648 words

Foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face, and low-balling compliance techniques

One common compliance technique used in social psychology is that of the so-called 'foot-in -- the door' approach. An example of such a technique was manifest in one experiment comparing different types of solicitation strategies to garner financial support for a museum.

~4 min read

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376 words

Italian wine commercial claims and sophistication appeals

It blatantly claims to be made with some of the best grapes Italy has to offer; "you can tell this was made from the finest Italian grapes." It also presents that just because it is Italian it is better than other wine choices.

~2 min read

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1,323 words

Hitler's use of propaganda to gain power in Nazi Germany

A common definition of the term propaganda refers to "…information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation…"(Propaganda) Allied with this is the view that it is the one-sided promotion of a particular doctrine or set of principles…

~7 min read

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1,189 words

Malcolm Gladwell's tipping point translator function and advertising

Advertising and the Tailoring of Message: The Insidious Underside of Gladwell's Translation In Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell examines the nature of trends in all of their forms, form political ideas to rumors to manners of dress and social habits.

~6 min read

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879 words

Edward Bernays' propaganda system and public opinion control

In 1928, the American business community was in the process of undergoing a transformation. This transformation included a higher level of participation by the American public. Until his time, American business represented an upper class that conducted its affairs in private.

~5 min read

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811 words

Rhetorical analysis of MetLife insurance advertisement's Aristotelian appeals

The Met Life Insurance Company advertisement makes use of all three Aristotelian appeals to Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

~5 min read

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662 words

Character alliances and shifts in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

These lines persuade the commoners in three distinct ways. The first quote is the beginning of reminding the citizens how much they loved Caesar for all of his good qualities, which is the most direct way to stir up sympathy for Caesar.

~4 min read

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1,854 words

Storytelling as a tool for organizational leadership and influence

Storytelling is recognized as a universal human activity (Matthews & Wacker, 2007). It serves wide-ranging and diverse purposes. History shows that societies have created stories and listened to them passionately and intently as well.

~10 min read

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3,136 words

The evolution of rhetoric from classical antiquity to modern theory

In philosophy and the human sciences, rhetoric has for centuries played a significant role.

~16 min read

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1,293 words

Nixon's "The Great Silent Majority" speech and rhetorical strategy

On November 3, 1969, then President Richard Nixon gave one of his most infamous speeches as a response to the growing uproar about America's involvement in Vietnam.

~7 min read

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