Chapter 17: Persuasive Speaking

Chapter 17 delves into the foundations of persuasive speaking, explaining its significance in everyday life and how it has evolved with technology. This chapter first defines persuasion and introduces three theories of persuasion: Social Judgment Theory, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model. It describes the process of changing attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors through persuasive speeches. Further, it outlines four types of persuasive claims: definitional, factual, policy, and value claims, detailing how they lead to different types of speeches. The chapter also explains three organizational patterns for persuasive speeches: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, Problem-Cause-Solution, and Comparative Advantages, providing detailed steps and examples for each. Exercises are included to help readers practice crafting persuasive speeches using these methods.