asks Rosalind, “Would you like to go to dinner with me?” This is best defined as an
example of
A) an appeal.
B) coercion.
C) an argument.
D) persuasion.
5. A reasoned claim or series of claims that is supported by evidence is termed
A) persuasion.
B) coercion.
C) an appeal.
D) an argument.
6. Your friend texts you a photo of a cat and writes, “You have to adopt this cat!” What is
this an example of?
A) making an argument
B) using propaganda
C) making an appeal
D) using coercion
7. According to current theories of motivation, a persuasive speaker is most likely to be
successful if the speaker
A) makes a strong appeal to emotion, particularly fear.
B) shows listeners how they benefit from changing.
C) convinces the audience that he or she is an expert on the topic.
D) speaks loudly and with confidence.
8. Which is one of two contemporary persuasive appeals?
A) appeal to the speaker’s character
B) appeal to emotion
C) appeal to need
D) appeal to logic
9. Sam tries to influence another person’s behavior by threatening the person. What tactic is
he using to inspire change?
A) propaganda
B) fear appeal
C) ad hominem fallacy
D) Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle
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10. In general, people tend to _____ emotional appeals.
A) appreciate
B) distrust
C) avoid
D) underutilize
11. Which scenario best exemplifies making an argument?
A) Reagan tells her friend, “I’ve started putting aside some money each week for a
vacation.”
B) Michelle tells her teenage son, “If you don’t get a job, I’m taking away your car
privileges.”
C) Tasha says to her spouse, “We have been spending a lot of money on car repairs. I
think it’s time to buy a new car.”
D) Luna says to her boss, “I think you should give me a raise.”
12. Micah requests an extra fifteen-minute break during his work shift but doesn’t say why
he needs this. This is an example of Micah
A) making an argument.
B) being persuasive.
C) being coercive.
D) making an appeal.
13. Elbert requests a cash bonus from his supervisor. As part of his request, he points out
that he brought in 20 percent of the new sales in the previous month. This is an example of
A) making an argument.
B) using rhetoric.
C) being coercive.
D) using propaganda.
14. Which statement about arguments and appeals is true?
A) Using arguments enhances a speaker’s credibility, whereas using appeals degrades
the speaker’s trustworthiness.
B) Speakers use arguments when the reasoning does not need to be explicitly stated,
and they use appeals to be explicit.
C) Arguments involve negatives, such as disagreements, whereas appeals focus on
positives.
D) Arguments are meant to promote thinking and reasoning, whereas appeals more
directly inspire feelings.
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15. Which are broad, general expressions that directly inspire feelings?
A) appeals
B) values
C) beliefs
D) arguments
16. Influencing someone’s beliefs, attitudes, or values is usually done to
A) inspire action.
B) encourage empowerment.
C) coerce a certain outcome.
D) inform others.
17. According to Aristotle, which is one of three ways a speaker can demonstrate his or her
character and create ethos?
A) Avoid use of rhetoric.
B) Develop a reputation for being ethical.
C) Eliminate all appeals to emotion.
D) Provide compelling facts and statistics.
18. Gus threatens to give stores a poor online review if they do not accept items he wants to
return for a refund. What is this an example of?
A) audience empowerment
B) argument
C) coercion
D) rhetoric
19. Arthur attempts to convince his brother to loan him money by telling him a fabricated
story meant to evoke sympathy from his brother. What is this example of?
A) scare tactics
B) audience empowerment
C) coercion
D) rhetoric
20. Appealing to others also requires a certain level of
A) responsibility.
B) reliability.
C) coercion.
D) false advertising.
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21. Values can be changed only through constant
A) reinforcement.
B) emotional appeals.
C) coercion.
D) reasoned arguments.
22. When you try to persuade someone, what are you trying to do in addition to providing
good reasons for the person to trust you?
A) elevate feelings
B) increase knowledge
C) decrease resistance
D) coerce change
23. Which is always considered a form of unethical persuasion?
A) coercion
B) rhetoric
C) emotional appeals
D) scare tactics
24. What are appeals to reasoning or structure called?
A) logos
B) eunoia
C) ethos
D) inventia
25. Which components of persuasion was Aristotle wary of?
A) ethos
B) logos
C) eunoia
D) pathos
26. What are appeals to character traits, such as qualifications, called?
A) logos
B) inventia
C) eunoia
D) ethos
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27. Which dimension of public speaking is intended to arouse strong feelings?
A) ethos
B) inventia
C) eunoia
D) pathos
28. Kiyana’s professor tells her that her draft presentation overemphasizes pathos. Which
elements will she most likely need to reevaluate?
A) her background and credentials
B) her general structure and flow
C) her statistics and supporting data
D) her word choice and illustrations
29. _____ usually guides how audiences will judge your arguments.
A) Logos
B) Ethos
C) Eunoia
D) Pathos
30. Which component of persuasion pulls together the other two components of persuasion?
A) ethos
B) logos
C) eunoia
D) pathos
31. If you are presenting your qualifications as a speaker, which appeal are you using?
A) logos
B) pathos
C) eunoia
D) ethos
32. When giving a speech on crocheting, you are sure to note the large number of mittens
you have crocheted. Which type of appeal is this?
A) logos
B) inventia
C) pathos
D) ethos
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33. If you try to present facts as a means of persuasion, which appeal are you using?
A) logos
B) inventia
C) eunoia
D) ethos
34. According to Abraham Maslow, which is a higher-order need?
A) shelter
B) food
C) self-esteem
D) safety
35. Which suspicious emotional appeal may also be called false advertising?
A) scare tactics
B) propaganda
C) fraud
D) coercion
36. In a political election, Ingrid sponsors advertisements that include deliberately
misleading information about her candidate. Which type of emotional appeal is this?
A) scare tactics
B) propaganda
C) fraud
D) coercion
37. Which scenario best exemplifies the concept of using a scare tactic?
A) Brad tells an audience that if its members vote for his opponent, they will be voting
to destroy the earth.
B) Jaime tells an audience that he is the best computer programmer in the country.
C) Carlos tells an audience that he used to be in the Central Intelligence Agency, but
he never was.
D) Nate tells an audience that his competitor violates labor laws, even though he can’t
prove this.
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38. A commercial on television claims a mouthwash eliminates embarrassing bad breath and
features a man in a long lab coat who claims to be a dentist. If the man is actually an actor,
which suspicious emotional appeal has occurred?
A) scare tactics
B) propaganda
C) fraud
D) eunoia
39. If you try to persuade members of your audience by threatening their safety, which
emotional appeal have you made?
A) scare tactic
B) propaganda
C) fraud
D) inventia
40. In order to get citizens to evacuate a city with severe flooding, the TV meteorologist
explains that this flooding can be life-threatening. Which emotional appeal is this?
A) scare tactics
B) propaganda
C) fraud
D) ethos
41. You are making a speech that tries to influence others. What type of contemporary
speech are you making?
A) celebratory
B) persuasive
C) informative
D) judicial
42. If you call to another to think, do, or believe something, you are
A) using rhetoric.
B) using propaganda.
C) making an appeal.
D) being coercive.
43. What are appeals to the audience’s feelings called?
A) ethos
B) eunoia
C) pathos
D) inventia
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44. You want your audience to adopt shelter pets. As part of your speech, you show a photo
of a sad-looking dog in a crate, hoping to evoke sadness and empathy in the members of your
audience. Which type of appeal is this?
A) ethos
B) eunoia
C) pathos
D) inventia
45. According to Aristotle, one way in which we can demonstrate our character and create
ethos to the audience is by
A) demonstrating practical wisdom.
B) avoiding attempts at persuasion.
C) including compelling facts and statistics.
D) using evocative language.
46. In contemporary times, rhetoric is the study of ways in which speaking and writing
A) are inherently immoral.
B) influence people to do or think what they otherwise would not.
C) request the attention of others.
D) provide a reasoned claim or set of claims.
47. You ask a friend to go to dinner with you. As part of your request, you note that you
have heard the restaurant is really good and you have a coupon for half off the entire bill. What
is this an example of?
A) coercion
B) argument
C) rhetoric
D) propaganda
48. When speaking to an audience, you emphasize that you care about the well-being of
audience members. In which of the following ways are you attempting to create ethos?
A) by demonstrating practical wisdom
B) by showing you are a good person
C) by showing goodwill toward the audience
D) by demonstrating fairness and rationality
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49. When speaking to an audience, you tell a story about how you cancelled an interview for
your dream job to help a friend in crisis. In which way are you attempting to create ethos?
A) by demonstrating practical wisdom
B) by showing you are a good person
C) by showing goodwill toward the audience
D) by demonstrating fairness and rationality
50. Carlos tells an audience a story of how he applied prudence to a situation. In which way
is Carlos attempting to create ethos?
A) by demonstrating practical wisdom
B) by showing you are a good person
C) by showing goodwill toward the audience
D) by demonstrating fairness and rationality
51. Who came to believe that people are fundamentally driven by basic human needs?
A) Plato
B) Aristotle
C) Sigmund Freud
D) Abraham Maslow
52. According to Abraham Maslow, a human’s most basic needs involve
A) self-esteem.
B) self-actualization.
C) socialization.
D) survival.
53. If you are attempting to persuade someone, what should your underlying message be?
A) I want your attention.
B) Listen to me.
C) Trust me.
D) I have compelling facts.
54. If a speaker evokes feeling without offering a series of reasons, he or she is
A) making an emotional appeal.
B) making a persuasive argument.
C) using propaganda.
D) using scare tactics.
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55. Logos appeals to an audience’s
A) emotions.
B) thought processes.
C) wisdom or character.
D) expectations.
56. According to Aristotle, the means of persuasion are appeals to basic human needs and
appeals to self-interest.
A) true
B) false
57. It is easier to change someone’s attitudes than someone’s beliefs.
A) True
B) False
58. Appeals are the best way to evoke specific emotions and feelings in the argument.
A) True
B) False
59. Both appeals and arguments have psychological dimensions.
A) True
B) False
60. Persuasion is the study of influencing others to do, think, or believe something through
speaking and writing.
A) True
B) False
61. Although persuasive speaking is the most complicated contemporary speaking genre, it
is not necessarily the most widely used.
A) True
B) False
62. When you address another person with the intent to influence, you are being coercive.
A) True
B) False
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63. According to Aristotle, techne is one of the three means or ways to persuade.
A) True
B) False
64. If you are attempting to persuade someone with ethos, your underlying message should
be something like, “I have your best interests at heart.”
A) True
B) False
65. Propaganda involves the use of deliberately misleading, biased, or even false information
to manipulate an audience.
A) True
B) False
66. Eunoia pertains to the rules of reasoning and the ways to use those rules to structure
arguments.
A) True
B) False
67. Ethos refers to appeals to feelings.
A) True
B) False
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Answer Key
1. B
2. A
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