Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Lecture Notes
Chapter 19: Preparing to Persuade
Learning Objectives
1-1 Define persuasion
1-2 Distinguish the differences among attitudes, beliefs, and values.
1-3 Identify and define your persuasive goal, particularly the change you seek in receivers
1-4 Compare and contrast the following types of persuasive speeches: a question of fact;
a question of value; and a question of policy
1-5 Explain and use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
Outline
I. Persuasion is the deliberate attempt to change or reinforce attitudes, belief, values, or
behaviors.
A. An attitude is a mental set or predisposition that leads us to respond or
evaluate people, places, things, or events positively or negatively.
1. The attitudes that we have influence our likes and dislikes and indicate
our level of approval.
2. The more that a speaker knows about an audience, the better he or she
will be able to tailor the message to adjust to their attitudes.
3. Audience attitudes tend to congregate at a point along an attitudinal
continuum but once a speaker can identify where that point is, then he or
she will be able to create a persuasive appeal that takes that into account.
4. Speakers have the ability to instill, change or intensify the audience’s
attitudes.
1. Attitudes differ in terms of direction, intensity (strength of the
attitude), and salience (the importance and relevance of the attitude
in terms of its holders)
B. Beliefs are influenced by attitudes
1. We measure beliefs along a probable-improbable continuum.
2. Beliefs describe what we deem as true or false.
3. Upbringing, past experiences and evidence work to shape beliefs.
Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
C. Values are the core beliefs that are deeply ingrained within our psyche that
indicate what we feel is good or bad, right or wrong.
1. Values motivate behavior.
2. They guide conduct by reminding us what we find most important.
3. They also guide our decisions on what is worth trying to change or
influence.
D. Speakers must be aware of their attitudes, beliefs, and values and those of the
target audience.
1. First, identify strong attitudes you hold about five controversial issues.
2. Next, identify the beliefs you hold that help explain your attitude on
each issue.
3. Then, identify the values that support your beliefs.
4. Finally, review your list and determine which of your strong attitudes,
beliefs, or values you could successfully turn into a persuasive speech.
II. Persuasive speakers seek to achieve different goals.
A. Persuasive speakers seek to reinforce a position, shift a position, adopt or
eliminate a behavior.
B. Speakers must be able to identify the goal(s) of the speech.
1. One question the speaker should ask him or herself is “What exactly am
I trying to reinforce or change in my receivers?”
2. A second question the speaker should be able to answer is “How must
the members of my audience alter their beliefs, attitudes, values, or
behaviors for them to respond as I desire?”
3. If only one audience member changes their ideas or behaviors, you are
being persuasive.
C. The speaker must also define the specific aims of the speech.
1. The speaker may want to the audience to adopt a new way of thinking
or behavior, sustain or reinforce a way of thinking of behaving,
discontinue a way of thinking or behaving, or avoid a way of thinking of
behaving.
2. If you seek to persuade, you also assume substantial ethical obligations.
3. Ensure what you are seeking to change is in the best interest of the
receiver.
III. Persuasive speaking is categorized according to whether it focuses on a question of
fact, question of value or question of policy.
Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
A. Your claim represents your proposition, which is the relationship you wish to
establish between accepted facts and your desired conclusions.
1. You are required to use particular types of evidence, motivational
appeals and methods of organization.
B. Propositions of fact are conclusions asserting that something does or does not
exist or is not true.
1. This type of speech affirms or denies the existence of something or the
relationship between two or more things.
2. The goal of this speech is to persuade the audience of the truth of the
proposition using evidence and arguments.
3. This type of speech utilizes topical organization where each point in
support of the proposition contains reasons why the audience should agree
with the speaker.
4. If the goals of the persuasive presentation involve describing an issue
over time or spatially, chronological or spatial patterns can be used
instead.
C. A proposition of value represents your assertion of a statement’s worth.
1. The goal of the speaker is to justify his or her belief or opinion so that
the audience can accept it too.
2. The goals of this speech include:
a. Defining the object of evaluation and supporting that definition
b. Providing value criteria for determining what is “wrong vs.
right” or what is “proper vs. improper.”
3. This type of speech is organized using a reasons approach, especially
if the audience is neutral or slightly acquainted with the topic.
1. A reasons approach the speaker offers a rationale designed to
support his or her goal for the speech.
2. Type of topical organization and each reason in support of the
position is presented as a main point
4. A refutation format can also be used to summarize the speaker’s
assessment of a situation.
a. This format contains:
i. a statement about the stance being refuted,
ii. the speaker’s position,
iii. supporting evidence for the speaker’s position,
iv. Evidence that establishes why the speaker’s position
undermines the one that was previously stated.
Student Resource
Gamble, The Public Speaking Playbook, 2nd Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2018
D. A proposition of policy addresses what should be done.
1. This type of speech asks the audience to support a change in policy or
take action to remedy an existing situation or solve a perceived problem.
2. This type of speech builds upon propositions of fact and value.
3. Once a need is identified, a solution is proposed.
4. Questions of policy speeches should be able to:
i. Identify a problem with the status quo
ii. Articulate how the problem can be fixed
iii. Propose a solution
iv. Examine the benefits of the proposed solution to show how the
benefits outweigh the costs
5. This type of speech can be organized using a problem-causes-solution,
comparative advantage, or a Monroe’s motivated sequence format.
IV. Monroe’s motivated sequence organizational design contains five parts.
A. Attention: the introduction of the speech captures the audience’s attention and
stimulates their interest in the proposed action
1. Need: This serves as the first main point in the body. The need
identifies or describes a serious problem that exists.
2. Satisfaction: This serves as the second main point in the body. The
satisfaction provides key details about the proposed solution.
3. Visualization: This serves as the third main point in the body. The
visualization identifies the benefits associated with the proposed solution.
The audience can see how the world will be better if the solution is
endorsed.
4. Action: The action serves as the conclusion. The speaker tells the
audience what they can do to help implement the solution.
B. Using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence enables a speaker to anticipate the
questions and concerns audience members want addressed as they listen to the
speech.