Ethos
the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as credibility
Credibility
the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic.
competence and character
Initial credibility
the credibility of a speaker before she or he starts to speak
Derived credibility
the credibility of a speaker produced by everything she or he says and does during the speech
Terminal credibility
the credibility of a speaker at the end of the speech
Creating common ground
a technique in which a speaker connects himself or herself with the values, attitudes, or experiences of the audience
Evidence
Logos
the name used by Aristotle for the logical appeal of a speaker
evidence and reasoning
Reasoning
the process of drawing a conclusion on the basis of evidence
reasoning that moves from particular facts to a general conclusion
Reasoning from principle
Reasoning that moves from a general principle to a specific conclusion
Causal reasoning
reasoning that seeks to establish the relationship between causes and effects
Analogical reasoning
Fallacy
an error in reasoning
Hasty generalization
a fallacy in which a speaker jumps to a general conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence
False cause
a fallacy in which a speaker mistakenly assumes that because one event follows another, the first event is the cause of the second
Invalid analogy
an analogy in which the two cases being compared are not essentially alike
Bandwagon
a fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable
Red herring
a fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion
Ad hominem
a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute
a fallacy that forces listeners to choose between two alternatives when more than two alternatives exist
Slippery slope
a fallacy which assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented
Appeal to tradition
a fallacy which assumes that something old is automatically better than something new
a fallacy which assumes that something new is automatically better than something old
Pathos
the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as emotional appeal