13.Analogical Reasoning: Reasoning in which a speaker compares two similar cases andinfers that what is true for the first case is also true for the second.14.Fallacy: An error in reasoning.15.Hasty Generalization: A fallacy in which a speaker jumps to a general conclusion on thebasis of insufficient evidence.16.False Cause: A fallacy in which a speaker mistakenly assumes that because one eventfollows another, the first event is the cause of the second.17.Invalid Analogy: An analogy in which the two cases being compared are not essentiallyalike.18.Bandwagon: A fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is thereforegood, correct, or desirable.19.Red Herring: A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from thesubject under discussion.20.Ad Hominem: A fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue indispute.21.Either-Or: A fallacy that forces listeners to choose between two alternatives when morethan two alternatives exist.22.Slippery Slope: A fallacy which assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequentsteps that cannot be prevented.23.Appeal to Tradition: A fallacy which assumes that something old is automatically betterthan something new.24.Appeal to Novelty: A fallacy which assumes that something new is automatically betterthan something old.25.Pathos: The name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication referto as emotional appeal.SummaryListeners accept a speaker’s ideas for one or more of four reasons—because theyperceive the speaker as having high credibility, because they are won over by thespeaker’s evidence, because they are convinced by the speaker’s reasoning, or becausethey are moved by the speaker’s emotional appeals.Credibility is affected by many factors, but the two most important are competence andcharacter. The more favorably listeners view a speaker’s competence and character, themore likely they are to accept her or his ideas. Although credibility is partly a matter ofreputation, you can enhance your credibility during a speech by establishing commonground with your listeners, by letting them know why you are qualified to speak on thetopic, and by presenting your ideas fluently and expressively.If you hope to be persuasive, you must also support your views with evidence—examples, statistics, and testimony. Regardless of what kind of evidence you use, it willbe more persuasive if it is new to the audience, stated in specific rather than generalterms, and from credible sources. Your evidence will also be more persuasive if you stateexplicitly the point it is supposed to prove.No matter how strong your evidence, you will not be persuasive unless listeners agreewith your reasoning. In reasoning from specific instances, you move from a number of
