Page 420 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 14 Persuasive Speaking 387

Emotional appeals are not inherently unethical, but they can be abused by
unscrupulous persuaders. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of the
most commonly used emotional appeal: fear.

Motivating Through Fear

Common sense tells us that we sometimes do things as a result of fear; for ex-
ample, we obey the law because we are afraid of the penalties we could suf-
fer should we break it. Yet the research suggests that when it comes to persua-
sive speaking, fear has its limits. Whether your goal is to encourage the use of
shoulder and lap belts while driving, demonstrate how fl ossing your teeth can
prevent gum disease, or convince people everyone needs a gun for self-protec-
tion, the research is clear: Persuasive messages that arouse moderate levels of
fear in audience members are more effective than those that generate high levels
of fear. This fact is especially true, moreover, when the speaker gives audience
members a set of clear-cut steps they can take to reduce the fear the speaker has
aroused. 12
As you can see in Exhibit 14.1, the relationship between fear and persua-
sive effects is like the relationship between speech anxiety and performance,
explained in Chapter 3. As the level of fear aroused in an audience begins to in-
crease, so do persuasive effects. Too much fear, however, diminishes persuasive
effects because it tends to elicit denial from audience members. In a sense, audi-
ence members respond to the high level of fear the speaker has aroused in them
by thinking, “That could never happen to me.”
If employed in moderation, however, fear can
High
be effective. Many public service campaigns
use moderate levels of fear to encourage posi-
tive behaviors such as not smoking, practicing Moderate
safe sex, and taking advantage of medications Persuasion
that control high blood pressure. The slogan
“If not for yourself, then do it for the ones
you love” is a good example. Produced by the Low
American Heart Association, this persuasive
message tells people with high blood pressure
that they need to think about the feelings of the Fear
people they would leave behind if they failed Exhibit 14.1
to control their blood pressure. This message The Relationship Between Fear Appeals and Persuasion
involves a mild but effective level of fear. Fear As the level of fear aroused in an audience begins to increase,
isn’t an inherently unethical form of persua- so do persuasive effects. Too much fear, however, diminishes
sion. Used moderately to achieve an ethical persuasive effects.
end, it is but one of the choices you have in de-
ciding how to appeal to your audience.

Language

Since we devoted an entire chapter to language, we won’t belabor its importance
to your persuasive message here. Still, we want to reinforce the fact that lan-
guage is signifi cant to your success and must be constructed with the rhetorical