Test your basic knowledge |

Persuasion

Subject : soft-skills
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. What's my message? - Who's my audience? - How should I adapt my message to my specific audience? - What's my rhetorical strategy? - What's my goal?






2. Assumes that the premise is not ideal - but a wiser choice than the opponent's






3. The affirmative or positive side is proposing a (new) position or resolution. Therefore it falls to this side to show evidence for that position






4. Inducement to act by argument or reasoning or entreaty






5. A false argument; an argument that appears to be logical - but in fact is not logical






6. The generally held opinion held prior to the debate






7. Questioning or proving the existence or actuality of some event - action - thing - person






8. Advertisers use celebrities and regular people to endorse products - If it's good enough for astronauts its good enough for you - The official candy bar of the Olympic Games






9. A statement that cannot be proved true. It is something that someone/author thinks - believes - feels. Some clue words associated with opinions are; think. appears - feel - believes. seems.






10. We call agree on the proper definitions of freedom and democracy - we can all agree that freedom and democracy are inherently good and are worth fighting a war - we agree that American freedom and American democracy are applicable to a non-American c






11. An ethical appeal that establishes the speaker's or writer's credibility and trustworthiness






12. Claims attack the person and not the issue






13. Statements claiming that some proposition is untrue or incorrect






14. Propaganda is a systematic way of spreading beliefs through a combination of facts - opinions disguised as facts - and repetition. Sometimes there is also some stretching of the truth. When you read - decide whether the author is trying to persuade y






15. Improve our ability to argue for our views and perspectives - Improve our ability to provide counter-arguments to other people's arguments - Improve our ability to assess the legitimacy of arguments in general.






16. An emotional appeal that stirs the feelings of the audience/reader/listener






17. Dissimilarities between two things are so much greater than their similarities - that their connection is unjustified






18. When you assume that the audience will automatically supply and accept an unspoken premise; construct an argument that does not explicitly state all the premises because you know the audience members will fill in those premises on their own.






19. Advertisers sometimes use words or phrases that seem significant - but on closer inspection they are actually meaningless - e.g. 'Leaves dishes virtually spotless.' We have seen so many ad claims that we have learned to tune out weasels. You are sup






20. Evidence supporting the team's position or used to denigrate or defeat the opposing view






21. What is the best or most accurate definition?






22. Sequential relationship is misinterpreted as causal (this caused that)






23. To treat one cause among many as if it is the single cause






24. A logical appeal or an appeal to reason (facts - statistics - and expert testimony)






25. This technique wants you to associate the good feelings created in the ad with the product - Because you deserve it - We want you to have the best.






26. An argument based on two premises and a conclusion that is logically true - E.g. vegetarian do not eat meat - I am a vegetarian - Therefore - I do not eat meat






27. The feelings or emotions that are evoked from a word






28. Telling only positive things about something or someone - without giving evidence or facts






29. Assumes a statement's conclusion is true without any sufficient evidence






30. Tries to persuade the reader to do - think - or buy something because it is popular or everyone is doing it - The famous McDonald's billboards displaying how many hamburgers the restaurants have sold. Mocked by Jerry Seinfeld: 'How insecure is this c






31. Does not acknowledge the possibility of a neutral position






32. A discussion adhering to parliamentary rules of proposition between two opposing sides






33. Facts - figures - numbers - graphs - charts - polls - surveys






34. The side that will oppose the proposition






35. Ordinary people sell a message. You are to believe that because these people are like you - they can be trusted.






36. Takes as evidence what it claims to prove






37. An expressed opinion - statement - or point of view






38. Persuading by making people feel as though they are one of the elite if they are using a particular product or thinking a certain way






39. Words or images that appeal to the audience's emotions are used. The appeal may be to positive emotions - such as desire for success - or to negative ones - such as fear.






40. The study of persuasion and its ways and means - the science of discourse - well-crafted communication that helps your achieve your persona - social - and/or political goals






41. control the frame: how we see and understand the argument - good use of language: be aware of the language - be aware of the question and answer: try to be on offense instead of defense - think about your presentation style






42. Advertisers intentionally do not finish a comparison - Our Candy is Sweetest - The safer car for your family






43. The process of selecting - organizing - and interpreting our experiences






44. Advertisers make it seem that the product is so new that you will be the first on the block to have it - The motor car is the magic carpet of modern times - Something new for the boys






45. To reduce complex matters to an either/or logic






46. The dictionary definition of a word






47. The information that is not necessary to understand the passage is called nonessential information. This may include opinions or details that do not add to the main idea of the passage.






48. Deliberate spreading information - ideas - or rumors to help or harm a person - group - movement - institution or nation






49. The side that will argue the proposition






50. To misrepresent your opponents argument; to seemingly refute your opponent's argument when in fact you have not accurately described his/her position