Power of Persuasion:Power of Persuasion:

Propaganda TechniquesPropaganda Techniques

Define the following terms:Define the following terms: ConsumerConsumer - a person who uses goods or services- a person who uses goods or services

PropagandaPropaganda - a message designed to persuade its intended - a message designed to persuade its intended audience to think and behave in a certainaudience to think and behave in a certain manner manner

Target AudienceTarget Audience

- a specified audience or demographic group for - a specified audience or demographic group for which an advertising message is designed. which an advertising message is designed.

Persuasion/Propaganda Persuasion/Propaganda TechniquesTechniques

Advertisers use appeals by Advertisers use appeals by association, emotional appeals, and association, emotional appeals, and loaded language to persuade you.loaded language to persuade you.

Two of the Appeals by Association that Two of the Appeals by Association that we’ve already talked about arewe’ve already talked about are

* Bandwagon* Bandwagon

* Testimonials* Testimonials

Other types of Propaganda used:Other types of Propaganda used:

StereotypeStereotype—presents a narrow, fixed —presents a narrow, fixed idea about all the members of a idea about all the members of a certain groupcertain group

Name-callingName-calling—uses loaded words to —uses loaded words to create negative feelings about a create negative feelings about a person, group, or thingperson, group, or thing

Snob appeal—Snob appeal—sends the message sends the message that something is valuable because that something is valuable because only “special” people appreciate itonly “special” people appreciate it

One type of testimonial is called an One type of testimonial is called an endorsementendorsement, which is a , which is a recommendation by someone who is recommendation by someone who is well-known, but not necessarily an well-known, but not necessarily an authority on the subject.authority on the subject.

Other techniques Other techniques that are used to that are used to persuade persuade consumers in consumers in advertising are advertising are humorhumor, , musicmusic and and appealing to your appealing to your emotionsemotions in in various ways.various ways.

Faulty Reasoning seen in Faulty Reasoning seen in advertising…advertising…

• • Hasty generalizationHasty generalization— a conclusion drawn from — a conclusion drawn from too little evidencetoo little evidence

• • OvergeneralizationOvergeneralization— a broad conclusion using — a broad conclusion using all-or-nothing words like all-or-nothing words like everyevery, , alwaysalways, and , and nevernever

• • Circular reasoningCircular reasoning— reasons that say the same — reasons that say the same thing over and over again using different wordsthing over and over again using different words

• • False cause— False cause— the assumption that one event the assumption that one event caused another because it occurred earlier in caused another because it occurred earlier in timetime

Hasty GeneralizationHasty Generalizationa conclusion drawn from too little evidencea conclusion drawn from too little evidence

Example: Example: Robin: I guess you can never trust a Robin: I guess you can never trust a woman.woman.Batman: You've made a Batman: You've made a hasty hasty generalizationgeneralization, Robin. It's a bad habit to , Robin. It's a bad habit to get into.get into.((BatmanBatman television series, 1966) television series, 1966)

OvergeneralizationOvergeneralizationa broad conclusion using all-or-a broad conclusion using all-or-

nothing words like nothing words like everyevery, , alwaysalways, , and and nevernever

Example: Example: ““In times of crisis, every American In times of crisis, every American supports his President.”supports his President.”

This statement is an overgeneralization This statement is an overgeneralization because it assumes too much to be proven because it assumes too much to be proven possible.  Until most Americans can be possible.  Until most Americans can be contacted and surveyed, this statement cannot contacted and surveyed, this statement cannot be proven valid.    Public support could change be proven valid.    Public support could change day by day and topic by topic. day by day and topic by topic.

Circular ReasoningCircular Reasoning

reasons that say the same thing over reasons that say the same thing over and over again using different wordsand over again using different words

Examples: Examples: - Nothing succeeds like success. - Nothing succeeds like success. - Things are as they are because they were - Things are as they are because they were

as they were. as they were. - The meaning of life is to live a life of - The meaning of life is to live a life of

meaning meaning

False CauseFalse Cause

the assumption that one event caused the assumption that one event caused another because it occurred earlier in another because it occurred earlier in timetime

Example: Example: