Page 425 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

392 Part 4 Contexts for Public Speaking

Reciprocity appeals are effective because
people are conditioned from an early age to
return favors, gifts, and services. Reciprocity
is a norm. Thus, when people receive a prom-
ise or are asked to return something received,
the conditioned response is to reciprocate in
kind.

Liking
Appeals based on liking are commonly used in
persuasive campaigns. Politicians, for instance,
enlist stars from fi lm and music to speak per-
suasively on their behalf. The assumption is
that if a star is well liked, the feeling may be
generalized to the candidate endorsed by the
star. Liking is a staple of advertisers, who em-
ploy well-known people as spokespersons for a
product. It’s not that the celebrities are experts
on the product, but they are well liked by the
public. Thus, if well-liked fi gures Tiger Woods
and LeBron James wear Nikes, the hope is that
the public will also like the product.

Authority

Research shows that some people are predis-
posed to comply with the requests of individu-
als and institutions perceived as authoritative.
Celebrities such as Tiger Woods are effective in promoting Examples of these authoritative sources range
products because they are well liked by the public. from members of law enforcement and the
clergy to federal agencies such as the military.
Thus, a speaker attempting to encourage a
group of conservative Catholics to voice their opposition to stem cell research
might use the words of the Pope as an appeal. Similarly, a politician speaking to
veterans might rely on an endorsement received from a military hero to win the
audience’s vote in the election.

Social Support
An appeal based on social support is nothing more than an appeal based on
numbers. There’s a tendency among people to think that if enough folks say
something is so, then it must be so. Thus, product advertisers tout their product
as “the number-one seller in its class” in an effort to convince consumers that
their product must be the best. Research shows that when people are confronted
with an appeal supported by large numbers, they are much more likely to be