• what writers & speakers use to support their position to convince the reader or listener

• used in advertising, media, politics, & war

• advertisers target the audience’s • age • social status • education level

1. bandwagon 2. glittering generalities 3. common sense 4. free or bargain 5. plain folk 6. testimonial 7. emotional appeal 8. citing statistics

8 Persuasive Techniques 7th Graders MUST Recognize

• tries to persuade you that everyone is doing it & you should join in

• everyone supports this person/cause, so should you

• appeals to the conformist in all of us; no one wants to be left out of what is perceived to be a popular trend

Everyone in Cheney is behind Jim Duffy for Mayor. Shouldn't you be

part of this winning team?

a credit card company states the

millions of people who use their

card

Be where the action is. Shop at Hang-Out Mall.

Uses phrase like • all true Americans... • all Cheney Cardinals... • every athlete needs... • everyone’s doing it, why not you… • don’t you want to be like...

• uses glowing terms & offers no real evidence

• uses undefined phrases that have positive emotional appeal to audience

• the slogan is so attractive that audience does not challenge its meaning

• weasel words are used to suggest a positive meaning w/out actually making any guarantee

• a man says a diet product

might help you to lose weight the

way it helped him lose weight

Glittering Generalities

• a woman claims that using Tide

detergent cured her allergy

problem

• terms used •ultra •the American Way

trying to persuade using everyday sense of good

or bad and right or wrong

• Saving our environment from the dangers of carbon monoxide is important, right?

• Catching a thief…wouldn’t you like to do that with our Catch ’em While You Can Alarm System?

• Donate to Good Will…something simple you can do to help yourself & the poor.

speaker suggests that the public can get

something for nothing or almost nothing

• gimmicks • toys in cereal boxes

• rebates • w/ the purchase of a new computer, buy a printer & get a $40 rebate

• special deals • buy 1 pair, get 2nd one ½ off

• kids’ club • buy this CD & get a free membership to the singer’s fan club

Examples of Free or Bargain

• ordinary people sell a message

• appeals to common, ordinary folk

• you are to believe that because these people are like you, they can be trusted

• promotes neighborly relationships

• often used by politicians

As a construction

worker, I often get

headaches on the job.

That’s why I use Pain

Away aspirin.

After a morning speech to wealthy

Democratic donors, a presidential

candidate stops by McDonald's for

a burger, fries, and photo-op.

A soda pop ad features two

people wearing overalls who sit

on their back porch saying “Thank

you for your support.”

• using words of a famous person to persuade

• person says a product, idea, or person is good

• celebrity endorsement • movie star • rock star • athlete

Sam Slugger, a baseball Hall of Famer who

led the pros in hitting for years, appears in a

television ad supporting Mike Poppy for U.S.

Senate. Since Sam is well-known & respected

in his home state & nationally, he will likely

gain Mr. Poppy many votes just by his

appearance with the candidate.

a famous hockey player recommends

a particular brand of skates

• a person we respect endorses project/service

• a movie star endorses a president

• famous baseball player praises a particular cold cream

• a college professor is quoted as recommending a new book

• I am professional football player Marcus Browning, and I use Wash Out Window Cleaner

• words such as luxury, beautiful, paradise, & economical are used to evoke positive feelings in the viewer

• words or images that appeal to viewer’s emotions; may be positive or negative ones

• presents a dreaded circumstance & usually follows it up w/ the kind of behavior needed to avoid that horrible event

• suggests that this product will protect the user from some danger

• this technique is very popular among political parties & PACs (Political Action Committees) in U.S.

Fear A Type of Emotional Appeal

The Citizens for Retired Rights presents a

magazine ad showing an elderly couple living

in poverty because their social security

benefits have been drastically cut by the

Republicans in Congress. The solution? The

CRR urges you to vote for Democrats.

a laundry detergent manufacturer suggests

that you will be embarrassed when

strangers see "ring around the collar" on

your shirts or blouses

An Example of Fear

What would you do if all

your possessions were

lost in a fire? Get the

Save-All fireproof safe

and protect your

valuables.

An Example of Fear

An emotional word or symbol, good or bad. It is a short-cut device; we accept or reject it w/out thought or examination.

Loaded Words & Symbols Other Examples of Emotional Appeal

Words 3-Dimensional Objects

• Mother

• home

• love

• hate

• patriotism

• progress

• flag

• a swastika

• a cross

• heart

• confederate flag

• skulls & cross bones

using percentages or other mathematical

information to persuade the viewer

Citing Statistics Facts & Figures

a car manufacturer quotes the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 mph

Example of Citing Statistics

Sources http://www.thematzats.com/propaganda/prop/sld001.htm

http://www.stark.k12.oh.us/Docs/units/1966/buyerpl

http://turnerlearning.com/cnn/coldwar/cw_prop2.html

http://www.entrenet.com/~groedmed/namedu/adtech.htm

Tressler and Lewis, Mastering Effective English (Third

Edition), pp.470-472

http://catalog.socialstudies.com/c/@poqnB_pt1NhRY/Pages/a

rticle.html?article@propaganda

http://www.globaled.org/curriculum/cm4c.html

ESSDACK handout. 11 Nov. 2005.

http://www.media-

awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/lessons/elementary/advertisin

g_marketing/gotta_have_a_gimmick.cfm