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Chapter 14: Public Presentations to Persuade
Chapter Objectives and Integrator Guide
After reading and thinking about this chapter, students should be able to:
Objective
Resources
1. Understand the various goals
and purposes of persuasive
presentations.
Key Terms: Persuasive
presentation, coercion,
manipulation, immediate purpose,
and long-range goal.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 300-301
Study Question 1 (p. 322)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 1: Ethical and Unethical Persuasion
Activity 14.1: Critical Thinking Exercise
2. Know how to effectively
introduce your purpose and
argument.
Key Terms: Boomerang, adoption,
and discontinuance.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 301-304
Figure 14.1: Asking for a Change
Figure 14.2: Examples of Adoption and Discontinuance
Skill Builder: Persuade By Listening and Seeking Common
Ground (p. 304)
Study Question 2 (p. 322)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 2: Adoption versus Discontinuance
Activity 14.2: Grab-Bag Persuasion
3. Demonstrate effective use of
arguments and evidence.
Key Terms: Argument, proposition
of fact, proposition of policy,
proposition of value, evidence,
proof, and tests of evidence.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 305-308
Figure 14.3: The Relationship Between Evidence and Proof
Connecting Globally: Can Profile Pics Persuade? (p.308)
Study Question 3 (p. 322)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 3: Tests of Evidence and Persuasion
Activity 14.3: Identifying Different Type of Propositions
4. Describe and provide
examples of the three logical
forms of proof.
Key Terms: Logos, ethos, pathos,
inductive argument, deductive
argument, syllogism, and fear
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 308-313
Figure 14.4: The Structure of an Inductive Argument
Figure 14.5: The Structure of a Deductive Argument
Study Question 4 (p. 322)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 4: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos
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5. Organize your persuasive
message.
Key Terms:
Monroe motivated sequence, and
ethics.
6. Demonstrate effective use of
the skills for persuading:
providing examples, using
comparison and contract,
and using testimonials.
Key Terms: Examples, factual
examples, hypothetical example,
comparison, contrast, testimonial
evidence, lay evidence, celebrity
testimony, and expert testimony.
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 311-313
Table 14.1: The Monroe Motivated Sequence
Sample Outline: Monroe Motivated Sequence about “We Need
More than Antibiotics to Treat Infections” (p. 312)
Study Question 5 (p. 323)
In the Text:
Page Reference: pages 313-321
Challenge Yourself: How can I get others to agree with me, to
understand what I know and believe, and to switch to my
side on important issues? (p. 314)
Sample Outline: Persuasive Speech about “Texting and
Driving” (pp. 315-319)
Sample Note Cards: Persuasive Speech about “Texting and
Driving” (pp. 319-321)
Study Question 6 (p. 323)
IM Resources:
Discussion Starter 5: Persuasive Skills
Activity 14.5: Ethical Persuasion
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Chapter Outline
I. Prepare a Persuasive Presentation
A. Persuasion terminology
a. A persuasive presentation is a message strategically designed to
induce change in the audience in some way consistent with your
B. What is your immediate purpose?
i. An immediate purpose is a statement of what you intend to
accomplish.
ii. Given that a single presentation to a captive audience is unlikely to
produce dramatic results, you need to be realistic.
C. What is your long-range goal?
iii. A long-range goal is a statement of purposes that could be
II. Introduce Your Persuasive Presentation
A. Revealing the purpose of the presentation
i. In a persuasive presentation your listeners may reject your intention
to change their thinking or behavior unless you prepare them to
listen to you.
ii. The foot-in-the-door technique
1. This is a technique where a salesperson tries to first put their
2. When you warm your audience to your ideas rather than
blurting it out you are practicing this strategy.
iii. Analyze the audience and determine when and how you should
reveal your immediate purpose.
1. If you aren’t asking for too much change from your audience,
2. If you think your audience will resist your call for action,
reveal your purpose at the outset; then explain the actions
you wish them to take at the end, after you have made a
strong case.
iv. Boomerang effect is when you ask you audience for too much
change and the audience likes you and your message less after the
presentation than they did before you stood up to speak.
B. What purposes are persuasive?
i. Adoption means that listeners start a new behavior as a result of
the persuasive presentation.
2. After your speech, start walking to places rather than driving
everywhere.
ii. Discontinuance is a persuasive purpose rooted in convincing
listeners to stop some current behavior.
1. After your speech, stop or cut back on caffeine intake.
2. After your speech, stop texting while driving.
C. Why should you try to persuade?
i. Face-to-face efforts are more persuasive than public service
campaigns, and you will have the opportunity to address your
audience face-to-face.
ii. Face-to-face communication is among the most effective modes we
have.
iv. Face-to-face presentations can be especially effective because
your classmates are a captive audience.
III. How Do You Persuade?
A. Using argument to persuade: face, policy, and value
i. An argument is a form of discourse that attempts to persuade.
ii. Arguments consist of propositions, which are the points to be
discussed or considered in the argument.
2. Proposition of policy – is a proposal of a new rule.
3. Proposition of value – is a statement of what we should
embrace as good or bad, right or wrong.
B. What is the difference between evidence and proof?
i. Evidence refers to anything physical or verbal that helps in forming
a conclusion or judgment, such as DNA results or witness
testimony.
ii. Proof is any evidence that the receiver believes.
C. How can you test evidence?
1. Is the evidence consistent with other known facts?
2. Based on this evidence, would another observer draw the
same conclusions you have?
3. Does the evidence come from unbiased sources?
4. Is the person who is the source of the evidence qualified by
education and/or experience to make a statement about the
issue?
6. If the evidence is based on personal experience, how typical
is that personal experience?
7. If statistics are used as evidence, are they from a reliable
source; comparable with other know information; and
current, applicable, and interpreted so the audience can
understand them?
8. If studies and surveys are used as evidence, are they
authoritative, valid, reliable, objective, and generalizable?
9. Are inferences appropriate to the evidence being presented?
10. Have you overlooked any important counter-evidence?
IV. Three Forms of Proof
A. Logos, or logical proof
i. Logos refers to persuasion by using logical argument.
ii. Utilize different types of logical arguments in your speech.
1. An inductive argument provides enough specific instances
2. A deductive argument uses a general proposition applied to
3. Syllogism contains a generalization (a major premise)
applied to a particular instance (a minor premise) that leads
to a conclusion.
B. Ethos, or source credibility
i. Ethos refers to the reputation, authority, and integrity of the
C. Pathos, or emotional proof
i. Pathos refers to the use of emotional means of persuasion.
ii. A fear appeal is a message designed to frighten or alarm an
audience so they will be persuaded to act.
1. Fear appeal messages are one of the most common appeals
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3. When fear is too extreme, the response may be increased
anxiety, aggression, and perhaps unhealthy behavior.
V. Organizing your Persuasive Message
A. The Monroe Motivated Sequence - is an organizational pattern that
includes the following steps: attention, need satisfaction, visualization, and
action.
i. In the attention step the speaker gains and maintains the
audience’s attention and determines a way to focus in on the
iii. In the satisfaction step the presenter discusses a plan or solution
and describes how the plan meets the needs raised in the
preceding step.
v. In the action step, audience members are told what they might go
out and do to make a difference. In this step audience members
have a clear sense of what the speaker is asking them to do about
the issue.
B. Ethical considerations
i. Ethics are a set of principles for right conduct.
ii. Generally accepted ethical standards related to persuasive
presentations:
1. Accurately cite sources.
2. Respect sources of information.
VI. Skills for Persuasive Speaking
A. Providing examples
i. Examples are specific instances used to clarify your point.
ii. There are two different types of examples.
2. A hypothetical example is a fictional but realistic example.
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B. Using comparison and contract
i. Comparison clarifies by linking a familiar instance with an unfamiliar
one.
ii. Contrast emphasizes differences.
C. Using testimonials
i. Testimonial evidence consists of written or oral statements of
others’ experience used to substantiate or clarify a point.
ii. Three different types of testimonial evidence exist:
1. Lay testimony consists of statements made by ordinary
people that substantiate or support what you say.
3. Expert testimony includes statements made by someone
who has special knowledge or expertise about an issue or
idea.
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Discussion Starters
1. Ethical and Unethical Persuasion: The chapter discusses persuasion, coercion,
and manipulation. These three concepts deal with effective and ineffective attempts
2. Adoption versus Discontinuance: When you think about the types of issues that
you like to talk about in a persuasive way, are you more likely to choose a topic in
which you are trying to convince someone to adopt or discontinue something? Do
3. Tests of Evidence and Persuasion: The chapter identifies ten ways to test the
evidence that you use in building a persuasive argument. Think of a recent time that
someone tried to persuade you to do something that was either effective or
ineffective. Which of the tests of evidence were faulty and contributed to you not
4. Logos, Pathos, and Ethos: Consider a time when someone tried to persuade you,
and their entire argument was only based in one of the three forms of proof. Was
the persuasion attempt successful? How can evidence, without emotion, sometimes
fail to be persuasive? How can emotion without solid evidence cause people to
reconsider what you ask of them? Finally, how does speaker credibility, or ethos,
5. Persuasion Skills: Consider a famous speaker with great skill at persuading
people. What is it about the speaker that makes them effective? How does the
speaker employ use of some of the different types of persuasive speaking skills
Activities
ACTIVITY 14.1 CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISE
Purpose: The objective of this exercise is to increase student awareness of how
persuasion functions in advertising (often blatant) so they can transfer that skill in
recognizing how social influence functions in other contexts like public speaking.
Procedure: Have students bring in photocopies of some ads, especially from
magazines, or simply videotape some ads or infomercials on TV. Then answer the
following questions about the “reasoning” behind the ads.
• In a magazine advertisement, what reasons, if any, are provided to persuade you?
• Are the “reasons” provided in a written message or implied by photos or visuals?
• In a video of advertising, what images are shown to persuade, and what oral
messages are provided?
Debriefing: See if students can determine what techniques used by advertisers are
used also by other persuaders, including student persuasive presentations in the
classroom. Also, inquire about what techniques used by advertising could be used by
an ethical persuader in the classroom? What techniques would an ethical persuader
avoid?
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ACTIVITY 14.2 GRAB-BAG PERSUASION
Purpose: Students will get an opportunity to practice presenting different propositions
and have the class hear a brief argument for topics related to discontinuance and
adoption.
Procedure: Pair students and ask them to choose one student to present a brief
proposition to the class related to something that they would like to see people adopt.
The second person will present an idea of something they would like to see discontinue.
Debriefing: Students need to practice being direct with their propositions, so others in
the class know what they are arguing in their persuasive speech and what they want
them to consider. This activity will give them the chance to hear several of their
classmates present propositions and consider a range of persuasive issues in terms of
adoption and discontinuance.
ACTIVITY 14.3 IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROPOSITIONS
Purpose: Students will practice using the same topics to create a proposition of fact,
value, and policy.
Procedure: After reviewing what constitutes a proposition of fact, value, and policy, ask
students to write down which of the three each thesis statement would be if they hear
someone say it during a speech. Then, read each example from the handout below,
“Distinguish Between Propositions of Fact, Value, and Policy.”
DISTINUISH BETWEEN PROPOSITIONS OF FACT, VALUE, AND POLICY
1. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are less safe than other cars on the road.
3. Gay and lesbian couples should be allowed the same rights to adopt children as
heterosexual couples.
5. Gay and lesbian couples can legally adopt children in most states.
7. If the Challenger staff knew in advance that it was damaged, they were wrong to
allow it to be launched.
9. A federal law should be passed to require antilock brakes as the standard on all
new cars.
Answers:
1. Proposition of Fact
3. Proposition of Policy
5. Proposition of Fact
7. Proposition of Value
9. Proposition of Policy
Debriefing: This activity helps students to see how they can take the same topic and
create three different persuasive speeches. It also helps students to look for words that
trigger the type of argument or proposition being advanced in a speech, like
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ACTIVITY 14.4 LOGOS, PATHOS, AND ETHOS IN COMMERICALS
Purpose: This activity will help students explore identification of Aristotle’s three
rhetorical appeals through examination of YouTube commercials.
Procedure: Tell students that Advertisers have known for years that persuasion occurs
more readily when ethos (speaker credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logical
arguments) reinforce the product they are trying to sell to the public. However, not all
commercials use all of these appeals or do so in an ethical manner.
1. Christina Aguleria and World Hunger Relief: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XIp5EhZfLg)
2. Nolan's Cheese: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tCtM8UEQv8)
3. Jennifer Hudson and Weight Watchers: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRUpCtnawDQ)
4. Fiat 500 Abarth: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMjavRu4v5c)
5. Allegra D: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKHv-YYAzI)
After the students watch all ten commercials, pair them up with another student in the
class and ask them to consider the following discussion questions. After they discuss
them in dyad, you can discuss them as an entire class.
• How often did you agree on the primary appeal?
• Discuss your perceptions with one another when you disagreed about the primary
appeal.
• Did any of the commercials use these rhetorical strategies in an unethical manner?
How so?
• Which appeals (or commercials) were most compelling or persuasive to you, and
why?
• How can you apply what you saw here in an upcoming persuasive speech?
Debriefing: After going through this exercise, students realize that sometimes even in a
one-and-a-half-minute commercial, they pick up on different elements that represent the
different rhetorical appeals. This demonstrates that, sometimes, we pay more attention
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ACTIVITY 14.5 ETHICAL PERSUASION
Purpose: The objective is to encourage students to make ethical choices in their
persuasive efforts.
Procedure: Have students write down as many “rules” they can think of that would help
ensure that persuasive messages met high standards of ethics. You could provide an
example such as “Always say where you found your information so others can verify.”
After the class has had 5-10 minutes to create a list of rules, talk about which ones
Debriefing: Reinforce the positive gain from ethical approaches: the receiver has
choice so is more likely to conform; the source establishes trust by not taking advantage
of the listener; the message has good reasons why the receiver should conform, etc.
Remind students of the negative results of the unethical treatment of audiences:
