Persuasive Appeals

Take a look at this.



As she indicated, a combination of at least two of these appeals will affect your audience on deeper levels.

The appeal to logic has to be synthesized or reduced enough to reach your audience and make that light turn on. Speaking above their heads or using jargon that thwarts shared meaning will only increase the psychological noise of your listeners, so make sure your logical appeal makes sense and functions to the end of supporting the direction of your presentation. Integrating images can help you reach this end through illustrating your point.

Pathos is more easily reached when compounded visually. The power of an anecdote can be increased with a photograph or photographic sequence. At the same time, you can't discount your delivery in attempting an emotional affect, your paralinguistics - rate, tone, pitch - need to interpret meaning from your anecdote or story as much as your images provide a context for that meaning.

Ethos is all about you, your charisma, your competency, your character. Take a look at two polarized examples regardless of your political moorings; President-elect Obama and President Bush.