13.2 Defining Persuasion

13.2 Defining Persuasion

Persuasion can be understood in more than one way, depending on how we think about its purpose. A commonly used definition describes persuasion as “the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing people’s beliefs or actions.” This definition provides a helpful starting point because it highlights one central idea: persuasion involves change.

One useful way to understand persuasion is to think of it as a continuum, or a range of possible positions. Audience members are not all in the same place. They may hold different opinions and levels of commitment regarding your topic.

In a persuasive speech, your central idea, also called a proposition or claim, represents the position you want the audience to consider or accept.

For example, suppose your claim is:

Human activity is the primary cause of contemporary climate change.

Audience members may fall anywhere along a range from strong agreement to strong disagreement. Some may already agree with the claim, some may be uncertain, and others may strongly oppose it.

Thinking about persuasion as a continuum helps you:

• Understand where audience members currently stand.
• Recognize that even a small change in attitude can be meaningful.
• Set realistic goals for your speech.
• Adapt your evidence and reasoning to the audience.

Moving an audience member from strong disagreement to strong agreement during a single speech is unlikely. Effective speakers often aim for gradual movement, such as encouraging listeners to become more open to an idea, reconsider an assumption, or examine additional evidence.

Framing Your Argument

Your proposition should be clear, specific, reasonable, and appropriate for your audience. Avoid claims that are vague, overly broad, or unnecessarily extreme.

Consider the difference between these propositions:

• Less effective: “Older adults should not be allowed to drive.”
• More effective: “Drivers over age 75 should complete periodic vision and health screenings when renewing their licenses.”

The second proposition is more specific and identifies a clear policy for the audience to consider. It also avoids making an unsupported generalization about all older adults.

Understanding Your Audience

In most persuasive situations, not everyone will completely agree with you at the beginning of the speech. This difference of opinion is what makes persuasion necessary. When everyone already agrees, there is little need to persuade them to accept the position.

Your target audience consists of the listeners who are most capable of being influenced by your message. These audience members may:

• Disagree with your position.
• Feel uncertain about the issue.
• Have little knowledge of the topic.
• Be willing to listen and consider your evidence.
• Support your general position but remain unwilling to act.

Some audience members may strongly oppose your position, while others may already agree with it. You should remain aware of all groups within the audience, but your persuasive strategy should focus primarily on those who are open to movement.

Three Goals of Persuasion

Persuasion may involve three broad types of change: creating, reinforcing, and changing.

Creating

Creating occurs when audience members have little knowledge of an issue or have not yet formed an opinion.

• Help the audience understand why the issue matters.
• Provide enough background information for listeners to evaluate the topic.
• Present clear arguments that help audience members form an informed position.

Reinforcing

Reinforcing involves strengthening beliefs, attitudes, values, or commitments the audience already holds.

• Confirm that the audience’s existing position is supported by evidence.
• Strengthen the audience’s confidence in that position.
• Encourage listeners to act consistently with their beliefs.

Changing

Changing involves moving audience members away from an existing position and toward a different belief, attitude, value, or action.

• Use strong and credible evidence.
• Address opposing perspectives accurately and respectfully.
• Explain why the proposed position is more reasonable or beneficial.
• Recognize that meaningful change may occur gradually.

A Broader View of Persuasion

Another definition emphasizes how persuasion works. Persuasion is a process of communicating ideas in a way that encourages people to change their attitudes, beliefs, values, or behavior while allowing them the freedom to choose.

This definition highlights several important features of persuasion:

• Persuasion relies on language, reasoning, evidence, and symbols rather than force.
• Persuasion is an attempt to influence and does not guarantee success.
• Audience members retain the freedom to accept or reject the message.
• Change occurs through the audience’s own thought and decision-making processes.

When people listen to a persuasive message, they engage in an internal conversation. They compare the speaker’s ideas and evidence with their existing knowledge, beliefs, experiences, and values. In this sense, audience members ultimately persuade themselves.

Ethics and Responsibility

Because persuasion involves influence, persuasive speakers have an ethical responsibility to their audience.

An ethical persuasive speaker should:

• Present information honestly and accurately.
• Use relevant and credible evidence.
• Distinguish facts from opinions and interpretations.
• Represent opposing perspectives fairly.
• Respect the audience’s ability to think independently.
• Avoid deceptive, misleading, or manipulative tactics.
• Acknowledge uncertainty and limitations when appropriate.

These responsibilities apply even in classroom presentations. Ethical persuasion respects the audience’s right to evaluate the message and reach an independent conclusion.

The Persuasion Continuum

The following continuum represents a range of possible audience positions on a persuasive topic.

Persuasion continuum ranging from strong disagreement to strong agreement.

Position	Audience response
−3	Strongly disagrees
−2	Disagrees
−1	Leans toward disagreement
0	Neutral, undecided, or unsure
+1	Leans toward agreement
+2	Agrees
+3	Strongly agrees

How to Use the Continuum

The continuum shows that audience positions are not limited to simple agreement or disagreement.

• −3 through −1 represent varying levels of disagreement.
• 0 represents a neutral, undecided, or uncertain position.
• +1 through +3 represent varying levels of agreement.

Your goal is not necessarily to move every audience member immediately to +3. A persuasive speech can be successful when it shifts audience members in the intended direction, even when that movement is small.

For example, moving a listener from −3 to −2 may indicate that the person is becoming more willing to consider your evidence. Moving someone from 0 to +1 may show that the listener now leans toward your position. Persuasion should therefore be evaluated in terms of realistic movement rather than complete agreement.

Final Thought

Persuasion is a process of using information, evidence, reasoning, and responsible communication to influence beliefs, attitudes, values, or actions. It rarely happens all at once, and it should not rely on pressure or deception.

Effective persuasion helps audiences think, reflect, evaluate alternatives, and make informed decisions for themselves.