Are we rational human beings? Do we follow all forms of logic? Do we only act if it feels right? Do we even want the facts all the time? Have you ever tried to persuade an emotional person with logic?
We generally think we make decisions based on facts, but truly this is not the case. It has been found that when people agree with a particular message, they tend to perceive it as being more logical or rational. On the other hand, when people disagree with the message, they perceive it as an emotional plea.1 The truth is that that our decision-making process relies on a mixture between emotion and its partner, logic. However, we cannot rely entirely on emotion until our logical side has been engaged.
In one study, twenty-one students prepared speeches that were written from either a logical or an emotional standpoint. The speeches were presented, filmed, and then evaluated by other college students. Interestingly, there was no real consistency in the findings except that speeches bearing a message that the evaluator agreed with were rated as more rational (even if they were intended to be emotional), while those the evaluator did not agree with were considered to be more emotional (even though some of those were intended to be logical). It seemed that whether a speech was considered logical or emotional depended on the listener.
Researchers also concluded that, as a general rule, people seem unable to consistently distinguish between logical and emotional appeals.
The logical side of an argument appeals to our reason. Reasoning is the process of drawing a conclusion based on evidence. For an argument to be legitimate, it has to be true and valid, and logical reasoning must be used to back it up. Many persuaders and marketers use faulty forms of logic, leaving gaping holes that require the audience to make assumptions and fill in the blanks. These are called logical fallacies. A fallacy is, very generally, an error in reasoning. It differs from a factual error, which is simply being wrong about the facts. In other words, a fallacy is an "argument" in which the premises don't completely support the conclusion. In the next section, some of the most common logical fallacies are outlined.
Related Articles
Emotionally Packed Words Will Earn You More Money
By: Kurt Mortensen | 22/10/2006 | Affiliate Programs
Word choice in marketing and advertising is absolutely critical. When advertisers spend millions of dollars each year, you can bet they have tested every word they are going to use.
Genuine Competence Increases Your Ability To Influence Others
By: Kurt Mortensen | 05/12/2006 | Advertising
Remember that the more consistent and congruent you are in every aspect of your life, the more honest and genuine you're perceived to be. If you believe in your message, you'll practice what you preach.
Transformational, Long-Term, Permanent, Lasting Change
By: Kurt Mortensen | 31/12/2006 | Self Help
Change is the key to our success and to our financial future. Often in our own lives, however, change is something we fiercely resist. Even when achievement sits on our doorstep, we're still too comfortable to make an adjustment. The very first place to look for transformation is within. When...
Increasing Persuasion With Humor
By: Kurt Mortensen | 11/01/2007 | Self Help
Many people take for granted the powerful persuading influence of humor. Humor is often tossed off as sheer entertainment or mere speech filler. The truth is, when you engage an audience with humor, you are accomplishing much more than just getting a laugh out of them.
Humor disarms an audience,...
Social Validation Sells
By: Kurt Mortensen | 24/01/2007 | Self Help
For the most part, we are all conformists. We will do what the crowd does. We might not like to admit that, but it is true. Only 5 to 10 percent of the population engages in behavior contrary to the social norm.
We see this law operating in groups, in organizations,...
Compelling Evidence
By: Kurt Mortensen | 21/03/2007 | Law
As you prepare your message, understand that we humans aren't capable of absorbing all of the information you can gather. We are hit with data all day long and most of the time we don't absorb it. In fact, we are very selective in what we allow ourselves to retain....
Marketing Obligations
By: Kurt Mortensen | 04/04/2007 | Business
The more indebted we feel, the more motivated we are to eliminate the debt. Pre-giving makes us feel like we have to return the favor. Greenburg said this feeling of discomfort is created because the favor threatens our independence. An interesting report from the Disabled American Veterans Organization revealed that...
101 Powerful Ways To Inspire, Motivate And Energize Your Team
By: Kurt Mortensen | 11/09/2006 | Advertising
Anytime you're in a leadership position, you are faced with the question of how best to motivate those who work under you. There are countless philosophies and ideas out there, all claiming to be exactly what you need.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
How to succeed at Payment Processing sales? This ...
By: dougpulver | 10-10-2008
How to succeed at Payment Processing sales?
This is my first year in a payment processing sales position and I have spoken with another professional in my industry. They have expressed that the first year is quite difficult yet I would like to gather more insight from others who may have something extraordinary in the field of advice that I may not have heard so far. Thank you for your time and any recommendations that you might for me.
What is the best way to market a universal ...
By: schhr2 | 10-10-2008
What is the best way to market a universal discount card?
What percentage of sales this year should we ...
By: cap | 08-10-2008
What percentage of sales this year should we calculate have dropped compared to last year due to the economy for vinyl and print for digital media in ca.
Is the result of Spinal Decompression temporary or permanent?
By: mmchung1 | 08-10-2008
Once you've completed your spinal decompression sessions, have your low back pain symptoms returned?
How do you get/encourage/empower people to think strategically?
By: Amy | 06-10-2008
How to get employees to think strategically, "take ownership", keep the bigger picture in mind (vs. just "do their job")? How to have them see what's in it for them to do so?
Low cost hooded sweaters
By: Enchanted | 05-10-2008
low cost hooded sweaters
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Management Articles
Diversity Management
By: Janine Sergay | 16/10/2008
Opportunity for all
Is it not every individual's right to be afforded opportunities to put forward their best efforts? To develop their potential? And to show their worth through the results they produce? Not only is this a moral and ethical imperative but, within many countries, a legal one too.
Simple statistics...
Inventory Management System for Proper Demand and Supply
By: spinxwebdesign | 16/10/2008
Inventory management system is being popularly used by many companies and organization worldwide.
Executive Coaching India : How Does Coaching Work?
By: Vaishally Nath | 14/10/2008
Executive Coaching India
www.executivecoachingindia.com
The Orange Academy (www.executivecoachingindia.com) is one of the front runners of coaching in India. The organization has in its fold world class coaches with sizeable experience and insights at the leadership levels. Their expertise gives The Orange Academy an edge to provide the best of coaching results.
This article outlines the coaching process and answes some frequently asked questions by the users consumers of coaching services.
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
By: Robert | 14/10/2008
six sigma green belt certification as an employee can increase your effectiveness as an employee and save you thousands or millions of dollars as a business owner.
Tips on Looking for a Good Venture Capital Business Firm
By: Trisha Rich | 14/10/2008
Numerous ventures are experienced with the challenging task of increasing thier venture capital. If you are one them, then this process might be helpful on finding the right venture capital firm for your business. Although this may look easy.
Improve Employee Performance by Letting "talkers" Speak
By: Barbara Brown, PhD | 14/10/2008
If you have employees who love to talk, consider using their passion for talking as a way to encourage greater cooperation and contributions. This article explains the usefulness of this approach and gives you four situations where you might apply it.
Payroll Frequency: the Difference and the Cost Savings
By: Rebecca Beckett | 14/10/2008
It is essential that companies consider payroll frequency when looking for a way to cut costs. Choosing the frequency best for your company will make for a smooth process.
Problem-solving Success Tip - Know the Job is Really Done
By: Jeanne Sawyer | 14/10/2008
Know a job is REALLY done by using completion criteria. You don't want to tell someone who has worked really hard to complete a task that what they did isn't what you meant. This tip tells you how to avoid this common problem.
More from Kurt Mortensen
Factors Influencing The Impact Of Humor In Persuasion
By: Kurt Mortensen | 07/04/2007 | Self Help
Humor's effectiveness will always ride the emotional tides of your audience members. How well a joke goes over may depend on whose company your prospects are in, whether they are winding down for the day or still up against deadlines or other workplace pressures, whether they are awake and alert...
Power Pointers For Story Selling
By: Kurt Mortensen | 07/04/2007 | Self Help
Nothing disarms and invites an audience in more than humor. We are instantly drawn to people we think are funny. We enjoy listening to humorous individuals and hearing what they have to say. Humor grabs attention, creates rapport and makes a message more memorable. It can also relieve tension, enhance...
Negotiation Hazards
By: Kurt Mortensen | 07/04/2007 | Self Help
What might work wonderfully in one negotiation situation will not always be appropriate in another. The instant someone feels cheated, misled or taken advantage of, your opportunity to negotiate with her/him is over. Negotiation hazards tend to occur when you are taking a particular strategy too far.
Many rookie negotiators have...
Business Advertising
By: Kurt Mortensen | 07/04/2007 | Business
Advertising is an investment in your business and is similar to other investments that are designed to improve and expand your business. The return you receive depends on the planning and thought that precede the actual commitment and expenditure of advertising dollars. By first developing an effective advertising plan, you...
The Desperation Cycle And Failing Motivation
By: Kurt Mortensen | 04/04/2007 | Self Help
Many think motivation is useless because it doesn't ensure long-lasting results. This thought tendency can be seen in what I call the Desperation Cycle. The Desperation Cycle shows how human nature influences us to take the easiest path instead of the best one. In persuasion, we need to pull people...
Face To Face Negotiation
By: Kurt Mortensen | 04/04/2007 | Self Help
In our age of ever-expanding communication possibilities, researchers have been drawn to answer the question of which communication mode is most likely to lend itself to successful negotiation. Although the answer is undetermined, Face-to-face communication has been proven to have a greater possibility of alleviating miscommunication. When you're in person,...
Marketing Obligations
By: Kurt Mortensen | 04/04/2007 | Business
The more indebted we feel, the more motivated we are to eliminate the debt. Pre-giving makes us feel like we have to return the favor. Greenburg said this feeling of discomfort is created because the favor threatens our independence. An interesting report from the Disabled American Veterans Organization revealed that...
Methods Of Protecting Mental Consistency
By: Kurt Mortensen | 04/04/2007 | Computers
When we feel cognitive dissonance, we have to find a way to deal with the psychological tension. We have an arsenal of tools at our disposal to help us return to cognitive consistency.
Your favorite politician, the local mayor, for whom you campaigned and voted, is in trouble. You spent your...
Business 
