Chapter 14 - Persuasive Speaking
Practice Quiz
1
After spending several days in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Toledo, and
Cleveland, Mathias makes some conclusions about life in Ohio. This form of
reasoning is called __________.
reasoning from sign
deductive reasoning
reasoning from specific
instances
reasoning from causes and effects
2
__________ appeals are appeals to your listeners’ feelings, needs,
desires, and wants.
Credibility
Cognitive
Emotional
Logical
3
What is the first thing a persuasive speaker must do if he or she is
using the motivated sequence organizational pattern?
establish his or her personal expertise
advance a proposal to the audience
establish the need for change in listeners’ minds
gain listeners’ attention
4
“My
doctor told me never to buy a Chevy, because they are not well-made cars. And I
trust him. He is a highly educated individual, after all.” This logical fallacy
is an example of __________.
an appeal to authority
an
ad hominem attack
the
slippery slope
cognitive dissonance
5
Which type of supporting material might you use in a persuasive speech
that you would not likely use in an informative speech?
emotional appeals
quotations
models
illustrations
6
Victoria is presenting a persuasive speech to a group from Mexico. You
correctly advise her to __________.
stress independence, uniqueness, and nonconformity
be
vague and ambiguous when you present support for your positions
make plenty of references to
important and prominent people
stress future rewards rather than short-term rewards
7
Questions
of __________ concern what is or is not true.
value
fact
demonstration
policy
8
Which of the following thesis statements is clearly designed for a
persuasive speech on a of value?
Mayor Anderson is guilty of campaign fraud.
Rap
music leads to violent behavior in listeners.
Stealing is immoral.
Emissions from the steel mill
are polluting our lakes.
9
The
purpose of s of policy is to persuade listeners that __________.
something is true or false
a
particular action is moral or immoral
a particular procedure is the
one to adopt or not to adopt
something is valuable or not valuable
10
If
you give a speech of inspiration, you should particularly emphasize __________
appeals.
emotional
logical
ad
hominem
rational
11
Which of the following is an example of reasoning from cause and
effects?
If
you are sneezing, have a runny nose, a sore throat, and a slight fever, you
have a cold.
The
doorbell is ringing, so there must be someone at the door.
I
notice that flags are flying at half-mast all over town, so I suppose someone
important has died.
Obesity can lead to high blood
pressure, heart attack, blocked arteries and numerous other health problems.
12
If the motivated sequence has been used
effectively, the last audience question the speaker should answer is
__________.
“Is
this topic worth my time?”
“What can I do to effect this
change?”
“What are some further details about this topic?”
“Why do I need to know about this topic?”
13
At
your graduation ceremony, you are likely to hear a(n) __________.
acceptance speech
goodwill speech
eulogy
commencement speech
14
Persuasion is most effective when __________.
listeners demand extensive evidence before making changes
it strives for small changes and
works over a period of time
the
speaker is addressing an audience that is opposed to the speaker’s position
sweeping change is demanded in an extremely confrontational style
15
If
you show your audience that you share with them important attitudes, beliefs,
and values, you will be more likely to advance your persuasive goal.
True
False
16
It
is possible to give a speech in which you attempt to move your listeners in one
direction but actually succeed in moving them in the opposite direction.
True
False
17
Betty is delivering a persuasive speech about the need to raise taxes.
She knows that most of her listeners will not agree with her position. In this
case, Betty should __________.
lead with her thesis
pretend that she is on the listeners’ side
present
her case inductively rather than deductively
give her evidence and argument
first
18
You
cite a prominent climatologist’s views as evidence in your persuasive speech
about global warming. Later, an audience member says to you, “How can we
believe someone like that? I read that she cheated on her husband and walked
out on her family!” This is an example of a(n) __________.
appeal to pity
ad hominem argument
personal interest attack
appeal to authority
19
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
which of the following is the most basic human need?
safety
needs
physiological needs
belonging and love needs
self-esteem needs
20
If
you are giving a persuasive speech to someone from a __________culture, you
would be wise to emphasize the importance of family and national identity and
pride.
collectivist
long-term orientation
high-power-distance
individualistic
21
Which of the following is an example of the bandwagon fallacy?
Several famous actors and celebrities have gone on TV to state that
their children’s autism was caused by vaccines.
Hundreds of thousands of parents agree with me that vaccines caused
their children’s autism.
If
you give your child too many vaccines, he or she may well develop autism.
You
laugh at people who say that vaccines cause autism? Well, they laughed at
Galileo when he said the earth revolved around the sun, but he turned out to be
right, didn’t he?
22
Supporting materials that can be used in informative speeches are
completely inappropriate for persuasive speeches.
True
False
23
If
a speaker is very passionate about what he or she is saying, you can take that
as a sign that the speaker is telling the truth.
True
False
24
Your __________ is the degree to which your audience regards you as a
believable spokesperson.
personality
character
credibility
charisma
25
Speeches on questions of fact fit clearly into a topical organizational
pattern.
True
False
Practice Quiz 2
1
Which of the following is an example of reasoning from effect to cause?
Smoking contributes to lung cancer.
The increasing number of
hurricanes over the past decade is due to global warming.
Poverty contributes to low reading scores among elementary school
children.
Driving more than 20 miles over the speed limit leads to increased motor
fatalities.
2
There are three main ways of using emotional appeals: specific
instances, causes and effects, and sign.
True
False
3
If
you are speaking to audience members from cultures low in uncertainty
avoidance, remember that __________.
national identity and pride are very important
appeals to the new and different
will likely be effective
immediate reward are valued in such cultures
references to prominent people will prove effective
4
From which of Maslow’s motives might a group of homeowners be convinced
to form a neighborhood block watch committee?
safety needs
belonging and love needs
physiological needs
self-actualization needs
5
Which of the following statements is an appeal to pity?
“I
read the other day that most people really like the new homeland security laws.
I was sort of suspicious of them, but I guess if most people support them they
must be okay.”
“Those crazy right-wingers! They think a strong military is the key to
peace!”
“I’m positive that you will be
glad you hired me. I really need the job since my grandmother is sick.”
“People have believed in God for thousands of years, so it seems clear
that God must exist. After all, why else would the belief last so long?”
6
If
you are using the motivated sequence as a persuasive strategy, the first question
you want your audience to ask themselves is __________.
“how can I do anything about this?”
“how
would anything be improved?”
“why should I listen to this?”
“what can I do to effect change?”
7
In
a speech on s of fact, you will want to emphasize __________.
logical support
emotional appeals
a
wide variety of presentation aids
older sources rather than current ones
8
Commencement speeches should usually __________.
be
organized according to a problem-solution pattern
avoid any kind of motivational message
not
contain any personal message to the graduates
be fairly brief
9
The
answers to the questions of fact that persuasive speeches deal with are
generally easy to find.
True
False
10
An
appeal to numbers as truth argues that __________.
a
majority does not make a belief true
the
longer an idea is thought to be true, the more likely it is true
truth is determined by an idea’s
popularity
popular ideas are never correct
11
Lana smiles at her audience as she begins speaking, and demonstrates an
enthusiastic, emphatic outlook. She chooses vivid language in her descriptions
and is obviously committed to her position. Lana is demonstrating her
__________ to her listeners.
honesty
charisma
outspokenness
logic
12
When reasoning from __________, you examine several specific instances
and then conclude something about the whole.
deduction
causes and effects
induction
sign
13
In
her speech urging that the school fire the volleyball coach, Ling says, “You
know, Coach Meyers is simply incompetent!” This is an example of __________.
the
slippery slope argument
name-calling
an
appeal to authority
an
appeal to pity
14
“Mom, I know you may think I’m a terrible babysitter, but please believe
me when I tell you that I was in the bathroom when Jeremy got into the paint.
I’m sorry he splashed paint all over the living room and I promise to be even
more careful if you’ll let me babysit again after I clean up the mess.” This is
a good example of a(n) __________.
speech of inspiration
commencement speech
goodwill speech
eulogy
15
When you go to a religious service, you are most likely going to hear
a(n) __________.
informative speech
speech on questions of value
goodwill speech
speech on s of policy
16
Speeches on questions of value lend themselves to __________
organization.
structure-function
spatial
topical
multiple-definition
17
To
demonstrates your __________, show your listeners that you are knowledgeable
and thoroughly familiar with your topic.
candor
competence
personality
character
18
Which of the following is the highest of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
physiological needs
self-actualization needs
safety needs
self-esteem needs
19
Which of the following speakers will most likely deliver the most
effective persuasive speech?
Diego’s goal is to convince every retailer in his town to hire only
clerks who speak both English and Spanish.
Andrea hopes to get a pro-life group to favor capital punishment.
Landon wants to get a veteran’s group to sign his petition to cut U.S.
military spending by 90 percent.
Zoe hopes to convince a group of
sedentary adults that at least 10 minutes of exercise twice weekly would
benefit them.
20
Persuasion often aims to strengthen the views of listeners.
True
False
21
Grandmother is very conservative politically; she gets all of her news
from TV stations that also tend to be conservative. Her behavior follows the
principle of __________.
selective exposure
cognitive dissonance
the
availability heuristic
false analogy
22
Veronica is presenting a persuasive speech to a group from Great
Britain. You correctly advise her to __________.
use testimonials from people
much like the audience members themselves
emphasize themes such as nonconformity and uniqueness
stress tradition and appeal to the past
emphasize the importance of family
23
Listeners demand a greater number of reasons and much more evidence
before making big changes.
True
False
24
What makes a speaker credible will vary from one culture to another.
True
False
25
In
his persuasive speech, Jax states, “If the government bans semi-automatic
weapons, then the next step will be to ban rifles. If they ban rifles, then
they’ll ban all guns. We cannot allow them to ban guns. Thus, we cannot allow
them to ban semi-automatic weapons.” Which logical fallacy is at play here?
slippery slope
appeal to authority as proof
ad
hominem
appeal to ignorance
Chapter Quiz
1
Cee
Cee is delivering a speech on a question of value. Which of the following s
does her audience most likely want answered?
Are
other, more likely, explanations possible?
Why is this the good or just
thing to do?
How
do we know if this is true or false?
Is
this the most likely explanation of the issue?
2
Kate tells Nelson that his views on feminism are irrelevant because he
is a man. This is an example of a __________.
character attack
personal interest attack
glittering generality
straw man fallacy
3
Lower-level employees tend to try to persuade others more often than
higher-level employees.
True
False
4
Luther’s speech, titled “How to Make Friends,” will likely have special
appeal to people at which stage of Maslow’s hierarchy?
self-esteem
physiological
safety
belonging/love
5
If
you are delivering a speech to listeners who largely agree with you, you can
lead with your thesis.
True
False
6
Members of individualistic cultures respond well to messages that stress
themes such as __________.
national identity
brand loyalty
independence
family
7
When you are at the satisfaction step in your speech, audience members
should ideally be thinking __________.
“tell me more”
“I can change things”
“something needs to be done”
“let me sign up”
8
When you learn that Diana is planning on stressing how a new proposed
park will benefit the community five and even ten years from now, you know that
she will be addressing audience members from a culture __________.
with a long-term orientation
low
in uncertainty avoidance
with low power distance
high in uncertainty avoidance
9
Commencement speeches are typically organized according to a __________
pattern.
temporal
topical
pro-and-con
who? what? when? where? why?
10
Which statement about reasoning from specific instances is correct?
The larger the group you want
your conclusion to cover, the greater the number of specific instances you
should examine.
The
greater the diversity of items in the class, the fewer specific instances you
will need to examine.
Anecdotal evidence is the best kind of evidence to use when reasoning
from specific instances
This form of reasoning is rarely persuasive in formal speeches, but can
be effective in small group settings.
11
In
order to establish a cause-effect connection, you need to prove that possible
causes other than the one you are postulating are not producing the effect.
True
False
12
Which of the following thesis statements is clearly designed for a
persuasive speech on a question of fact?
This company discriminates
against people of color.
Marijuana should be decriminalized.
This company should ban smoking everywhere within the building.
Unvaccinated children should not be permitted to attend public schools.
13
The
more recent your materials, the more persuasive your speech on questions of
fact will be to your audience.
True
False
14
Which logical fallacy involves the assumption that one event will lead
to another event that everyone agrees would be undesirable?
the slippery slope
ad
hominem attacks
appeal to ignorance
appeal to authority
15
Emilio wants to convince listeners that his town’s existing policy
toward vagrancy is doing more harm than good. He would be wise to organize his
speech in a __________ pattern.
spatial
structure-function
cause-to-effect
multiple-definition
16
What is wrong with the following statement: “I'm sure the stock market
will rise this year. It usually goes up when the American League wins the World
Series.”
It is an appeal to authority as proof.
Emotional appeals such as this one are rarely correct.
Another cause other than the one
the speaker is mentioning is likely producing the effect.
It
is a classic example of the bandwagon fallacy.
17
Which of the following correct identifies Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
from lowest to highest?
self-actualization, belonging/love, physiological, safety, self-esteem
physiological, safety,
belonging/love, self-esteem, self-actualization
safety, physiological, self-esteem, belonging/love, self-actualization
self-esteem, physiological, belonging/love, safety, self-actualization
18
Which of the following is an example of reasoning from sign?
Obesity
can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, blocked arteries and numerous
other health problems.
Low
reading scores among elementary school children are due to poverty.
We
watch too much television and spend too much time sitting in front of
computers; that is why so many of us are overweight.
I saw the mail carrier on the
front porch just now, so I must have received some mail today.
19
If
Elaina wants to assure her audience that she is competent, she should
__________.
tell her listeners how glad she is to be speaking to them today
mention some of the articles she
used to gather information for her speech
use
language that is vivid and concrete rather than colorless and vague
stress that she has been an active in her church for over 20 years
20
Which of the following is an example of an ad hominem argument?
“The government must either raise taxes or reduce services for the
poor.”
“Why should we worry about endangered animal species when thousands of
people are killed in automobile accidents every year?
“I’m not surprised the governor
supports the legalization of marijuana. Her brother was convicted of drug
smuggling several years ago.”
“Of
course Greg can prepare great Mexican food; his Chinese cooking is
outstanding!”
21
When you are addressing a hostile audience, it is especially important
for you to focus on large changes.
True
False
22
Ultimately, your goal in a persuasive speech is to __________.
strengthen your listeners’ views
get people to do something
change your audience’s beliefs
entertain your listeners
23
What
is the correct sequence for a speech organized in a motivated sequence?
attention, visualization, need, satisfaction, action
visualization, attention, need, action, satisfaction
attention, need, satisfaction,
visualization, action
need, attention, visualization, action, satisfaction
24
One
way to establish your __________ is to stress fairness in your speech.
character
candor
competence
charisma
25
Which type of reasoning is especially useful when you want to develop a
general principle or conclusion but cannot examine every possible example?
reasoning from specific
instances
reasoning from emotion
reasoning from cause and effects
reasoning from sign
