Chapter Fifteen: Persuasive Speaking
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Chapter Goals
Chapter 15 introduces students to persuasive speaking, and the different types of persuasive speeches.
Students should have an understanding of the following goals after the end of this chapter:
• To describe the three types of persuasive speeches
Chapter Outline
I. Types of persuasive speeches (pg. 288).
Persuasive speech. Speech whose message attempts to change or reinforce an audience’s
thoughts, feelings, or actions.
a. Questions of fact.
i. A question of fact addresses whether something is verifiably.
b. Questions of value.
i. A question of value addresses the merit or morality of an object, action, or
belief.
ii. The speaker moves from asserting that something is true or false to advocating
that one thing is better or worse than another is.
c. Questions of policy (pg. 289).
i. A question of policy addresses the best course of action or solution to a
II. Organization of speeches on questions of fact (pg. 290).
a. Questions of fact can be organized chronologically, spatially, or topically.
III. Organization of speeches on questions of value (pg. 291).
a. Questions of value can be organized chronologically, spatially, or topically.
IV. Organization of speeches on questions of policy (pgs. 292-294).
action.
ii. The speaker simply encourages the audience to adopt a new position,
perspective, or view.
d. Problem-solution organization focuses on persuading an audience that a specific
problem exists and can be solved or minimized by a specific solution (pgs. 294-295).
i. These types of speeches are organized generally with two main points.
ii. The first point specifies the problem.
iii. Define the problem clearly.
e. Problem-cause-solution organization focuses on identifying a specific problem, the
causes of that problem, and a solution for the problem (pg. 295).
i. This type of speech can be effective if a speaker feels they will be more
persuasive by explaining how a problem came about.
ii. Explaining the causes of a problem can help an audience see the merits of a
f. Causal organization. Based on a cause-and-effect relationship that can develop in two
ways: moving from cause to effect or from effect to cause (pgs. 296-297).
i. There are two possible ways to arrange a speech using a causal pattern:
g. Narrative organization. Uses one or more stories to construct an argument. (pg. 297)
Depending on the topic, a speaker may share an extended narrative to help personalize an
argument that may seem difficult for some audience members to fully comprehend.
h. Comparative advantages organization. illustrates the advantages of one solution over
others. (pg. 297)
i. Each main point explains why the speaker’s solution is preferable to other
i. Monroe’s motivated sequence is a step-by-step process used to persuade audiences by
gaining attention, demonstrating a need, satisfying that need, visualizing beneficial
results, and calling for action. (pgs. 298-299)
i. In the attention step, the goal is to motivate the audience to listen and see the
iv. In the visualization step, the speaker describes the benefits that will result from
the audience’s need being satisfied.
v. In the action step, the goal is to outline exactly what the audience should do.
V. Connecting with your audience (pg. 299).
a. Elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Explains that receivers process persuasive
messages in either a central processing or a peripheral processing route depending on
how motivated the audience is to think critically about a message.
i. Receivers process persuasive messages in either a central processing or a
peripheral processing route, depending on how motivated the audience is to think
iv. Listeners may research additional information.
v. When listeners lack motivation to think critically about a topic, they move
toward using the peripheral route. In this situation listeners consume messages in
a passive manner.
vi. They may focus on parts of the speech without thinking critically about the
VI. Evidence and persuasion (pgs. 300-303).
a. Use specific evidence. When you want to convince your audience that something is true,
good, or appropriate, you will be more successful if you use evidence that is specific
rather than general.
b. Present novel information. Research indicates that you will be more persuasive when
you present new, rather than well-known, information to your audience.
c. Use credible sources. There are two guidelines for using credible sources.
i. Initial credibility is the credibility a speaker has before giving a speech.
ii. Derived credibility is the credibility a speaker develops during a speech.
iii. Terminal credibility is the credibility given to a speaker at the end of a speech.
f. Enhancing your credibility (pgs. 302-303).
i. Establish your competence.
VII. Emotion and persuasion (pg. 303-306).
Emotional appeals, or pathos, can be one of the most challenging aspects of persuasion.
Emotions are “internal mental states” that focus primarily on feelings.
To use emotional appeals effectively you will want to consider the following.
a. Stay audience centered (pgs. 304-305).
i. Overly graphic and violent appeals.
b. Use vivid language (pg. 305).
i. Appeals to emotions ask listeners to recall some of their most profound
experiences.
c. Balance emotion and reason (pgs. 305-306).
i. Seek a balance between reason and emotions.
VIII. Tips for giving effective persuasive speeches (pg. 306-308).
Although it is natural to want others to share in our commitments and beliefs, persuasion is a
complex process. There are specific tips that can assist a speaker.
a. Be realistic about changing your audience’s views (pg. 307).
i. Think carefully about the position your audience holds and choose realistic
b. Use evidence fairly and strategically.
i. Use two-sided messages to address two sides of an issue, refuting one side to
prove the other is better.
ii. Use counterarguments or arguments against the speaker’s own position.
iii. When using a fear appeal, which is the threat of something undesirable
happening if change does not occur, use caution.
1. If a fear appeal is so extreme that the audience feels immobilized, they
IX. Ethical persuasive speaking. (pg. 308-309)
a. To persuade ethically is to persuade others without threatening or challenging their sense
of self-determination and freedom to choose what is best for them.
i. When you persuade ethically, you act as an advocate and not a bully who tries to
b. There are four questions a speaker can keep in mind when persuading ethically.
i. What is my position on this topic and why do I hold this position?
ii. What are my audience’s positions on this topic and why do they hold this
position?
iii. Why am I qualified to try to persuade my audience on this issue?
iv. Is my request reasonable for my audience, and how will they be affected by the
change?
End of Chapter Activities and Discussion Questions
The following questions can be found at the end of Chapter 15.
Review Questions and Activities
1. With other members of your class, develop an imaginary speech persuading lawmakers to lower the
voting age to sixteen. As you develop this speech, consider the implications of the requested change
for as many constituencies as possible: 16-year-olds, parents, lawmakers, voter registration workers,
voting sites, mail ballots, candidates, teachers, the structure of education, and the like. What are the
implications of this persuasive request?
This activity works well as a full class or by placing students in small groups. Direct students to discuss
the implications described above and to decide whether they will address this speech as a question of
2. You have just been informed you have only five minutes of the legislator’s time to present your
persuasive appeal developed in question 1. How will you revise your speech to account for this time
frame? How will you determine what information to keep in and what to leave out?
3. Consider the speeches you have heard that changed your mind or actions regarding an issue. How were
you persuaded to change? Can you incorporate any techniques from these speeches into your own
persuasive speeches?
4. Your topic is public transportation. Develop a specific purpose statement, thesis statement, and main
points for the following three types of persuasive speeches: a question of fact, a question of value, and
a question of policy. Use the discussion of organizational patterns in this chapter to help organize your
speech.
You can divide students into groups of 3-4 for this activity. Give each group a different type of
persuasive speech, as listed here. Have each group develop the speech, also keeping in mind the specific
5. Write an outline of a persuasive speech on the subject of physical education in schools. Organize this
speech according to Monroe’s motivated sequence. Pay careful attention to each of the steps in this
organizational pattern. What are the advantages of this pattern over, say, a comparative advantages
speech or a problem-solution speech? What are the disadvantages?
6. Search for “graphic Australian anti-smoking ad” on YouTube. Are the fear appeals used in this anti-
smoking campaign legitimate? Do they motivate an audience to action, or are they so strong that they
immobilize an audience? Why?
Web Activities
1. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
Write-out-loud’s web page on Monroe’s motivated sequence provides a detailed summary and
outline.html and think about how you have been persuaded by salespeople who use Monroe’s
approach. Why is it effective? Create an outline for a policy speech using this pattern.
2. Persuading While Conceding
Purpose: To further explore how persuasive language can be used respectfully.
read a transcript of Al Gore’s concession speech following the 2000 presidential election. Do you
think Gore effectively balances his position about the election with the integrity of President Bush’s
win and the Supreme Court decision? How does Gore challenge his audience to think differently? Did
Gore gain or lose credibility because of this speech?
Interactive Student and Professional Speech Videos in MindTap
1. Video Clip 1: Maria DiMaggio “You Have My Deepest Sympathy: You Just Won the
Lottery”
As you watch Maria’s speech pay attention to what type of persuasive speech she is using. What
types of evidence does she present? Did Maria’s speech change your thinking?
Additional Exercises and Resources
1. Virtual Religion Index
justice, life and death issues, sex and gender issues, and welfare and environment issues. As you look
through the sites, search for philosophical standards you can use to judge the appropriateness of actions
or beliefs you advocate in your speeches. What standards would your audience likely accept? Which
would they reject?
This website can also help students with ideas on how to approach certain issues. You can have students
2. Problem Solving: Definition, Terminology, and Patterns
Access this web link activity to assist you in understanding what is involved in problem solving, while
also understanding the importance of establishing clear definition, using proper terminology and
following the most useful patterns.
3. Google and Persuasive Topics
Access this site to help you brainstorm ideas to generate relevant topics for the persuasive speech.
4. Calling for Action in Congress
Purpose: To understand the differences between immediate action and passive agreement.
record/congressional-record-indexand locate an interesting speech given by a member of Congress—a
speech given by one of your own representatives might be especially meaningful for you. Does the
speech call for immediate action or passive agreement? Why do you think the speaker chose his or her
particular call to action?
5. Persuading an Audience to Follow a Dream
Purpose: To investigate how a speaker can use an organizational pattern to create an effective message.
text of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” delivered in Washington, D.C., on
August 28, 1963. Dr. King’s speech marked an important turning point in the civil rights movement,
and many consider his speech to be persuasive because he advocated changing a social system as well
as people’s beliefs and attitudes. What type of persuasive speech is Dr. King’s speech? Can you locate
his central idea? What type of organizational pattern did he use?
6. Assessing the Persuasiveness of Newspaper Editorial Pages
Purpose: To evaluate the persuasiveness of letters to the editor and newspaper editorials.
several editorials and letters to the editor on a topic that interests you. How well do the writers use
persuasive language? Do the articles address two-sided messages and counterarguments, or do they
address only one side of an issue? Are there ways in which the writers could have been more
persuasive?
7. Critique Video Clips
How professors are going to grade is often a big concern to students. To demystify this process, bring
in a video clip of speeches from your previous speech classes or show some of the speeches included
8. Passive Agreement or Gaining Immediate Action
Students might initially be confused between passive agreement and immediate action. List several
possible persuasive speech topics on the board. Then, in small groups, have students develop statements
9. A Persuasive Speech Related to Service Learning
If you are using service learning in your class, this is a great way to structure a persuasive speech.
You can use this as an in-class activity or as the actual persuasive speech assignment. A sample
outline for this assignment is included at the end of the chapter. Following the outline related to
service is another sample persuasive outline unrelated to service learning.
Sources: Seven sources (to be cited within your speech).
Visual aids: A PowerPoint presentation of at least three slides is required. Any other visual aid is up
to your discretion.
Other materials: Only index cards—no full-page outlines or sheets of paper while you speak.
Delivery: Extemporaneous.
Sample Service Learning Persuasive Speech Outline
A Problem Affecting Partners of Larimer County
Introduction
I. Three hours a week and you too can help change the world.
A. A week is filled with 168 hours, if you take away 3 you still have 165 hours to do what
you like.
B. The time it takes to attend two speech classes and watch one episode of The Simpsons.
II. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word “world” in many different ways.
A. The definition pertaining to us is “a specified way of life or state of being.”
B. We can change a child’s world.
III. As a volunteer for Partners of Larimer County, I am literally changing the world of a 14-year-old.
A. I currently volunteer for Partners.
B. Through working with Partners and doing research, I have found that Partners has an
enormous obstacle to overcome: finding volunteers.
IV. Today I will be recruiting you to become involved and change the world by volunteering for
Partners of Larimer County.
A. In order to persuade you to volunteer there are two issues I need to address.
1. First, I will convince you that Partners provides an important service, but that the
lack of volunteers for Partners is a problem.
2. Second, I will proceed to tell you how you can volunteer and make a difference.
Body
I. Partners is a great program, but limited due to the lack of volunteers.
A. Partners of Larimer County is a nonprofit program that matches adult volunteers with at-
risk or high-risk youth between the ages of eight and seventeen.
2. The May 2000 newsletter provided and published by Partners, entitled The
Expression of Partners, stated that youth who are involved in Partners greatly
3. According to a pamphlet distributed by the organization, both females and males
B. As you can see, a program like Partners can positively impact youth, but without
volunteers it cannot be successful.
1. According to Liz Gipson, Executive Director of Partners, in a letter from October
2. Karen Schachterle, a case manager with Partners, also informed me during a
3. John Hubner and Jill Wolfson, authors of Somebody Else’s Children say,
“stereotypes [of adolescents] tend to be unfair, but often they are wrapped in a
germ of truth.”
C. It is important to consider what a high-risk youth can face during an eight-month period.
1. Be charged with trespassing after he and his friends break into a neighborhood
pool after dark for a swim.
3. Spend nearly an entire school year without doing any homework, because she or
he doesn’t understand the work and there is no one to help.
5. Looses 19 pounds and is hospitalized in her quest to look like the model on the
cover of a fashion magazine.
[Now that I have identified the problem, I will talk about a possible solution.]
II. In order to reduce the number of at-risk youth who are on an eight-month waiting list, we can all
become volunteers.
A. Contrary to what we may think, we do have the time to volunteer, and it takes little effort.
1. It begins with three simple steps taken from an informative pamphlet distributed
by the organization.
a. Attend an informational meeting (the next one is on Monday, Dec. 4).
(1) You can bring any questions you have.
(3) If you are unable to attend a monthly informational interview, an
individual meeting can be scheduled at your convenience.
b. The next step is to complete an interview with a Partners case manager.
(1) For this interview, you will need your completed application, state
(2) The interview will take less than an hour.
c. The final step is attending Senior Partner training.
(2) The training will take approximately two hours.
2. Since dealing with adolescent issues these days may be different than what you
3. According to the Partners website, if you are still unsure as to whether you can
commit three hours a week to this program, consider the alternative.