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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: MANAGING PERSUASIVE PRESENTATIONS IN THE
WORKPLACE
Objectives
Identify persuasion principles
Explain the outcomes related to change in attitudes, values, beliefs, and
behaviors
Apply strategies related to effective practices of persuasion
Heighten credibility as a presenter
Create a multi-stage strategy of persuasion moving toward increasing levels of
agreement as a goal of persuasion
Analyze arguments for their fallacy and their usefulness in order to construct
effective persuasive speeches
Apply persuasive speech organizational designs
Key Words:
Persuasion, social judgment theory, audience commitment, inoculation, message order, fear
appeal, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, values, organizational design, support material and evidence,
fallacies
On the Internet
Chapter Teaching Notes
I. Attitudes. Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors
A. Attitudes evaluations about a topic
B. Values standards or ideals that indicate an individual s estimate of what is
worthwhile and what is not
C. Beliefs the seeming truthfulness of statements
D. Behaviors how we act
2. Avoidance avoiding a particular action or policy
II. Principles of Persuasion
A. Dissonance and consonance
1. Dissonance: the mental conflict that occurs before, during, and after
making a decision. Internal unbalance.
2. Consonance: internal balance
B. Reducing dissonance
1.
Discredit the information source
3.
Point out disadvantages
5.
Change attitudes
B. Social judgment theory: Moving attitudes in stages
1. The principles of latitudes people evaluate information from a
fundamental attitude position called the point
2. Strategy of incremental change working in small steps toward change
4. Contrast effect a message judged as different from the acceptable
range is often judged harshly
5. Boomerang effect audiences will not only exclude an initial position
seemingly too different, but also they cement their latitude of
acceptance
C. The principle of audience commitment when audience members act with minor
commitment or engage in small behaviors directed toward an advocated topic,
they are likely to change their attitudes wholeheartedly in the direction of the
topic advocacy
D. The principle of inoculation when a speaker desires resistance when the
audience will be exposed to later counter-position messages
2. Refutation treatment offers refutation arguments to a sample of
counter arguments
3. Generalized forewarning warn the audience that some form of
influence will attempt to unseat their current position
E. The principles of message order
1. Present a one-sided message when:
a. They favor the advocated position
2. Present a two-sided message when:
a. They do not initially favor the advocated position
b. Your credibility is moderate or low
c. They are knowledgeable and likely to know about the topic
d. Your role is not expected to be one-sided
e. They are likely to hear the opposing side
F. Which order of arguments?
1. Strongest arguments first puts your best foot forward to make a good
3. Is it best to go first or last?
a. Primacy effect first argument is most effective
b. Recency effect last position is most effective
G. The principle of fear appeal message contains reference to some inherent
danger, threat, or harm linked with a course of action, attitude, or belief
1. Defense avoidance
2. Reassurance in the solutions
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III. Organizational Design for Persuasive
Presentations
2. Proposition proof
3. Motivational sequence
a. Attention
b. Need
c. Satisfaction
d. Visualization
e. Action
IV. Support Material and Evidence for Persuasion
A. Benefits of evidence: Creates persuasion, produces stimulation and attention,
creates interest, heightens speaker credibility
1. Cause to effect and effect to cause
3. Analogy
5. Reasoning from classification
B. Sample fallacies in persuasive
reasoning
1. Quotations from non-authorities
a. Unbiased witness
b. Reluctant witness
2. Insufficient use of cases, observations, signs
3. Faulty causal and analogy reasoning
4. Hasty generalization connecting observations without enough
sampling
5. False dilemma categorizing things as either-or
6. Attacking the person
7. Bandwagon technique a popular position is the correct position
because everybody else believes or accepts it
8. Two wrongs do not make a right
10. Faulty correlation since two things occur at the same time, one thing
caused the other
Class Exercises
1. Provide video clips in class to illustrate logical fallacies.
3. View C-Span speeches and identify reasoning and
argumentation.
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Discussion Questions
1. What values most often are confronted when you attempt to influence your friends?
2. Why is influence for considered persuasion in your opinion?
3. Do you think dissonance motivates people? Why?
4. How would you use social judgment theory and maintain high ethical standards?
5. In applying inoculation principles, how much of a refutation position should you advance to be
effective and yet be ethical in disclosing two sides of an issue?
6. What is the best situation to present one side of an argument?