Persuasive techniques

Question 1

Ad hominem attack
(Belittles or denigrates an individual or group)

Answer 1

1.Positions the reader to think badly of the person or group and therefore to dismiss their ideas or viewpoint

2.Often uses emotive language to create a strong negative depiction of a person or group, and hence of the argument they are presenting

Question 2

Alliteration
(Repetition of a consonant at the start of words)

Answer 2

1.Gains attention; adds emphasis; often used in headlines.

2.Draws attention to key words.

3.Not persuasive on its own but can be when used with other techniques such as puns

Question 3

Analogy
(Comparison between two things that leads the audience to draw conclusions based on the similarities between them)

Answer 3

1.Puts a complex issue in more familiar, straightforward terms so that the audience can relate to and understand it.

2.Can simplify an issue, presenting it so that the writer’s position appears to be obviously true

Question 4

Anecdote
(Short account or story: often entertaining: provides a human angle that engages the reader; can convey information)

Answer 4

1.Positions the reader to respond emotionally ,e.g. with fear or pleasure.

2.’Rings true’, thus positioning the reader to take notice and accept information

Question 5

Appeal to a sense of justice
(Plays on our belief that we all have the right to be treated fairly and we should strive for outcomes that are just)

Answer 5

1.Positions the reader to agree that ‘the punishment should fit the crime’

2.Arouses feelings of anger when somebody is punished too harshly or a criminal ‘gets off’ lightly

3.Can arouse feelings of sympathy or the desire to redress unfairness

Question 6

Appeal to authority
(uses the opinion of an authority figure or an expert to impress the audience or prove a point)

Answer 6

1.Reassures the reader that the writer’s viewpoint is shared by someone with expert knowledge

2.Influences the reader to respond positively and agree

Question 7

Appeal to common sense
(Refers to practical everyday knowledge that is accepted as obvious and therefore ‘true’)

Answer 7

1.Pressures the reader to agree by implying that anyone who disagrees lacks common sense and cannot see what is self-evident.

Question 8

Appeal to family values
(Suggests that traditional family life provides the essential values for a healthy, stable society. Usually takes the nuclear family for granted)

Answer 8

1.Leads the reader to view traditional nuclear families as the most desirable kind of family

2.Can position the reader to blame destructive or antisocial behaviour on parents who are not heterosexual married couples.

Question 9

Appeal to fear and insecurity
(Suggests that people’s safety, security or freedom are at risk; often exaggerates a situation to present a ‘worst-case scenario’)

Answer 9

1.Pressures the reader to feel that solutions are needed urgently, so they should agree with the proposals .

2.Also persuades the reader to believe that the writer has readers’ best interests at heart by wanting to protect them.

Question 10

Appeal to loyalty and patriotism
(Assumes a commitment to our group, a love of our country, and belief that old ways of doing things should be highly valued)

Answer 10

1.Positions the reader to agree with (and possibly take part in) actions that will benefit the nation or the group

2.Can arouse feelings of anger or fear that position people to take action to support a cause or a group

Question 11

Appeal to the hip-pocket nerve
(Suggests that our financial wellbeing is under threat because we are being overcharged or ‘ripped off’)

Answer 11

1.Incites strong emotions, e.g. anger at being overcharged or because money is being misused.

2.Positions the reader to reject the views of those who want to raise prices, fees etc.

Question 12

Appeal to tradition and custom
(Appeals to a sense of security based on the belief that rituals and traditions are valuable and should be preserved)

Answer 12

1.Encourages the reader to resist change, and feel that links with the past should be retained

2.Can position the reader to view ‘modern’ lifestyles as inferior and damaging to the social fabric

Question 13

Begging the question
(Bases an argument on a premise that is the same as the conclusion))

Answer 13

1.Suggests that a certain position is self-evident

2.Has the appearance of logic, and therefore of validity

3.Omits detail or evidence that might weaken the writer’s argument, or obscures the fact that the writer has no evidence

Question 14

Cliché
(Overused phrase that a wide range of readers can quickly grasp and understand)

Answer 14

1.Reassures the reader with a familiar expression that can position them to accept an idea because they are lulled into an uncritical mindset

2.Often has a comic effect, which can produce a light-hearted, amusing tone, or a sarcastic, critical tone

Question 15

Connotations and loaded words
(Connotations are meanings associated with or implied by words, as opposed to literal or ‘dictionary’ meanings

Answer 15

1.Associated meanings of words arouse feelings and attitudes that position the reader to like/dislike or accept/reject an idea, person, proposal and so on

Question 16

Deductive reasoning
(Draws on general rules or ideas about a group to form a conclusion about one small part of the group)

Answer 16

1.Moving from the general case to the specific instance appears logically sound

2.Can appeal to familiar stereotypes or generalisations about certain groups

Question 17

Emotive language
(Deliberate use of strong words and phrases to arouse the reader’s feelings and so manipulate them to agree)

Answer 17

The reader is positioned to react very emotionally and to agree with the writer’s viewpoint before reason comes into play

Question 18

Evidence(including statistics ,graphs and diagrams)

The use of facts and figures to provide rational, scientific ‘proof’ as the basis for a substantiated point of view

Answer 18

1.Positions the reader to view the writer’s argument as more convincing because it appears to be objective and reliable

2.Beware- facts and figures can be used selectively, by omitting evidence to the contrary

Question 19

Exaggeration, overstatement and hyperbole
(Presents an extreme view of a situation for dramatic impact and to provoke strong emotional responses)

Answer 19

1.Exaggeration positions a reader to respond emotionally and so be more likely to accept or reject a viewpoint

2.Can generate humour, positioning the reader to approve of the writer’s viewpoint

Question 20

Generalisation
(A sweeping statement that suggests what is true for some is true for most or all)

Answer 20

1.Appeals to commonly held beliefs, prejudices and views

2.Positions the reader to regard and judge others in a narrow, stereotyped way

Question 21

Inclusive language
(Uses ‘we’, ‘our’ , ‘us’ etc. to include the readers in the same group as the writer. Assumes that everyone in the group shares the writer’s viewpoint)

Answer 21

The reader is positioned to agree with the writer because inclusive language appeals to their desire to belong to the group or plays on their fears of being left out or regarded as an outsider.

Question 22

Inductive reasoning
(Presents a general theory about what is happening, based on specific events or observations)

Answer 22

1.Moving from the specific to the general suggests the conclusion is based on real-world evidence

2.Can make a reader feel concerned or fearful by creating a sense of a problem being widespread or having more serious consequences

Question 23

Irony
(A feature of language in which the literal meaning is the opposite of the intended meaning)

Answer 23

1.The reader is positioned to share in the writer’s ridicule (and rejection) of an idea or object

2.The writer can also influence the reader to agree through a sarcastic and/or humorous tone that is clever and engaging