Answer:
Convincing the target audience to do something or buy something because "everyone else is doing it." Join the crowd. This technique reinforces people's desire to fit in and be on the winning team.
Explanation:
Recognizable propaganda methods:
1. Name-calling or stereotyping: Calling someone or something a derogatory name. This makes us reject and condemn someone or something without understanding the label. Republican, Tree-Hugger, Nazi, Environmentalist, Special-Interest Group.
2. VIRTUE WORDS or GLITTERING GENERALITY: These words trick us into accepting and approving things without carefully examining the evidence. "Natural", "Democratic", "Organic", "Scientific", "Ecological", "Sustainable".
3. DEIFICATION: Making an idea holy, sacred, or special and therefore above the law. Thus, opposing views appear treasonous or blasphemous. "God-given right to...", "Mother Earth", "Gia".
4. Transfer is when a symbol of respect, authority, sanction, and prestige is used to make an idea or argument more acceptable. American Flag, University Seal, Medical Association Symbol (or something that looks like it). GUILT- or VIRTUE-BY-ASSOCIATION describes this method.
5. TESTIMONIAL: When a famous (or infamous) person endorses a product or idea (or bad). This method persuades without evidence.
6. Plain Folks: A speaker uses this to persuade an audience that an idea is good because it's shared by most people like you. "The people want this," "Most Americans..." Another example is a story about a family or people "just like you" to support the speaker's position.
7. BAND WAGON: This propaganda technique tries to persuade us to agree with them or risk missing out on something great. Advertising uses Band-Wagon. Examples: "Be the first on your block," "Act Now!" "What if I was the only one on my block because no one was interested (duped)?"
8. ARTIFICIAL DICHOTOMY: Someone claims there are only two sides to an issue and that both sides must be presented equally to be evaluated. This trick deceives us into thinking there is only one perspective on an issue when there may be many. Like most propaganda, it simplifies reality and distorts it to the speaker's advantage. "Intelligent design" versus "evolution" is an example.
9. HOT POTATO: An inflammatory (often untrue) statement or question to embarrass or surprise an opponent. Examples: "Have you stopped beating your spouse," "When will you pay your taxes?" It doesn't matter if it's false; it still stirs up the opponent.
10. STALLING or IGNORING THE QUESTION: This tactic is used to delay or avoid answering a question. "I have always met the obligations I have to those I represent," a senator says when asked about a tax increase.
11. LEAST-OF-EVILS justifies unpopular or unpleasant views. War is hell, but appeasem*nt causes worse disasters.
12. SCAPEGOAT: Used with Guilt-by-association to avoid blame. It assigns blame without investigating the issue's complexities. "George W. Bush got us into Iraq"; "President Reagan caused the national debt".
13. This technique confuses the audience about cause and effect. Most phenomena have multiple causes, so saying "Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria" is misleading.
14. DISTORTION OF DATA or OUT OF CONTEXT or CARD STACKING or CHERRY PICKING: This technique is used to persuade by using selected information and not presenting the full story. "A study found peanut butter causes liver cancer" (the fact that later the study was later shown to be flawed or funded by the peanut butter haters and therefore suspect, is not revealed). "Raising the speed limit to 65 mph reduced traffic fatalities" is another option. Check how many people drove before and after the speed limit change. Despite higher fatality rates (deaths per 100,000), fewer people may drive after the speed limit change, resulting in fewer fatalities.
15. WEAK INFERENCE (or False Cause): A judgment is made with insufficient evidence or when the conclusion does not necessarily follow from the evidence. All waterfowl migrate south in winter because ducks and geese do. Or, rich people vote republican, so most republicans are rich.
16. Faulty analogy: Overcomparing. "The economy is following the same path as right before the great depression, therefore we will experience a stock market crash soon!" is a SLIPPERY SLOPE analogy. Slippery slope suggests that a change in one direction will lead to extremes (ex. smoking pot will lead to heroine addiction). Possibly.
17. Misuse of statistics: Averages are reported without the variation around them. "9 out of 10 dentists recommend..." gives a percentage but not the sample size. "Our town had 3,400 more robberies last year, while other cities had less than one percent," mixes absolute and proportional quantities. By cutting off part of the scale, using unusual units, or no scale, graphs distort the result. Results are misreported. 68.42105 percent for 13 of 19 students.
