Homework Assignment #4 - Persuasive Communication

Answer each of the questions below. You can add as much detail as you wish. Be sure your answers are clearly understood by the reader. Remember, you choose the correct words, you choose the number (NOT amount!) of words to use. Your goal is to make your ideas clear and communicate your understanding of the questions to the reader. This is good practice using a couple of key ideas explored in the reading from today's lecture.

Make sure your homework LOOKS GOOD! Creating a visually appealing DOCUMENT should be a concept you are familiar with from other writing classes. A clear, easy to follow document will always aid in communication and understanding. 

1. Explain what this cartoon is saying about persuasive communication:

2. One day at a golf tournament, a friend and I were convinced to drink several Red Bull energy drinks. We both knew the negative effects energy drinks have, yet we drank several. The Red Bull booth was a large, colorful, booth advertising free cans of Red Bull in a variety of new flavors. The booth workers were several young, attractive, women, dressed in shorts and tank tops. Looking back, it seems this is a perfect example of "peripheral route" persuasion. Have you ever experienced this type of persuasion? Provide an example from your own life.

3. One of the toughest choices any speaker makes is how to use "ethical persuasion." The author of our textbook claims speakers should always do this. But is this possible? Is it wise? Answer each of these questions with an interesting example. Your answers do not have to be based on personal experience. They can be hypothetical.

Ethical behavior: do not break the law - do not speed : Give me an example when unethical behavior might be necessary and beneficial.

Ethical behavior: always tell the truth - do not lie:  Give me an example when unethical behavior might be necessary and beneficial.

Ethical behavior: be forthcoming - do not keep secrets:  Give me an example when unethical behavior might be necessary and beneficial.

Ethical behavior: be kind and gentle - do not harm others (this might be hard):  Give me an example when unethical behavior might be necessary and beneficial.

(The point of this last question is NOT to convince you to behave unethically. It is to point out that being ethical is not always easy.)