Communication Skills & Persuasion Techniques Flashcards

Which rhetorical appeal relies primarily on the speaker's credibility and character to persuade?

Answer: Ethos

Ethos persuades through the perceived trustworthiness, expertise, and integrity of the speaker.

A negotiator who continuously reframes the conversation in terms of shared goals rather than opposing positions is practicing which approach?

Answer: Interest-based communication

Interest-based communication focuses on underlying needs and shared goals, moving past fixed positions toward mutually beneficial solutions.

The persuasion technique of 'anchoring with justification' is more effective than simple anchoring because:

Answer: Providing a reason activates the 'click-whirr' automatic compliance response

Research by Langer et al. shows that giving any reason—even a weak one—dramatically increases compliance because people respond to the pattern of 'reason = valid.'

In cross-cultural negotiations, 'high-context' communication means that:

Answer: Much meaning is embedded in context, relationships, and non-verbal cues

High-context cultures (e.g., Japan, China, Arab nations) rely heavily on implicit communication, relationships, and situational context to convey meaning.

Which response strategy is most appropriate when the other party uses an emotionally charged or inflammatory statement?

Answer: Acknowledge the emotion without conceding on substance

Acknowledging the other party's emotion defuses tension without yielding on substantive issues, keeping the negotiation productive.

Persuasive storytelling in negotiation is effective primarily because:

Answer: Narratives activate emotional and memory-encoding brain regions, making information more memorable and relatable

Neurological research shows that narratives engage multiple brain areas including those governing emotion and memory, making the message more impactful than raw data alone.

The 'yes-set' technique involves:

Answer: Asking a series of questions the other party will answer 'yes' to, building a pattern of agreement

The yes-set builds psychological momentum by establishing a habit of agreement through small, uncontroversial questions before introducing the key request.