Chapter 2: Persuasion, Structure And Language Devices

Bond University

ePublications@bond
Working Through Communication

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

7-1-1998

Chapter 2 : Persuasion, structure and language devices Mary R. Power
Bond University, [e-mail]

http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1002&context=working_through_communication&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F% 2Fwww.google.iq%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dlanguage%2Band%2Bpersuasion%26source% 3Dweb%26cd%3D5%26cad%3Drja%26ved%3D0CEoQFjAE%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F% 252Fepublications.bond.edu.au%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1002%2526context% 253Dworking_through_communication%26ei%3DLygaUayiDM_itQaPiICoDg%26usg% 3DAFQjCNEmn_cHhn5FqYYs6Qi7JkdqNr0yeA%26bvm%3Dbv.42261806%2Cd.Yms#search=%22language
They say–“He appeared a credible, genuine person–I’m afraid I didn’t go into it too thoroughly.” “I thought because other people like government ministers and university professors had money invested in it–it would be all right.” Petty & Cacioppo (1981) and Chaiken (1980) have developed theories to explain why people don’t always take a rational route to persuasion. In Petty & Cacioppo’s (1981) Elaboration Likelihood Theory we take a “central route” to persuasion, examining the rationality of the arguments for a course of action if we are very intelligent, or think a lot about decisions, or know a lot about the topic and have plenty of time and are interested. If, on the other hand, we are rushed and the issue isn’t terribly important to us we use Heuristics (Chaiken, 1980) or “quick decision rules”. We take the “peripheral route” to being persuaded, by relying on our own emotions, on how we feel, on what experts say, on what other people are doing, if the issue isn’t very important to us, or we are tired or distracted. So, how we are persuaded depends on the kind of people we are, how much interest we have in the matter, and how much time we have to consider
What is your responsibility here? What do you do?
As a group compose an outline for a two minute speech on plagiarism using the speech plan: 1. topic sentence
2. key ideas and examples
3. key ideas and examples
4. key ideas and examples
5. meeting objections to your view
6. summing up

Individual Task
In order to prepare yourself for using paragraphs in more sustained pieces of writing, as you might in a report or an exam essay, give yourself some practice. Use the template on p. ****, to write an essay on the following topic:
Essay - topic and guide to self assessment:
Your aunt is standing for the local council and is aware that you have taken a course in communication. She talks to you about your course and discovers that you have had lectures on theoretical and practical aspects of persuasion and on public speaking. She asks you to write her a paper outlining the key principles and strategies she needs to know to persuade her constituents that she is the best candidate with the best policies. Write your paper in the form of an essay in 30 minutes. Using the following guide, the paper will receive the corresponding number if it reflects some or a majority of