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. 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






2. 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.






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






4. Assumes because one thing is allowed - worse things will occur after






5. The generally held opinion held prior to the debate






6. When you read a nonfiction passage - you must decide what information is important and what is not. What you must remember is the essential information. Essential information is necessary to understand a passage. This includes the main idea and the s






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






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






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






10. A fact that may be used to infer another fact






11. 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






12. Narrative (story) - anecdotal (brieft tale or story that lends itself to but does not prove a conclusion) - participation - demonstation - performance - testimonial (eyewitness - expert - authority - celebrity)






13. An argument whose conclusion does not follow from its premise






14. Does not acknowledge the possibility of a neutral position






15. Claims attack the person and not the issue






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






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






18. 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






19. Is it moral - right - wrong - ethical - pretty - ugly?






20. 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






21. 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






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






23. 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?






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






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






26. Takes as evidence what it claims to prove






27. 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






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






29. A suggestion that is offered for consideration or acceptance






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






31. The side that will oppose the proposition






32. Inducement to act by argument or reasoning or entreaty






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






34. 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.






35. 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.






36. 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.






37. The ability to make a 'rational' link between your claim and evidence - which helps the audience consent to your argument






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






39. Advertisers try to make their products stand out by focusing on a single element that is found only in their product - hoping that consumers will think this means their product is better - he only breathmint that has retsyn - There's nothing else lik






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






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






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






43. What course of action should we take as a government - nation - country - or culture?






44. 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.






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






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






47. An author may write with bias - an unfair fondness or dislike for something. For example - suppose an author believes that the government should be tougher on teen crime. If the author wrote an article about teenage crime - his/her bias would most li






48. Statements claiming that some proposition is untrue or incorrect






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






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