382 17.2 Using PersUasive strategies
Middle Eastern cultures usually do not use standard inductive or deductive
structures. They are more likely to use narrative methods to persuade an audience.
They tell stories that evoke feelings and emotions and use extended analogies,
examples, and illustrations, allowing their listeners to draw their own conclusions
by inductive association.^11 Although this text stresses the kind of inductive reason-
ing that will be persuasive to most North Americans, you might need to use alter-
native strategies if your audience is from another cultural tradition.
North Americans also like debates that involve a direct clash of ideas
and opinions. Our low-context culture encourages people to be more direct
and forthright in dealing with issues and disagreement than do high-context
cultures. People from high-context cultures, for example, may expect that
participants in debates will establish a personal relationship before debating
issues.Supporting Your Reasoning with Evidence
You cannot persuade by simply stating a conclusion without proving it with evi-
dence. When attempting to persuade listeners, it is essential to make sure that
your evidence logically supports the inductive, deductive, or causal reasoning
you are using to reach your conclusion.
• Inductive. If you are using an inductive reasoning strategy (from spe-
cific examples to a general conclusion), you need to make sure you have
enough facts, examples, statistics, and credible opinions to support your
conclusion.Table 17.1 Comparing types of reasoning
Inductive Reasoning Deductive Reasoning Causal Reasoning
Reasoning begins
with...Specific examples A general statement Something knownReasoning ends
with...A general conclusion A specific conclusion A speculation about something
unknown occurring, based on
what is known
Conclusion of
reasoning is that
something is...Probable or improbable True or false Likely or not likelyGoal of reasoning
is...To reach a general conclusion or
discover something newTo reach a specific conclusion
by applying what is knownTo link something known with
something unknown
Example When tougher drug laws went
into effect in Kansas City and
St. Louis, drug traffic was
reduced. Each city in the United
States should therefore institute
tougher drug laws because
there will be a decrease in drug
use.Instituting tough drug laws in
medium-sized communities
results in diminished drug-
related crime. San Marcos,
Texas, is a medium-sized
community. San Marcos should
institute tough drug laws in order
to reduce drug-related crimes.Since the 70-mile-per-hour
speed limit was reinstated, traffic
deaths have increased. The
increased highway speed has
caused an increase in highway
deaths.Copyrighted by Pearson education, Upper saddle river, nJ