Essay on Persuasive Communication, Pathos Theory, and Improving Skills

This essay explores the concept of persuasive communication, focusing on the Pathos theory as outlined in Chapter 11 of a communication textbook. The essay defines persuasion as influencing beliefs and behaviors, and introduces Pathos as an emotional appeal strategy. It explains how Pathos, utilizing elements like smiles and metaphors, can be effective when aligned with the audience's values. The essay further delves into how understanding Pathos can help develop better persuasive communication skills, emphasizing the importance of goal setting, directness, and active voice. The student has articulated how the theory can be used to become a better persuasive communicator.

Running head: PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
Persuasive Communication
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
Theory of Persuasion:
The persuasion can be considered as a specific type of process or action of persuading
someone or being persuaded. Through the persuasion someone begins to do something or starts
to believe something. In the other terms persuasion can be considered as umbrella term for the
influence purpose. Persuasion can be initiated by someone for influencing the beliefs, intentions,
attitudes, behaviour and motivation of a person. There are several of theories are available on the
persuasion. One of these theory is the pathos. In the following section this theory of pathos is
described briefly.
Pathos:
The pathos is actually considered as appeal to the emotion of the audiences. The pathos
can be in the form of smile, metaphor or it can be in the form of a simple type of claim. From the
theory of pathos it has been assessed that it can be very much effective if it is used in a proper
way. The pathos becomes most effective in such type of situations when the speaker or the
authors elaborates the agreement with the underlying value of the listener or the reader. Pathos
can be used by the speaker for swaying the listeners. The theory behind pathos includes appeals
for immigration of the audiences. In this type of cases the author actually creates scenario which
consists positive type of future results for something that has been proposed. The theory of
persuasion also describes that it is art of influencing others. As per the theory the main three
ways for implementing the persuasion are the capturing the attention of the audiences, arousing
the potential wants and crating appropriate response for the wants. All of these aspects need to be
studied in a proper way as these are the psychological appeal basis which the speaker will be
using in the speech of him/her.

2PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
Becoming a better Persuasive Communicator:
In this case, the theory will help in several of ways so that a better persuasive
communicator can be developed. From the theory the importance of establishing the goals on
early basis has been identified which is one of the biggest factor to be a persuasive
communicator. The theory defines that getting to the actual point is very much important to
become a proper persuasive communicator. As per the theory all the audiences must be
communicated through active voice. Lastly, asking for what they want is one of the important
way to become a persuasive communicator.