Emotional Appeal Flashcards, test questions and answers
Discover flashcards, test exam answers, and assignments to help you learn more about Emotional Appeal and other subjects. Don’t miss the chance to use them for more effective college education. Use our database of questions and answers on Emotional Appeal and get quick solutions for your test.
What is Emotional Appeal?
An emotional appeal is an argument based on the emotions of the audience rather than on logic. It is often used in persuasive writing and advertising to convince an audience to take some form of action. This type of argument typically relies on stirring up feelings of fear, guilt, anger, sympathy or pride in order to influence the decisions and opinions of its readers or viewers. For example, a political ad might use an emotional appeal by showing images of suffering children in war-torn countries to persuade voters that a particular candidate will make life better for those affected around the world. Similarly, a charity organization may show heart-wrenching images of homeless people in need to encourage people to donate money for their cause.Emotional appeals can be very powerful tools when used correctly but they are not without risks. While they can be effective at persuading an audience to take action, they can also come across as manipulative if not done carefully. Additionally, emotional appeals may only have a short-term impact since once the emotion fades away so does the call-to-action associated with it. Overall, emotional appeals can be used effectively when making arguments as long as it is done ethically and responsibly with respect for its readers or viewers. With proper usage and framing it can be particularly effective at generating support for causes or solutions that are important and worthy of attention.