Chapter 15 Flashcards
Persuasion
The act of motivating a listener, through communication, to change a particular belief, attitude, value, or behavior
Social judgment theory
The theory that opinions will change only in small increments, and only when the target opinions lie within the receivers latitudes of acceptance and non-commitment
Anchor
The position supported by audience members before a persuasion attempt
Latitude of acceptance
In social judgment theory, statements that receiver would not reject
Latitude of rejection
In social judgment theory, statements that receiver would not accept
Latitude of non-commitment
In social judgment theory, statements that a receiver would not care strongly about one way or another
Proposition of fact
A claim bearing on issue in which there are two or more sides of conflicting factual evidence
Proposition of value
A claim bearing on an issue involving the worth of some idea, person, or object
Proposition of policy
A claim bearing on an issue that involves adopting or rejecting a specific course of action
Convincing
A speech goal that aims at changing audience members beliefs, values, or attitudes
Actuate
To move members of an audience towards a specific behavior
Direct persuasion
Persuasion that does not try to hide or disguise the speaker’s persuasive purpose
Indirect persuasion
Persuasion that disguises or de-emphasizes the speakers persuasive goal
Ethos
Appeals based on the credibility of the speaker
Pathos
Appeals based on emotion
Logos
Appeals based on logical reasoning
Fallacy
An error in logic
Ad hominem fallacy
A felicious argument that attacks the integrity of a person to weaken the person’s position
Reductio ad absurdum fallacy
Felicious reasoning that unfairly attacks and argument by extending it to such extreme lengths that it looks ridiculous
Either-or fallacy
Felicious reasoning that sets up false alternatives, suggesting that if the inferior one must be rejected, then the other must be accepted
Post hoc fallacy
Felicious reasoning that mistakenly assumes that one event causes another because they occur sequentially
Argumentum ad verecundiam fallacy
Felicious reasoning that tries to support a belief by relying on the testimony of someone who is not an authority on the issue being argued
Argumentum ad populum fallacy
Felicious reasoning based on the dubious notion that because many people favor an idea, you should, too
Target audience
That part of an audience that must be influenced to achieve a persuasive goal
