Question 1

If you noticed that your grades started going up after you started a protein shake regimen, and you suggested to a friend that you think protein shakes have made you smarter, you might be committing a fallacy of
A) hasty generalization
B) false cause
C) ad hominem argument
D) this is not a fallacy

Accepted Answer

The statement suggests a causal relationship between consuming protein shakes and an improvement in cognitive abilities (grades). However, this correlation does not necessarily imply causation. It is possible that other factors, such as increased studying or a better diet, contributed to the improvement in grades. Therefore, suggesting that the protein shakes made the person smarter would be a fallacy of false cause.

Question 2

If, based on a discussion with two classmates, you stated to the instructor that "Many of the students in this class would like to have a take-home final," you would be committing a fallacy of
A) hasty generalization
B) false cause
C) ad hominem argument
D) this is not a fallacy

Accepted Answer

The statement "Many of the students in this class would like to have a take-home final" is based on a discussion with only two classmates, which is not a sufficient sample size to make a generalization about the entire class. Thus, it commits the fallacy of hasty generalization.

Question 3

An audience that strongly agrees with your position _______________________________.
A) is inevitably not going to work for your speech
B) may require you to switch opinions and take the opposite side
C) should be asked to take action on the topic
D) will require you to provide in information to aid in understanding

Accepted Answer

If the audience strongly agrees with your position, they are likely to be motivated to take action on the topic. Therefore, it would be effective to ask them to take specific actions related to the issue at hand.

Question 4

___________________ is a persuasive strategy of appealing to emotions in order to convince others to support your position.
A) Logos
B) Pathos
C) Eros
D) Ethos

Accepted Answer

Pathos is a persuasive strategy that uses emotions, such as pity, fear, or excitement, to influence the audience's opinions or actions. It aims to appeal to the audience's feelings rather than logical reasoning (logos) or ethical appeal (ethos).

Question 5

When you evoke positive emotions, your audience will more carefully consider your proposition and arguments.

Accepted Answer

When an audience experiences positive emotions, they are more likely to be receptive to a message and engage with it at a deeper level. This can lead to increased attention and focus, as well as greater retention and recall of the information presented. In contrast, negative emotions can interfere with cognitive processing and lead to resistance or rejection of a message. Therefore, it is important to use positive emotions to create a favorable context for communication and increase the persuasiveness of your arguments.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is accurate regarding negative emotions?
A) You should not attempt to evoke them in your speech.
B) People generally attempt to eliminate them as soon as possible.
C) Appealing to them is an example of the ad hominem fallacy.
D) Appealing to them is an example of the straw person fallacy.

Accepted Answer

People generally attempt to eliminate negative emotions as soon as possible. Appealing to them is not necessarily a fallacy, but it should be done with caution and ethical consideration.

Question 7

Which of the following statements regarding positive emotions is accurate?
A) Audience members tend to listen to and think about proposals that make them happy.
B) Audience members tend not to be persuaded by positive emotions.
C) Appealing to positive emotions is more effective than appealing to negative ones.
D) Appealing to positive emotions is less effective than appealing to negative ones.

Accepted Answer

Research shows that audience members are more likely to be persuaded by proposals that make them feel happy or positive emotions. It is important to appeal to both positive and negative emotions to create a balanced and effective persuasive message.

Question 8

The problem-solution pattern is explicitly designed to motivate the audience to act.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The problem-solution pattern is explicitly designed to...

Question 9

According to the elaboration likelihood model, the importance we attribute to an issue determines whether we use the central route or the peripheral route.

Accepted Answer

According to the elaboration likelihood model, when an issue is seen as important or personally relevant, we are more likely to use the central route of processing information and scrutinize arguments carefully. When an issue is perceived as less important or irrelevant to us, we may rely on peripheral cues, such as the source of the message or emotional appeals.

Question 10

When your audience is neutral, as opposed to apathetic or uninformed, you should _____________________.
A) provide them with basic information about the topic
B) personalize the topic for them
C) provide evidence illustrating why your position is superior to others
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

When the audience is neutral, they are already informed but undecided, so providing evidence to illustrate why your position is superior can help sway their opinion.

Question 11

Kara says to Sunny, "Did you hear Antonio's speech? I thought it was really good." Sunny replies, "How could you think he gave a good speech? He's such a dork! All he does is play video games. What a loser." Sunny's response is an example of _______________.
A) a hasty generalization
B) the false cause fallacy
C) an ad hominem fallacy
D) the straw man fallacy

Accepted Answer

Sunny's response attacks Antonio's character and personality instead of addressing the quality of his speech. This is an example of an ad hominem fallacy, where the argument attacks the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.

Question 12

The peripheral route to processing is a detailed, critical analysis of an argument.

Accepted Answer

The peripheral route to processing is a type of processing in which people are not actively engaging with the content and may be influenced by superficial factors such as likability or attractiveness of the source of the argument. It is the opposite of the central route to processing, which involves critical analysis of an argument.

Question 13

The ____is the conclusion the speaker wants the audience to agree with, and the ____ is the evidence supporting it.
A) claim; warrant
B) warrant; claim
C) support; warrant
D) claim; support

Accepted Answer

The claim is the conclusion or main point the speaker wants the audience to agree with, and the support is the evidence or reasoning provided to back up the claim.

Question 14

If you support the proposition that "recycling rates have gone down on campus" by saying, "Students have been using recycling bins as trash containers," you would be _______________________.
A) arguing from analogy
B) arguing from causation
C) arguing from example
D) arguing from sign

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you support the proposition that "recycling...

Question 15

The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) suggests that _____________________________.
A) when we go with our gut feeling, we are using the peripheral route
B) emotional appeals will trigger the central route
C) peripheral route processing is more influential than central route processing
D) once we trigger the peripheral route, it is impossible to use the central route

Accepted Answer

The ELM suggests that when we use shortcuts or heuristics to make decisions, we are using the peripheral route. This is often based on emotions or superficial cues rather than careful consideration of the argument or message. Going with our gut feeling is an example of using the peripheral route.

Question 16

Reasoning that what is true in some examples is an example of arguing from example.

Accepted Answer

Arguing from example is when we rely on specific examples to make a generalization or conclusion, even though those examples might not necessarily represent the whole population or situation. Therefore, reasoning that what is true in some examples is an example of arguing from example.

Question 17

If you support the point that Colorado ski resort towns have been seeing an increase in wildlife habitat loss with the argument that "There have been increased reporting of bear and deer in the downtown area," you would be
A) arguing from analogy
B) arguing from causation
C) arguing from example
D) arguing from sign

Accepted Answer

Arguing from sign implies that the presented evidence is a sign or indication of a larger phenomenon. In this case, the increased reporting of bear and deer in the downtown area should serve as a sign that wildlife habitat loss is occurring in the surrounding ski resort towns.

Question 18

A decision to buy a car based on an analysis of cost, comparative features, and frequency of repair would be a decision based on ______________.
A) credibility
B) emotion
C) logic and reason
D) fallacies

Accepted Answer

Making a decision based on the analysis of cost, comparative features, and frequency of repair is a logical and reasonable decision as it involves weighing the pros and cons of each potential option. It is not based on emotion or fallacies, but on factual information and logical reasoning.

Question 19

In a speech arguing that college tuition is far too expensive, you explain that there are high quality colleges in Canada that charge half the cost. This is an example of which kind of argument?
A) argument for analogy
B) arguing from causation
C) arguing from sign
D) none of these

Accepted Answer

The argument for using the example of high quality colleges in Canada and their lower tuition costs is an argument for analogy because it compares two similar things (colleges) and argues that one is better (Canada's colleges) based on a specific characteristic (lower tuition costs) than the other (colleges in the US).

Question 20

If your audience is very much opposed to your speech goal, _____________________________.
A) you should change your speech topic because you are very unlikely to change their minds
B) you should only expect to move their opinion a little bit closer in your direction
C) you should use the same strategy as those audiences who mildly oppose your speech goal
D) none of these

Accepted Answer

If your audience is strongly opposed to your speech goal, it is unlikely that you will be able to completely change their minds. However, you can aim to move their opinion a little bit closer to your direction. This can be achieved by highlighting common ground or using persuasive techniques that appeal to their values and beliefs. It is important to remain respectful and open-minded to their perspective even if you disagree with it. Changing your speech topic may not be necessary if you can find a way to effectively communicate your message to the audience. Using the same strategy as audiences who mildly oppose your speech goal may not be effective as the level of opposition is significantly higher in this case.

Quiz 17: Persuasive Speaking

If you noticed that your grades started going up after you started a protein shake regimen, and you suggested to a friend that you think protein shakes have made you smarter, you might be committing a fallacy of

If, based on a discussion with two classmates, you stated to the instructor that "Many of the students in this class would like to have a take-home final," you would be committing a fallacy of

An audience that strongly agrees with your position _______________________________.

___________________ is a persuasive strategy of appealing to emotions in order to convince others to support your position.

When you evoke positive emotions, your audience will more carefully consider your proposition and arguments.

Which of the following statements is accurate regarding negative emotions?

Which of the following statements regarding positive emotions is accurate?

The problem-solution pattern is explicitly designed to motivate the audience to act.

According to the elaboration likelihood model, the importance we attribute to an issue determines whether we use the central route or the peripheral route.

When your audience is neutral, as opposed to apathetic or uninformed, you should _____________________.

Kara says to Sunny, "Did you hear Antonio's speech? I thought it was really good." Sunny replies, "How could you think he gave a good speech? He's such a dork! All he does is play video games. What a loser." Sunny's response is an example of _______________.

The peripheral route to processing is a detailed, critical analysis of an argument.

The is the conclusion the speaker wants the audience to agree with, and the is the evidence supporting it.

If you support the proposition that "recycling rates have gone down on campus" by saying, "Students have been using recycling bins as trash containers," you would be _______________________.

The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) suggests that _____________________________.

Reasoning that what is true in some examples is an example of arguing from example.

If you support the point that Colorado ski resort towns have been seeing an increase in wildlife habitat loss with the argument that "There have been increased reporting of bear and deer in the downtown area," you would be

A decision to buy a car based on an analysis of cost, comparative features, and frequency of repair would be a decision based on ______________.

In a speech arguing that college tuition is far too expensive, you explain that there are high quality colleges in Canada that charge half the cost. This is an example of which kind of argument?

If your audience is very much opposed to your speech goal, _____________________________.