mcgraw-hill©stephen e. lucas 2001 all rights reserved. chapter fifteen speaking to persuade

McGraw-Hill ©Stephen E. Lucas 2001 All rights reserved.

CH

AP

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FIFTEENSpeaking to Persuade


Persuasive Speech

A speech designed to change or reinforce the audience’s beliefs or actions.


Mental Dialogue with the Audience

The mental give-and-take between speaker and listener during a persuasive speech.


Target Audience

The portion of the whole audience that the speaker most wants to persuade.


Persuasive Speeches

• Speeches on questions of fact

• Speeches on questions of value

• Speeches on questions of policy


Question of FactA question about the truth or falsity of an assertion.

Question of ValueA question about the worth, rightness, morality, and so forth of an idea or action.

Question of PolicyA question about whether a specific course of action should or should not be taken.


Persuasive Speech on a Question of FactSpecific Purpose: To persuade my audience that another

major earthquake will hit California by the year 2025.

Central Idea: There are three good reasons to believe that another major earthquake will hit California by the year 2025.

Main Points: I. California is long overdue for a major earthquake.

II. Many geological signs indicate that a major earthquake may happen soon.

III. Experts agree that a major earthquake could hit California any day.


Question of Value

A question about the worth, rightness, morality, and so forth of an idea or action.


Persuasive Speech on a Question of Value

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that capital punishment is morally and legally wrong.

Central Idea: Capital punishment violates both the Bible and the U.S. Constitution.

Main Points: I. Capital punishment violates the biblical commandment “Thou shalt not kill.”

II. Capital punishment violates the constitutional ban on “cruel and unusual punishment.”


Question of Policy

A question about whether a specific course of action should or should not be taken.


Persuasive Speech on a Question of Policy

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that America should act now to protect the quality of its drinking water.

Central Idea: Impure drinking water is a serious national problem that requires action by citizens and government alike.

Main Points: I. Impure drinking water has become a serious national problem.

II. Solving the problem requires action by citizens and government alike.


Types of Speeches on Questions of Policy

• Speech to gain passive agreement

• Speech to gain immediate action


Speeches to Gain Passive Agreement

Convince the audience that a given policy is desirable without encouraging the audienceto take action in support of the policy.


Specific Purposes for Persuasive Speeches to Gain Passive Agreement

• To persuade my audience that there should be tougher enforcement of laws to protect the victims of domestic abuse.

• To persuade my audience that college scholarship athletes should receive a $200 monthly stipend for personal expenses.


Speeches to Gain Immediate Action

Convince the audience to take action in support of a given policy.


Specific Purpose Statements for Persuasive Speeches to Gain Immediate Action

• To persuade my audience to volunteer as literacy tutors.

• To persuade my audience to vote in the next presidential election.


Analyzing Questions of Policy

Three basic issues

• Need

• Plan

• Practicality


Need

Is there a serious problem or need that requires a change from current policy?


Plan

If there is a problem with current policy, does the speaker have a plan to solve the problem?


Practicality

Will the speaker’s plan solve the problem?

Will it create new and more serious problems?


Organizing Speeches on Questions of Policy

• Problem-solution order

• Problem-cause-solution order

• Comparative advantages order

• Monroe’s Motivated Sequence


Problem-Solution Order

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that urgent action is needed to deal with the environmental problems created by disposable batteries.

I. Disposable batteries have become one of America’s most serious environmental dangers.

II. The problem can be solved by business, government, and individual action.


Problem-Cause-Solution OrderSpecific Purpose: To persuade my audience that colleges

and universities should take stronger action to control campus crime.

I. Violent crime on college campuses is a serious problem.

II. There are three major causes specific to college life for the growth of campus crime.

III. An effective solution must deal with all three major causes of the problem.


Comparative Advantages Order

I. Unstaffed scientific missions are far less costly than staffed space flights.

II. Unstaffed scientific missions provide many more practical benefits than staffed space flights.


Monroe’s Motivated Sequence 1. Attention: Gain the attention of the audience. 2. Need: Make the audience feel a need

for change. 3. Satisfaction: Satisfy the sense of need by

providing a solution to the problem.

4. Visualization: Intensify desire for the solution by visualizing it’s benefits.

5. Action: Urge the audience to take action in support of the solution.


Fact, Value, or Policy?

• Using lie detector tests as screening devices for

jobs in private business is a violation of the

employee’s right to privacy.

• The use of lie detector tests for screening

employees in private business should be banned

by law.


Fact, Value, or Policy?

• A federal law should be passed requiring that trunk release systems be standard on all new cars sold in the United States.

• If trunk release systems were standard equipment on all cars sold in the United States, we could save a number of children’s lives each year.

mcgraw-hill©stephen e. lucas 2001 all rights reserved. chapter fifteen speaking to persuade

Documents

questions of policy

immediate action slide

persuasive speeches

questions of policy

major earthquake

questions of value speeches

specific course of action

capital punishment