Public Speaking Storytelling and Persuasion Syllabus

Who are Robert Cialdini's six (later seven) principles of influence?

Reciprocity, Commitment/Consistency, Social Proof, Authority, Liking, and Scarcity — with Unity (shared identity) added as the seventh.

Define Cialdini's principle of reciprocity and give a speaking application.

People feel obligated to return favors or concessions. Application: give the audience genuine value first (insight, tools, honesty), making them more receptive to your request or call to action.

Define social proof and explain how a speaker can use it.

People look to the behavior of others to decide what is correct, especially under uncertainty. Speakers use it via testimonials, statistics about how many people have adopted an idea, or examples of similar audiences who acted.

What is the scarcity principle, and why does it work?

People value opportunities more when they are limited or rare; it works because of loss aversion — the fear of missing out weighs more heavily than the prospect of equivalent gain. Speakers use limited-time offers, closing windows, or unique opportunities.

What is the commitment and consistency principle in persuasion?

Once people commit to something (especially publicly or in writing), they feel internal and social pressure to act consistently with that commitment. Speakers exploit this by securing small initial agreements ('foot-in-the-door') before larger asks.

What are the three components of a basic argument in classical logic/rhetoric?

Claim (the assertion you want accepted), Evidence/Grounds (facts, data, examples supporting it), and Warrant (the reasoning that connects the evidence to the claim). These are the core of the Toulmin model.

In the Toulmin model of argument, what are backing, qualifier, and rebuttal?

Backing: additional support for the warrant itself; Qualifier: words limiting the claim's strength (e.g., 'usually', 'in most cases'); Rebuttal: acknowledgment of conditions or counterarguments under which the claim may not hold.

What is the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning in building arguments?

Deductive reasoning moves from general premises to a specific, logically certain conclusion (if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true); inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to a general, probable conclusion (the conclusion is likely but not guaranteed).

What is a syllogism? Give an example.

A deductive argument with a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion. Example: All humans are mortal (major); Socrates is a human (minor); therefore Socrates is mortal (conclusion).

What is 'two-sided refutational argument' and why is it often more persuasive than a one-sided argument?

Presenting your position, acknowledging the strongest opposing argument, then refuting it. It is more persuasive with informed or skeptical audiences because it boosts speaker credibility and 'inoculates' listeners against counterarguments they will hear later.

Define Aristotle's three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos — appeal based on the speaker's credibility, character, and trustworthiness; Pathos — appeal to the audience's emotions; Logos — appeal to logic, reasoning, and evidence. Effective persuasion combines all three.

What did Aristotle add as a fourth persuasive element related to timing, and what does it mean?

Kairos — the opportune moment; persuasion depends on delivering the right message at the right time and in the right context for that particular audience.

How does audience analysis change the appeal you emphasize (hostile vs. neutral vs. supportive audiences)?

Hostile audience: lead with ethos and common ground, set modest goals; Neutral/uninformed audience: emphasize logos with clear evidence and relevance; Supportive audience: emphasize pathos and move them from agreement to action.

What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and how do persuasive speakers use it?

A five-level model of human motivation: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Speakers frame their message to target the audience's currently active need level (e.g., appealing to safety for anxious audiences, esteem or self-actualization for aspirational ones).

What is a fear appeal, and what condition must be met for it to work rather than backfire?

A persuasive appeal that highlights a threat to motivate action. It works only when paired with high efficacy — a clear, achievable solution the audience believes they can perform; fear without a solution triggers denial or avoidance.

What is the 'ad hominem' fallacy?

Attacking the person making an argument (their character, motives, or background) instead of addressing the argument itself.

What is the 'straw man' fallacy?

Misrepresenting or oversimplifying an opponent's argument into a weaker version, then refuting that distorted version instead of the actual argument.

Distinguish the 'false dilemma' fallacy from the 'slippery slope' fallacy.

False dilemma: presenting only two options when more exist ('you're either with us or against us'). Slippery slope: claiming one small step will inevitably trigger a chain of extreme consequences without evidence for that chain.

What is the 'post hoc ergo propter hoc' fallacy?

Assuming that because event B followed event A, A caused B — confusing sequence (correlation in time) with causation. Example: 'I wore these socks and we won, so the socks caused the win.'

Define these three fallacies: bandwagon (ad populum), appeal to authority, and hasty generalization.

Bandwagon: claiming something is true or right because many people believe or do it. Appeal to (false) authority: citing an authority who lacks relevant expertise as proof. Hasty generalization: drawing a broad conclusion from too few or unrepresentative examples.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

A simile explicitly compares two things using 'like' or 'as' ('her voice was like velvet'); a metaphor states one thing is another, making an implicit comparison ('her voice was velvet').

Define anaphora and give a famous speech example.

Anaphora is the deliberate repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences — e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.'s repeated 'I have a dream...' or Churchill's 'We shall fight...'

What are antithesis and chiasmus? Give an example of each.

Antithesis: juxtaposing contrasting ideas in parallel structure ('That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind'). Chiasmus: reversing the structure of parallel phrases ('Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country').

What is the 'rule of three' (tricolon) in rhetoric, and why is it effective?

Presenting ideas in groups of three ('blood, sweat, and tears'; 'government of the people, by the people, for the people'). Three is the smallest pattern the brain recognizes as complete, making phrases rhythmic, memorable, and satisfying.

What qualities make a line in a speech memorable and quotable?

Brevity (short and tight), rhythm and balance (parallelism, rule of three), concreteness (vivid imagery over abstraction), contrast or surprise, sound devices (alliteration, rhyme), and placement with a pause so it stands alone.

What are the main benefits and the main risks of using humor in a speech?

Benefits: builds rapport and likability, relaxes the audience, increases attention and memorability, humanizes the speaker. Risks: offensive or targeted jokes destroy credibility, forced humor that falls flat creates awkwardness, and irrelevant jokes distract from the message.

What is the safest target for humor in public speaking, and what humor should be avoided?

Safest: self-deprecating humor aimed at the speaker (used in moderation so it doesn't undermine authority) and shared, relatable situations. Avoid: jokes about the audience's identity, religion, politics, tragedy, or any individual who could feel mocked.

What structural elements define motivational speaking, such as Monroe's Motivated Sequence?

Monroe's Motivated Sequence has five steps: 1) Attention (grab interest), 2) Need (show a problem exists), 3) Satisfaction (present the solution), 4) Visualization (paint the future with — or without — the solution), 5) Action (state exactly what to do).

In motivational speaking, why is the speaker's own transformation story central, and what is the typical arc?

Audiences believe change is possible when they see someone who has lived it; the typical arc is struggle/rock bottom → turning point or insight → transformation → transferable lesson, positioning the audience ('if I could do it, you can too').

What are the characteristics of an effective call to action (CTA) at the end of a persuasive speech?

It is specific (one clear behavior, not vague inspiration), immediate (something they can do now or with a deadline), achievable (low first-step barrier), stated directly with urgency and benefit, and it is the final thing the audience hears.