Scientology Propaganda Techniques - Dogma and Fund Raising Practices

Propaganda Identification Rubric
TOP 100 Techniques Commonly Found in Scientology Dogma & Fund Raising Practices
Technique
Category
Form (Alternate Name)
Description
Example(s)
APPEAL TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
An emotion-laden example that angers

people is used as proof for a claim
because it elicits a negative response in
the form of public outrage, protest
and/or retraction of support for the
issue.
A police officer tells the press a Senator

is a major person of interest they wish to
interview in a manslaughter case
because the victim was the father of
young girl who accused the Senator's
son of date rape.
Emotional
Appeal
APPEAL TO POSITIVE EMOTIONS
An emotion-laden "sob" story is used as

proof for a claim because it elicits a
positive response in the form of an
outpouring of support for the issue.
A politician uses a heartbreaking story of

a child being killed in a drive-by shooting
to gain support for a year-round school
measure.
Emotional
Appeal
Making an appeal to people using

historical precedent as the basis to the
judge the merits of an idea, product,
APPEAL TO TRADITION (APPEAL TO service, person, group or organization.
AUTHORITY: TRADITION)
The long-standing tradition is promoted
as a reason for making a default, nobrainer decision rather than evaluating
the proposition on its own merits.
Emotional
Appeal
DEMAND FOR SPECIAL

CONSIDERATION
Making an appeal to people using a

hardship story or extraordinary
circumstances that elicit feelings of
empathy, compassion or solidarity
Commonly relies on a ploy catering to
gender, race, political groups, religion,
mental or physical disabilities, social
class, regional background, sexual
orientation, occupation, membership in
an organization etc.
LET ALTRUISM REIGN
Philanthropic organizations such as the

Red Cross, UNICEF, United Way,
A message geared towards people who
Doctors Without Borders, etc. have a list
place a great deal of value on the
of dedicated volunteers and donors they
concern for the welfare of others as
call on when whenever disasters such
opposed to egoism and selfishness.
as earthquakes, fierce storms, great
Healthcare workers, first responders,
fires and floods occur. Minimal
public servants and charitable
advertising is used because the
organization donors often feel a duty to
organization's reputation has an
be generous and magnanimous people.
automatic appeal to the desired
audience.
Emotional
Appeal
Emotional
Appeal
Validation Questions
Does this presentation elicit a positive
response due to my personal feelings of
anger, hate, rage, jealousy, envy, loneliness,
bitterness, greed, etc.?
Can I parse out the emotional trigger in this
message and still support/oppose the basic
idea?
Does this presentation elicit a positive
response due to my personal feelings of love,
hope, faith, enthusiasm, loyalty, remorse,
etc.?
Can I parse out the emotional trigger in this
message and still support/oppose the basic
idea?
Similar Form(s)
FEAR MONGERING
APPEAL TO EMOTIONS: PITY
DEMONIZATION (HATE MONGERING)
APPEAL TO RIDICULE / SPITE
APPEAL TO PITY
DEMAND FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION
START COLD, GET WARM & END HOT
"Vote for Kennedy, because familyvalues matter" said by a third or fourth

generation politician.
"Buy this maple syrup. We've been
around for over 100 years and your
grandpappy loved it as a little kid so you
will too!"
How is this person, product or organization

relevant to my best interests in the modern
age?
Does the idea presented stand on its own
merits without the historical endorsement?
Christian Children's Fund advertises

their "Sponsor a child program" in black
urban markets showing starving kids in
African huts, yet features indo Asian
kids in makeshift classrooms in rural
Caucasian markets in the bible belt.
Handicap telemarketers want to sell you
light bulbs and kitchen products you
don't really need because that is the only
job they can get.
If the merits of the product or program were

separated from the heat wrenching factor,
LET ALTRUISM REIGN
would I want to support this proposal?
How does this compare to other, bigger
APPEAL TO PITY
charitable efforts in terms of humanitarianism
achievement gained from my support?
Page 1 of 22
Am I getting a hard sell pitch for a proposal

that should sell itself based on the track
record of sponsoring party?
Is the reach and past accomplishments of
this group so widely recognized that an
extended proposal is unnecessary?
HELP FROM GIANTS OF THE PAST &

PRESENT
PERSONIFICATION: HISTORY
APPEAL TO BELIEF
APPEAL TO INAPPROPRIATE AUTHORITY

APPEAL TO MOTIVES (HALO EFFECT)
ACTION INVOLVEMENT

Technique
Category
Emotional
Appeal
Emotional
Appeal
Emotional
Appeal
Description
LOOK TO THE FUTURE & BE

OPTIMISTIC
A proposition that takes advantage of

people's desire to picture the future as
being bright and prosperous. Words and
phrases such as innovation, progress,
advancement, improvement, advanced
technology, inward and upward,
reaching the stars, problem solving, high
hopes, etc. can form a positive attitude
in the minds of many. This technique
can work best if the propagandist isn't
overly optimistic and includes a few
obstacles in the image they paint of a
rosy future.
Example(s)
"The innovation in this product line has

put a brand new world on the horizon."
"We've got the whole world in our
hands. Dream your bright dream - then
do all that you can."
"Forging a new tomorrow with a brand
you can trust."
Similar Form(s)
What does this proposal deliver in immediate

response to my supporting this message?
Is this message too good to be true? What is
actually required, and what is assumed to be
a given, to achieve to promised result?
CLICHS AND PLATITUDES

EUPHEMISMS
APPEAL TO NOVELTY
START COLD, GET WARM & END

HOT
Hitler would begin speeches calmly and

slowly address his audience. Then he
A message is portrayed with a range of would begin speaking a little faster and
building emotions. A technique used by louder and with a notable increase in
a speaker to engage the crowd and build enthusiasm. He would end his speech
fervor prior to the key points of the
by screaming at the crowd while
presentation being delivered in a
gesturing forcibly and using his fists to
sensationalized fashion.
pound the podium. The crowd matched
his mood swings and went wild with
cheers and applause.
Am I responding to key information of this

message or the speakers dramatic
presentation?
Is the crowd influencing my response to this
idea?
SHOCK 'EM
LOOK TO THE FUTURE & BE OPTIMISTIC
USING HOT & COLD WORDS
A message using emotive language with

emotionally charged words/phrases
("hot words") carry great power to
arouse strong feelings in people.
Alternatively, the choice of relatively
unemotional words/phrases ("cold
words") can reduce strong feelings. The
clever propagandist chooses his or her
words carefully hoping to persuade
people to think a certain way based on
their response to the words and not the
merits of the issue/proposal being
addressed.
Can I easily identify the neutral point of view

for this issue and re-phrase the statement
without using emotive language?
Is there an underlying bias and agenda
behind this remarks that requires such
emotive language?
DOUBLE TALK (multiple entries)

WEASEL WORDS
PERSONIFICATION (multiple entries)
Psychological
ACTION INVOLVEMENT
Appeal
A defense attorney for a man charged

with manslaughter due to accident that
occurred while he was driving under the
influence claims "my client had no
intention of shortening this child's
lifespan." While the prosecutor states
"the defendant slaughtered this child in
broad daylight."
An audience member is brought on

stage to participate in a product
demonstration. After being applauded
and praised for their performance, the
purchase is made without considering
A technique where a speaker enlists the
whether or not they need/want the
members of the audience in taking
product.
some action for a cause. The more
Habitat for Humanity will often recruit
people do for a cause, the more they'll
local church groups and civic
likely support it.
organizations to lend a hand on their
building projects. Afterward, participants
often respond positively when asked for
personal donations for other building
projects.
Page 2 of 22
Prior to involvement: Am I certain this is an

issue or organization I fully support?
LET ALTRUISM REIGN
After involvement: Did my willing participation STIMULATE CURIOSITY
infer acceptance of an idea/group I havent
TELL THEM ITS CONFIDENTIAL
fully evaluated yet?

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Psychological
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY: EXPERT
Appeal
"Our beer is brewed from the best hops

Use of a first hand account to support a
in the world that we go to great lengths
product, service or an idea where the
to select carefully" said by the elder
speaker is portrayed as an actual expert
family member and senior brewmaster
on the subject being promoted.
of a popular family-owned brewery.
Psychological APPEAL TO AUTHORITY:

Appeal
TESTIMONIAL (TESTIMONIALS)
Use of a first hand account from a

person who is happy, attractive or
somehow appealing in order to support
a product, service or an idea where the
speaker is not an expert on the subject
being promoted.
Psychological APPEAL TO NOVELTY (NEWER IS

Appeal
BETTER)

Psychological
(APPEAL TO MOCKERY) (THE
Appeal
HORSE LAUGH)
Use of actors and actresses portraying

fun-loving young people at the beach
drinking a soft drink and proclaiming
"this is refreshing" that implies you will
be amongst the many attractive, popular
people who drink this product if you buy
it.
Any Microsoft ad campaign for a new
breed of operating system that fails to
acknowledge history has proven a lack
An assertion that something is better or of stability until the product has several
correct simply because it is new. Relies major service pack updates.
on the mindset of western culture that
Biff: "I have a new marketing plan. The
includes a very powerful commitment to latest thing out of the think tank is the
the notion that new things must be
GK method and it's guaranteed to put
better than old things. This type of
ahead of the competition."
reasoning is fallacious because the
James: "Well, our old marketing method
novelty or newness of something does has been quite effective. I don't like the
not automatically make it correct or
idea of jumping to a new method without
better than something older.
a good reason."
Biff: "We have to stay on the cutting
edge. the GK method is so new that the
ink on the reports is still drying."
An assertion where ridicule, mockery or
spite is substituted for evidence in an
"argument." When combined with an
omission of legitimate facts, this sort of
"reasoning" is fallacious because
mocking a claim or countering it with a
malicious response does not prove that
it is false. Alternatively, showing that a
claim is ridiculous through the use of
legitimate methods (a non fallacious
argument supported by factual
evidence) can make it reasonable to
reject the claim. One form of this non
fallacious line of reasoning is known as
"reducing to absurdity" where the
counter argument uses humor to show
that a major contradiction or an absurd
result follows from a false assertion.
"Sure my worthy opponent claims that

we should lower tuition, but that is just
laughable."
"Those wacky conservatives! They think
a strong military is the key to peace!"
"How can you support Jane's budget
proposal after she highlighted your
department's problems at the
shareholders meeting last year?"
"You shouldn't consider voting for that
candidate after all the layoffs in his
wife's company adversely effected so
many people in this community."
Page 3 of 22
Does this expert have an agenda, vested
interest, or other biased reason to be less
than truthful?
Was the endorsement given freely without
coercion, incentives, compensation or other
strings attached?
Similar Form(s)

EMPHASIZING CREDENTIALS
APPEAL TO TRADITION
Does the person/organization/publication etc.

cited have expert knowledge on the topic?
Was the testimonial given freely without
QUOTING OUT OF CONTEXT
coercion, incentives, compensation or other
strings attached?
Am I being given enough information to

evaluate the quality of the new item for
myself?
Where is the statistics or other evidence
showing a marked improvement in the new
thing vs. the old version?
LOOK TO THE FUTURE & BE OPTIMISTIC

APPEAL TO POPULARITY
BANDWAGON
APPEAL TO BELIEF
Does the assertion actually disprove the

original proposal with supporting evidence?
When the mockery and spite message is
removed from this statement, does it still
sway my opinion?

NAME CALLING (STEREOTYPES)
AD HOMINEM
RED HERRING (SMOKESCREEN)
NON-SEQUITUR

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Psychological
BANDWAGON
Appeal
Am approach that pushes you towards

thinking that because everyone else is
doing something, you should do it too, or
you'll be left out. This technique
embodies a "keeping up with the
Joneses" philosophy. Essentially the
same as AD POPULUM, except that it
has a coercive peer pressure element
added to the message.
Political campaigns using independent

surveys to promote the popularity of one
candidate over another, then
encouraging party members to vote for
the more popular one for sake of party
unity rather than the candidate's
qualifications and positions on key
issues.
Advertising that suggests all the cool
kids wear a particular clothing line, so
you should too.
What is the agenda behind the message, and

does hard evidence support it?
Does the fact that others support it mean it is
in my interests to do so?
PERSONIFICATION: PUBLIC OPINION
APPEAL TO NOVELTY
APPEAL TO BELIEF
Psychological DEMONIZATION (HATE

Appeal
MONGERING)
In dictatorships, the media is a

government tool to achieve state goals
and broadcasts only what it wants
people to hear. So when the Cuban
Messages that stress (and often
government broadcast a news report
fabricate) atrocity stories about their
making the US President out to be the
enemies to win your sympathy. Just as anti-christ, this is demonization.
fear mongering can elicit action by
In the current Palestinian Israeli war,
means of an alleged threat, so can hate the Western press has picked up
mongering except by means of an
Palestinian stories that Jews massacred
alleged need for righteous persecution.. 500 civilians in Jenin, infected Arabs
with the AIDS virus, and are using
radioactive weapons. All were found to
be false, but demonization was
achieved.
Why is this message painted in such an

extreme manner?
Is the hateful attitude behind this message
due to paranoia, a hidden agenda or
independently verified facts that you
personally know to be true?
FEAR MONGERING
Psychological
Appeal
Good credentials such as titles, degrees

or awards usually impress listeners and
encourage them to take the speaker's
opinion at face value, trust their advice
without question and evaluate
statements the same as factual
evidence since it is seemingly an expert
opinion.
"More Dentists use Crest Toothpaste."

A speaker looking to sway public opinion
on pending legislation would opens with:
"Since receiving my doctorate in history,
I've studied American political affairs
exhaustively. And I believe that...."
What supporting evidence is given besides

the speaker's background?
Does the quality/scope of the information
provided measure up to what I expect from
somebody with these credentials?
APPEAL TO MOTIVES
Psychological FEAR MONGERING (APPEAL TO

Appeal
EMOTIONS: FEAR)
A message that plays on our deepest

fears, to divert our attention away from a
study of the merits of a proposal, and
towards adopting the presenter's view.
Fear can be subdivided into terror,
apprehension, uneasiness and
countless phobias attached to an infinite
list of objects and situations.
Psychologists tell us that fear appeals
only work if the viewer feels it is within
his/her power to change the situation.
Failure to support some environmental

program will result in disaster.
Climate change activists argue that
ecological disaster will ensue if global
warming doesnt cease.
The US president justified invading both
Iran and Afghanistan, at the same time,
after fear gripped the nation following
9/11.
Is the speaker exaggerating the threat to

stampede me into providing support?
Will following the speakers proposal really
reduce that threat?
Fear factor aside, what are the merits of the
speakers proposal?

APPEALING TO FORCE
SLIPPERY SLOPE
Page 4 of 22
Similar Form(s)

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Psychological IM ONE OF YOU (PLAIN FOLKS

Appeal
FALLACY)
A variation of not-so-plain folks playing

the PLAIN FOLKS card from a different
angle. Speakers try to persuade their
audiences that they are just like ordinary
people so that the audience will identify
them as one of us and accept their
proposition as being for us.
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter

was a nuclear engineer, millionaire, and
liberal, but crafted an image of himself
as a humble peanut farmer, in order to
garner support in his deeply
conservative, relatively poor, southern
state of Georgia.
Psychological PERSONIFICATION: GROUP

Appeal
FALLACY
Personification is a technique of giving

human characteristics to something that
is non-human and comes in several
variations. With instances of GROUP
FALLACY a generalized group is
targeted for a persuasive slant that
combines personification with FALLACY
OF COMPOSITION to portray a
message that stereotypes of stigmatize
the targeted group in some way.
Psychological
PERSONIFICATION: HISTORY
Appeal
Using words that indicate history is a

living, breathing being with a will.
Using words to confound

PERSONIFICATION: PUBLIC
OPINION with GLITTERING
GENERALITIES to engineer an editorial
commentary or rebuttal into being seen
PERSONIFICATION: JOURNALISTIC as something broader than a personal
Psychological
FALLACY (PUBLIC PRESENTATION opinion editorial (OpEd). The illusion
Appeal
OF OPINION CONFUSION)
that items which one sees represented
in the press as "public opinion," or which
one hears in speeches or broadcasts as
"public information" or "public
sentiment," represent widely held
beliefs.
Psychological PERSONIFICATION: PUBLIC

Appeal
OPINION
Buzz words and phrases used to

describe generalizations about opinion
and not of ascertainable fact.
PERSONIFICATION is applied to the
statement to indicate the general public
as a single entity holds a singular
opinion on some issue, organization or
person.
"The Black Community is outraged at

the lack of comment from city officials"
where a hidden assumption of "the
general public" in a given community
acts as a single entity with a singular
opinion.
WWII US military recruitment posters
portrayed Japanese soldiers as large
rats eagerly feeding on the victims of
their conquests. (The rats were given
the characteristics of a human.)
"History has spoken on this issue."
"The Past has shown us the error of our
ways."
"The Future beckons us with the
promise of a brighter tomorrow."
"Father Time marches on while we
stand by idle."
Ignoring the personality/image, does the

speakers idea serve my interests/coincide
with my beliefs?
Is s/he trying to cover up something with the
Im one of you image massaging?
Similar Form(s)
APPEAL TO TRADITION
PLAIN FOLKS
TRANSFER
Where is the evidence that proves that all

members of the group, or at least the majority
of the group, holds this view or opinion?
How does this message compare to the way
FALLACY OF COMPOSITION
targeted groups portray us? Is the opposing
view just as slanderous?
Does my position on this statement change

when all references to the past/present/future
are removed?
APPEAL TO TRADITION
What facts are lacking in this message that
requires an appeal based on unrealistic
generalizations?
"Public outrage at the mayor's action

was evident at the protest" where a
journalist infers the views held by the
protesters were held by the general
public at large.
When political or religious groups
encourage members to send in letters to
the Editor/Producer complaining that a
candidate/church was portrayed with the
assumption the audience will infer the
article/segment was a reflection of
public opinion rather than an OpEd
commentary.
Did the journalist specifically state the

message was reflective of a group opinion? If
so, what is the supporting evidence given that
provides validation for this claim?
Is this article/broadcast an investigative piece
or an opinion-based editorial? If it's the latter,
why does this commentator's personal
opinion matter so much?

GLITTERING GENERALITIES
"The voice of public opinion clamored for

justice outside the courtroom after the
verdict was read."
"The public conscience of this inquiry is
gravely concerned that the Senate didn't
question the commissioner longer."
Where is the evidence that proves that a

large demographic of society in general, or at
least the majority of the local community,
holds this view or opinion?
When the inference to broad
acceptance/consensus is removed, does my
own person opinion of this proposition
change?

BANDWAGON
Page 5 of 22

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Similar Form(s)
Take care of the environment or the

environment will take care of you."
"The rock wants to roll down the hill,
because of the force of gravity."
"The rainforest is crying out for our
attention."
Does my position on this statement change

when all references to the inanimate object
are removed?
What facts are lacking in this message that
requires an appeal based on unrealistic
generalizations?

FOREGONE CONCLUSIONS
A presidential candidate will often

portray the direction the incumbent
candidate is going in as an destructive,
disastrous course and the entire nation
is doomed if he is re-elected.
Hitler promised the German people a
perfect world would result from
promoting a pure race and eliminating
the undesirable races.
Is the extreme world view presented a

reasonable accomplishment supported by a
logical plan?
Is the urgency behind this proposal/idea
grounded in reality or hype?
APPEAL TO NOVELTY
FEAR MONGERING
Psychological
REPETITION
Appeal
The technique of bombarding the target

audience over and over with a simple
message until resistance to the
message fades away. The propagandist
will repeat simple slogans over and over
through various media. Eventually the
target audience will accept the idea,
often without even realizing it. One of
the principles of propaganda is that the
message must be easily learned and a
sense of familiarity via repetition aids
acceptance.
Hitler stated in Mein Kampf : "Now the

purpose of propaganda is not continually
to produce interesting changes for the
few blas little masters, but to convince;
that is, to convince the masses. The
masses, however, with their inertia,
always need a certain time before they
are ready even to notice a thing, and
they will lend their memories only to the
thousand fold repetition of the most
simple ideas."
"Drink Coca-Cola."
"Milk does a body good."
Are they trying to sell me on a slogan or

verifiable concept relevant to my interests?
What is the catch phrase or buzz word used
in this message and is the frequency of that
word/phrase increasing over time while the
explanation of what it means falls by the
wayside?
EMPHASIZE ONE POINT

USING SLOGANS
USING SIMPLIFICATION
Psychological
STIMULATE CURIOSITY
Appeal
A message that relies on the human

tendency to investigate things and the
fascination many people have for
understanding what is unknown to
them.
Free trials, test drives and taste testing

is often used in building a customer
base for an new, unproven product.
In a political campaign debate, a
politician might open with "Would you
really like to know what's behind my
opponent's proposal?"
What exactly is it that I want to know about

this idea or item that the speaker is not telling
ACTION INVOLVEMENT
me?
What are the underlying merits of this
proposal and why is it that those merits are
not presented up front?
Psychological
Appeal
A technique where the audience is told

they are will be told something that is
strictly confidential and privileged
information. Since people generally like
to think that they are "in the know" and
members of the "in crowd" they are
likely to accept whatever they are told
"The Secret" generated millions of

dollars in movie, book, CD/DVD sales. It
opens with the pitch "the Secret was
suppressed, the Secret was buried, the
Secret was coveted, the Secret will
never be released to the public. Yet that
is exactly what the authors did released it to the public - and it became
the fastest selling book on the planet.
Is it the proposal itself that appeals to me for

tangible reasons, or is the appeal strictly the
STIMULATE CURIOSITY
intangible nature of what is unknown?
BANDWAGON
What are the underlying merits of this
proposal and why is it that those merits are
not presented up front?
Psychological
PERSONIFICATION: SCIENCE
Appeal
Using words which suggest that

inanimate objects have a living soul or
"will" to behave in certain ways.
A message that promises a false reality

of either a perfect world (utopian
fantasy) or an extremely unpleasant
world (dystopian fantasy) if the audience
Psychological PRESENT UTOPIAN OR DYSTOPIAN
doesn't adopt a given position on an
Appeal
FANTASIES
issue. The extreme outcome painted
stirs similarly strong feelings of hope or
despair that can instills a deep seated
loyalty to a given cause.
Page 6 of 22

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Using the American flag as a backdrop

for a political event implies the speaker
is patriotic in the best interest of the
U.S.
Having a popular celebrity or role model
endorse a product or organization they
have never used.
Is there a legitimate connection between the

proposal and the honored
thing/person/institution?
Leaving the connection aside, what are the
proposals merits?
FAULTY ASSOCIATION
METAPHORS & SIMILES
I'M ONE OF YOU
Clichs (hackneyed phrase), platitudes

(trite sayings) and proverbs (pithy
sayings) are used as "plug and play"
Subtle
remarks in propositional messages
Disinformation (BUILDING THE MESSAGE AROUND much the same way slogans are used in
(Word Games) A PROVERB)
marketing materials. These expressions
get inserted because they feel/sound
good and without consideration of
whether or not they are true.
Who's to say what's right or wrong?

(Clich)
Morality can't be legislated. (Clich)
Out of sight, out of mind (Platitude)
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
(Platitude)
Only the educated are free. (Proverb)
Never open the door to a little vice lest a
great one enter with it. (Proverb)
Is the person is using a catchy phrases in

place of actual evidence?
Does the message stand on its own merits
when the overused saying is removed:
USING INNUENDO
APPEAL TO TRADITION
EUPHEMISMS
METAPHORS & SIMILES
Technical language, proprietary slang or

cultural lingo which is improperly used to
mislead and confuse people who are not
in that particular profession or field.
Complicated language that unnecessary
and flashy buzzwords when nothing
substantial is being said. A presentation
using words that are designed to
confuse or make something seem more
important than it really is.
A retail position job title called "price

integrity coordinator" instead of "sales
clerk."
Using "POC," which is short for "product
of conception." This is doublespeak for
"baby" or "fetus." The term "fetus" is
also doublespeak as it is medical jargon
not ordinarily used by lay people before
the abortion debate.
Final solution was the Nazi's name for
killing people because they were Jewish.
Is the meaning of this proposal completely

clear?
Is harsh language being replaced with softer DOUBLE TALK (multiple entries)
language to mislead?
Does translating the inflated words and
jargon to ordinary phrases change how I feel
about the issue?
Positive semantics "yes, pro___,

friendly, freedom fighter, hero,
humanitarian, moderate, plush,
reasonable, soothing, etc."
Can the same issue be portrayed using

neutral language?
Does my feelings towards this position
change when neutral language is used?

Negative semantics "no, anti-___,

enemy, extremist, fanatic, fervor,
megalomaniac, narcissist, sociopath,
etc."
Can the same issue be portrayed using

neutral language?
Does my feelings towards this position
change when neutral language is used?

Preachers say "We dont die, we pass

on."
Army generals say "collateral damage"
instead of "bombing civilians by
accident."
Islamic extremists say "2 martyrs died"
instead of "2 suicide bombers died."
Is an idea being sugar coated to get my

approval?
If they called my job garbage man rather
than sanitation engineer would I still find it
acceptable?
Looking past the label, is the reality of idea,
something that I can support?

USING INNUENDO
METAPHORS & SIMILES
An attempt is made to transfer the

Psychological TRANSFER (FALSE CONNECTIONS)
prestige of a positive symbol or role
Appeal
(SYMBOLISM)
model to another person or an idea.
Subtle
DOUBLE TALK: JARGON
Disinformation (DOUBLESPEAK: INFLATED
(Word Games) LANGUAGE) (GOBBLYGOOK)
Subtle
DOUBLE TALK: PURR WORDS
Disinformation (DOUBLESPEAK: SOFT EMOTIVE
(Word Games) LANGUAGE)
Subtle
DOUBLE TALK: SNEER WORDS
Disinformation (DOUBLESPEAK: HARSH EMOTIVE
(Word Games) LANGUAGE)
Subtle
EUPHEMISMS (DOUBLESPEAK:
Disinformation
EUPHEMISM)
(Word Games)
Loaded language that relies on words

and phrases which subtly and
illegitimately directs the receiver's
attitude about basic premise behind their
proposal in a positive way.
Loaded language that relies on words
and phrases which subtly and
illegitimately directs the receiver's
attitude about basic premise behind their
proposal in a negative direction.
A message that tries to get your support
for harsh realities by using softer words
in the form of Euphemisms.
Euphemisms are a form of DOUBLE
TALK where words which cover up the
horror of regular language to make
something seem more acceptable
Page 7 of 22
Similar Form(s)

Technique
Category
Description
A weak attempt is made to complement

a positive aspect of the opposition prior
to attacking them in order to make the
Subtle
speaker's presentation appear to be fair
Disinformation FEINT PRAISE PRECEDING ATTACK and balanced. Yet the issue being
(Word Games)
complemented is trivial and/or unrelated
to the negative thrust of the subsequent
attack and does not portray and actual
pro vs. con evaluation in a fair manner.
Subtle
HELP FROM GIANTS OF THE PAST
Disinformation
& PRESENT
(Word Games)
Subtle
MANIPULATING NUMBERS
Disinformation
(MISLEADING STATISTICS)
(Word Games)
Example(s)
"The other candidate has fabulous hair,
a lovely family and was once an
awesome tennis player. But his track
record of pandering to big pharma and
taking shady campaign contributions is a
sign of a deceptive politician who is
ultimate goal is lining his own pockets."
Yet the speaker fails to mention the
other candidate's long history of
philanthropic causes, reduction of
homelessness and widely praised job
creation programs.
A politician raging against his or her

A proposition that uses quotes from
opponent who holds high office might
famous people to discredit the
quote the famous statement made by
opposition and/or bolster public support
Lord Aston, "All power corrupts, and
for the issue or group being promoted.
absolute power corrupts absolutely."
This technique uses numbers in any
one of many forms to paint a deceptive
"Consumer surveys show that 4 out of 5
picture of an issue, person or item. The
doctors choose this insurance for their
intent it to lead the audience into
private practice" without disclosing they
jumping to a conclusion that the
only spoke to 15 doctors referred to the
numbers given are more significant
ad agency by the insurance company.
factoids than what they really were
when compiled.
Similar Form(s)
What does the positive statements have to

with the negative statements?
Is the veracity of the negative remarks
directly impacted by removing the positive
spin preceding it?

MAKING A PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE
RED HERRING
Is the name being used in vain?

Is there a relevant connection between the
person being quoted and this proposal?
APPEAL TO TRADITION
(ENDORSEMENT)
Is the sample used to calculate that statistic

relevantly different from the population as a
whole?
Does the conclusion seem too good to be
true? If so, where is the independent proof
supporting the claim?
USE OF NUMBERS TO IMPRESS

FALLACY OF BIASED SAMPLING
USE OF AMBIGUOUS WORDS

(AMBIGUITY)
Subtle
Disinformation PLACEMENT OF EMPHASIS
(Word Games)
A positive or negative spin is inferred by

accenting a turn of phrase or portion of
message. Emphasis is used as form of
emotive language to suggest a meaning
different from the actual content of the
proposition.
A plumber's union president says "say

85% of American homes have indoor
plumbing." vs. a charity spokesperson
who says "5% of American homes do
not have indoor plumbing."
"The Captain was sober, today."
(Suggesting by his emphasis, that the
Captain is usually drunk.)
Is the inverse of this statement equally true

for the exact same context of the proposition
being supported?
Is there more than one interpretation for the
vague evidence stated?
Subtle
Disinformation PLAIN FOLKS
(Word Games)
Uses a folksy approach to convince us

to support someone or something due a
warm, fuzzy sense of commonality or
mutual bond. These ads depict people
with ordinary looks doing ordinary
activities.
"Buy our Florida orange juice because

it's picked fresh and has no
preservatives" said by a friendly farmer
in an orchard.
Do the facts behind the product/person

support the position presented? (read the
IM ONE OF YOU
label)
Does the message hold up on its own merits
without the imagery?
Subtle
Disinformation QUOTING OUT OF CONTEXT
(Word Games)
Distorts the meaning of what a person

has said about someone or something.
The speaker selects a few words to omit
from a given text, or insinuates the
subject the quote was addressing was
something other than the original scope
of the remark, so as to distort the
original meaning.
A noteworthy theater critic reviews and

independent film made by non-profit
organization and states "the best
example of an amateurish film released
this year." When the organization
releases the film on the internet, they
misstate the review and claim "the
best film released this year."
Is the quoted statement given a critical

evaluation or an endorsement?
Can the quoted remark be independently
verified?
Page 8 of 22

APPEAL TO AUTHORITY: TESTIMONIAL

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Subtle
Disinformation STRAW MAN ARGUMENT
(Word Games)
"People don't want to enter the military

because they find it an inconvenience.
A fabricated person, scenario, object or But they should realize that there are
example of a issue used as a purposely more important things than
weak adversary in a debate. Typically
convenience."
used to present the oppositions side of "I can't stress the importance of greater
issue in a way that makes it seem silly funding for NASA research. The
or to set it up so that it can be easily
opposition to this budget increase likes
defeated by their own arguments.
to call the International Space Station a
failed publicity stunt. But that project is
not in this budget."
Subtle
Disinformation USING INNUENDO
(Word Games)
Implying that something bad is true

without actually saying it. Dodging
rebuttal, opposing or refutation by using
indirect inference rather than direct
statement of facts.
Subtle
USING NUMBERS TO IMPRESS
Disinformation
(UNSOURCED STATISTICS)
(Word Games)
Some organizations brag about the

number of items sold to validate what
they produce rather than present the
merits and demerits of the product or
service and let the facts speak for
themselves.
Subtle
Disinformation USING SLOGANS
(Word Games)
Subtle
Disinformation WEASEL WORDS
(Word Games)
"Well, after all, he is a Southerner. We

all know about them."
"No surprise there considering he is a
liberal."
"Oh really?" (Said with mock surprise as
a response to a statement inferring it is
not truthful.)
"3 billion hamburgers sold!"

"A quarter of a million people have tried
our product."
"Our team has over 100 years of
experience litigating workers'
compensation cases."
"All power to the Soviets" was a
A message developed for branding
Bolshevik slogan in the eve of the
purposes that serves as a simplified,
October revolution.
easily-remembered statement to
"Work will make you free" was a
become synonymous with the item
German slogan used over the main
being marketed. A non-direct message
gates at a number of Nazi concentration
can have more staying power than a
camps.
head-on collision with the factual basis
"Remember Pearl Harbor" was an
for propositions. While being a widely
American military recruitment drive
practiced technique in advertising, when
slogan during WWII.
used for marketing something other
"Lips That Touch Liquor Must Never
than revenue generating promotion in
Touch Mine" was the Anti-Saloon
commercial activities it becomes a
League slogan of the US temperance
questionable use of persuasion.
movement.
"Save up to 50%." ("Up to" means
anything from 0% to 50%.)
Words which are slipped into a sentence
"Crest helps fight tooth decay." ("Helps"
and cause the illusion that the sentence
qualifies whatever comes after it. It
really says something, but in reality it
really means "it can't hurt.")
says nothing at all.
"Our cough medicine acts fast." (How
fast? This doesn't mean anything.)
Page 9 of 22
Does the other side(s) of this issue agree

with this depiction of their position?
Is the speaker using verbal inflation or wild
exaggeration to derail discussion of the real
issue?
Similar Form(s)
POTEMKIN VILLAGE
BIG LIE (HYPERBOLE)
FEINT PRAISE PRECEDING ATTACK
USE OF SIMPLIFICATION
(OVERSIMPLIFICATION)
What exactly are you implying? Where is the

EUPHEMISMS
evidence for that accusation?
LOADED QUESTIONS
What is the speaker's hidden agenda that
prevents him/her from speaking plainly?
If I strip away the sales pitch numbers/stats,

is the merits of this proposition self-evident?
Where's the meat behind this puffery?
CARD STACKING
Why are they trying to sell me on an idea,

person or organization in a commercialized
fashion rather than presenting me
REPETITION
information for evaluating the merits of what USING SIMPLIFICATION
this proposal really represents?
Will I get my money's worth if I take this sales
pitch at face value?
Restate the phrase as a question sans the

adverbs, is it still supported by the facts
given?
How many possible meanings can this
statement represent?

EUPHEMISMS
USING AN ILLICIT DEFINITION

Technique
Category
Diversion and
AD HOMINEM
Evasion
Description
Example(s)
Basic logic requires that an argument

stands or falls on the merits of the
argument, not the person giving it. Ad
hominem propaganda is an error of
attack relying on the fallacy of attacking
the person instead of the argument. The
attack made typically falls into one or
more classifications: abusive,
circumstantial or tu quoque (doesn't
practice what they preach). NOTE: Not
all ad hominem attacks are fallacious.
The exception is when the testimony of
an individual is suspect because of their
bad character.
The person's character, nationality or

religion may be attacked in defense of
an opposing view.
An opponent to an issue points out that
the proponent stands to gain from a
favorable outcome.
A person making a proposal is attacked
by association, or by the company s/he
keeps.
Someone rejects the President's
reasons for lifting the ban on gays in the
military because of the President's own
draft record and lack of active duty
military service.
Would the evidence for the original

proposition be more compelling if stated by a
different party?
Can the supporting facts for the proposed
idea be validated/invalidated independent of
the speaker's background and vested
interest?
Opponents of year-round school

threaten to keep their children out of
school during the summer months.
Diversion and
Someone uses threats to establish the Proponents of universal health care
APPEALING TO FORCE
Evasion
validity of the claim.
threaten to charge additional fees, apply
fines and/or deny licensing to private
medical facilities that refuse adopt new
standards.
Our founding fathers would have never
supported the regulation of firearms."
An statement that assumes something
(How do we know what the founding
not yet proven is true. Typically, the
fathers would support when they are
unproven issue being used as a premise
dead?)
BEGGING THE QUESTION
for an argument for one thing is in and
Diversion and
"Schools should continue to have
(CIRCULAR REASONING) (PETITO
of itself the very thing that needs to be
Evasion
textbooks read from cover to cover
PRINCIPII)
proven. Alternately, A person makes a
because, otherwise, students would not
claim then argues for it by advancing
be well-educated." When asked to
grounds whose meaning is simply
define what "well-educated" means, the
equivalent to that of the original claim.
person says, "knowing what is in the
textbooks."
Almost the same thing as APPEAL TO
IGNORANCE except that the
responsibility for the counter argument A person argues that voucher programs
is shifted to someone else by the
will not harm schools, then challengers
Diversion and MISPLACED BURDEN OF PROOF
original speaker. It works this way; One someone who questions their logic to
Evasion
(INVERSE APPEAL TO IGNORANCE)
makes some assertion and then says,
provide evidence of a situation where
"You prove that I'm wrong." This shifts vouchers did do a school harm.
the burden from the sender to the
receiver.
Page 10 of 22
Similar Form(s)

RED HERRING (ACCUSING THE
ACCUSER)
Can the validity of the proposal be countered

with evidence that suggest an outcome worse
than the reactionary threat?
SLIPPERY SLOPE
Can a compromise between extremes be
FEAR MONGERING
identified that has mutual benefits to both
opponents and proponents?
Is there an assumption of truth here that

cannot be validated independent of the issue
presented?
BLACK & WHITE FALLACY
Is this a foregone conclusion that merely
EQUIVOCATION
restates the premise?
SLIPPERY SLOPE
Is the stated premise a consequence of the
conclusion?
Why should I believe you if you cannot

provide evidence supporting your claim?
APPEAL TO IGNORANCE
So you admit the proposal given has no basis LOADED QUESTIONS
in fact and requires the use of assumptions ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
as premise for its validity?

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Diversion and
Evasion
Consists of attaching a negative label to

a person or a thing. People engage in
this type of behavior when they are
trying to avoid supporting their own
opinion with facts. Rather than explain
what they believe in, they prefer to try to
tear their opponent down.
Hitler supported euthanasia, how can

you support it?
Paul Martin was a thrifty finance
minister but Ernie Eves was a stingy
finance minister. Both were fiscally
conservative but the word choice to
describe the same cost cutting tendency
instills bias.
Is a concept that serves my best interests

being tarnished by tagging it with a bad
name?
If I ignored the negative name, what are the
merits of the idea itself?
AD HOMINEM
Diversion and NON-SEQUITUR (CHANGING THE

Evasion
SUBJECT)
A soft diversionary technique in which a

person seems to be answering a
question but, in fact, isn't. Instead,
someone sidesteps an issue raised in
the form of a question by changing the
topic with a statement rather than
presenting supporting evidence, or
countering with another argument that is
far worse (THE WICKED
ALTERNATIVE) or answering the
question with a new question (RED
HERRING).
When asked if the presence of

homosexuals in the army could be a
disruptive force, a speaker presents
examples of homosexuals winning
combat medals for bravery.
When a mother asks her daughter how
a first date went, the daughter responds
"You should have seen his car! Dad
would have loved it. It had a TV in the
back and four loudspeakers for the
stereo."
Has the speaker gotten off track? If so, what

was left unsaid about the original issue?
Was the derail of the original intentional or
accidental?

THE WICKED ALTERNATIVE
TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT
Diversion and
POISONING THE WELL
Evasion
A person is so committed to a position

that he/she explains away absolutely
everything others offer in opposition.
This tactic of evading questions and
diverting criticism by adopting a siegementality is a form of what is sometimes
called an error of attack.
Most activists on both sides of the ProLive vs. Pro-Choice debate fail to
acknowledge the extended legal history
behind Roe v. Wade.
Almost every proponent and opponent
on the ban on gays in the military
commits this error of omitting stats for
on base violence towards gays.
Does all of the evidence given conform to

universally accepted standards that is
supported by parties without vested
interests?
What is the underlying bias to this proposal
and does it have opponents who offer a
differing slant on the evidence presented?
CARD STACKING
SELECTED INSTANCES
SHOTGUN APPROACH
Senator A: " You spend too much of the

taxpayers' money"!
Senator B: "What about that so-called
"fact finding trip" you and your wife took
to Europe?"
Reporter: "Senator B what about these
allegations of taking campaign money
from the Chinese?"
Senator B: "I'm glad you asked me that.
This bipartisan bill that I'm introducing
will reform campaign finance in this
country."
Daoub Kuttab Takes the Shotgun
Approach:
http://hpmonitor.blogspot.com/2012/05/d
aoub-kuttab-takes-shotgunapproach.html
Diversion and RED HERRING (SMOKESCREEN)

Evasion
(ACCUSING THE ACCUSER )
a diversionary tactic designed to draw

attention away from the real issue by
raising questions about the opposition's
motives or intentions. Converts a
challenge on the merits of an issue that
can't be defended by falsely claiming or
insinuating it's a personal attack.
Diversion and
SHOTGUN APPROACH
Evasion
When a speaker throws at the audience

every supporting idea for his or her
cause that can be thought up. The hope
is that at least some of the ideas will be
accepted. The more varied and
heterogeneous the audience is, the
better the chances to get ideas across. Pachters Propaganda:
Based on the philosophy that more is
http://www.notenoughshaders.com/201
better.
2/10/22/pachters-propaganda/
Page 11 of 22
Similar Form(s)
Will the speaker actually address the issue

when the non-answer is pointed out?
Has there been an honest attempt to clarify
AD HOMINEM
the merits of the issue and take responsibility
USING A SCAPEGOAT
for addressing legitimate concerns with this
proposal?
How many of the arguments presented fall

POISONING THE WALL
short of facts and supporting evidence?
CARD STACKING
Are any of the arguments presented contrary
to my interest in this proposal?

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Similar Form(s)
A technique where the message

delivered to defend someone or
something is an attack on its opposite.
A proponent of mass transit will vilify the

"car culture" with pollution and fossil fuel
arguments rather than focuses on the
selling points of high-speed railways.
Is there more than one issue being presented

NON-SEQUITUR
here?
Am I getting the pros and cons of the current
CARD STACKING
issue only?
Diversion and
Evasion
The fallacy of saying that something

unjustifiable IS justifiable simply
because someone else did it.
NFL football players justifying the use of

a "slashing" gesture across their throat
by saying that professional wrestling is
something children also watch, and it's a
lot worse.
Johnny stole candy from the store and
explains that it wasn't wrong because
Jimmy did it too.
Is there commonality here in both issues

examples of being wrong?
Is the justification for the issue at hand in
anyway relevant to the merits of the
proposal?
NON-SEQUITUR
POISONING THE WELL
SELECTED INSTANCES
Diversion and
USING A SCAPEGOAT
Evasion
Female roles such as Eve in the Garden

of Eden and Pandora of Greek
Mythology have been used to vilify
A technique used to focus the blame,
women for their weak morals/nature.
correctly or incorrectly, on one group.
At a time when anti-Semitism was rife in
Political, ethnic, religious, racial or social France, Alfred Dreyfus was a Jewish
class groups have a long history of
army officer falsely accused of passing
being blamed for all or most of the ills of military secrets to the Prussians in the
a particular society.
"Dreyfuss Affair," which tore the country
apart.
Leon Trotsky was blamed for many of
the ills in Soviet Russia.
Is the person being blamed truly responsible

for causing all aspects of the problem or
issue at hand?
Who stands to gain from the attack on this
person?

AD HOMINEM
CONDEMNING THE ORIGIN
Diversion and USING AMBIGUOUS WORDS

Evasion
(AMBIGUITY) (AMPHIBOLY)
A message that can suffer from multiple

interpretations because a word or
phrase has more than one meaning.
Think "AMBI" as in "AMBIDEXTROUS"
which means you can use both hands
equally well. Ambiguity means that the
sentence or a word in the sentence is
used unclearly and the exact meaning
being used is vague.
Criminal actions are illegal, and all

murder trials are criminal actions, thus
all murder trials are illegal. (The term
"criminal actions" is used with two
different meanings)
"Last night I shot a burglar in my
pajamas." (who was wearing the
pajamas?)
"John Smith is a very good candidate"
where critical thinkers would ask exactly
what is meant by the word good.
Is there a reliance on something with multiple

meanings in this message?
Rephrase a statement as a question that
EQUIVOCATION
focuses on identifying a specific meaning of a BEGGING THE QUESTION
vague point. (So you're saying....?)
Define what you mean by ____?
Diversion and
USING GESTURES AND PROPS
Evasion
Image making can be a powerful

influence by cloaking propaganda in
drama. This includes gestures using
facial expression and body language
such as finger-pointing, clenched fists,
chest and podium pounding and thumbs
either up or down. Additionally, props
such as insignias, flags, medals,
ribbons, hats, uniforms, logos, badges
of authority and large picture backdrops
can make a mild manner message
seem impressive.
A decorated war veteran running for

political office will wear his fully
decorated military uniform for public
appearances.
Video montages that evoke heroic pride
or high moral standards will be used an
opening segway to a speaker's hard sell.
Sound effects, pre-recorded applause
and laugh tracks have been used to
simulate the appearance of audience
enthusiasm.
Does the significance of the message being

delivered change when the dramatic effects APPEAL TO POSITIVE EMOTIONS
are stripped away?
APPEAL TO TRADITION
Does the merits of the proposal still stand out START COLD, GET WARM & END HOT
without the additional imagery?
Diversion and THE WICKED ALTERNATIVE

Evasion
(DEFLECTION)
Page 12 of 22

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Questionable
CONCURRENCY (JOINT EFFECT)
Causal
Relationships
One thing is held to cause another when

in fact both are the effect of a single
underlying cause. This fallacy is often
understood as a misinformed variation
of POST HOC (ERGO PROPTER
HOC) propaganda.
We are experiencing high

unemployment which s being caused by
a low consumer demand. (In fact, both
effects are caused by high interest
rates)
You have a fever and this is causing you
to break out in spots. (In fact, both are
symptoms caused by the measles virus)
Are there any other common reasons or

dependencies that can cause these issues to
POST HOC (ERGO PROPTER HOC)
occur?
HIDDEN CONTRADICTIONS
Will the designated effect be completely
FALLACY OF INCONSISTENCY
eliminated if we solve the problem reflected in
the underlying cause?
Questionable
CONDEMNING THE ORIGIN
Causal
Relationships
A message attempts to discredit an idea

by showing that it has an unappealing
source. A means of typecasting
supporters of a broader issue by
ignoring adaptation, innovation and
evolving ideas.
"The prison system and capital

punishment are children of the Dark
Ages and should be abolished."
"Eugenics is Nazi science"
"Alcoholics Anonymous promotes
creationism"
Is this an issue of cause of effect or a

variation of a general concept?
AD HOMINEM
Does the argument still whole merit when the
USING A SCAPEGOAT
biased generalization is removed?
Questionable FALSE CONVERSION OF

PROPOSITIONS (ILLICIT
Causal
Relationships CONVERSATION)
"All communists are atheists. Therefore,

all atheists are communists."
A fallacy where the subject and the
"All Roman Catholics believe in God. All
predicate terms of a proposition are
those people who believe in God are
switched. Typically, the proposition
Roman Catholics."
incorrectly uses "all/every" or "some/not"
"All the contestants on Hollywood
in its premise to surmise an false
Squares are bad actors. Therefore, all
conclusion.
bad actors end up being contestants on
Hollywood Squares."
Questionable
Causal
Relationships
Involves a claim that something caused

something else, where that might not be
the case or it might not be the whole
story. These messages represent a
timing-coincident variation of faulty logic
where it is said that because event A
occurred before event B, that event A
must have caused event B and been
solely responsible for the outcome.
Questionable
SHOCK `EM
Causal
Relationships
Environmentalist: "The human race

might not see the next century. We
A message that make a rather
need further climate change studies to
outrageous, exaggerated or shocking
investigate this list of mundane
statement as an attention getter. But
issues..."
unlike HYPERBOLE, the shock factor is
Educational Reformer: "US public
then backed up with supporting
schools are pretty good - for a 2nd world
evidence that might not be as
nation! We need a budget with a
noteworthy..
voucher program due to test scores
slowly declining in the past 30 years."
Questionable
WRONG DIRECTION
Causal
Relationships
The relationship between cause and

effect is reversed.
The Challenger shuttle explosion was

caused by the cold weather. (Fails to
mention that it would not have occurred
had the O-rings been properly
constructed)
The accident was caused by the poor
visibility in dense fog. (Fails to explain
that the driver was drunk, exceeding the
speed limit and the pedestrian was
jaywalking around a blind corner)
"Cancer causes smoking."

"The increase in AIDS was caused by
more sex education."
Page 13 of 22
Similar Form(s)
Are both statements in the proposition true or

is the second one a false derivative of the
first statement?
Is there evidence presented for both
statements or is half of the proposition based
on assumption?
EXAGGERATION OF CONSEQUENCES
IRRELEVANT CONCLUSION
BIG LIE (HYPERBOLE)
What are the specific factors that are

required to consistently produce the effect?
Can I achieve the same outcome with a
different set of circumstances?
CONCURRENCY (JOINT EFFECT)

WRONG DIRECTION
What is the significance of the key points

made in this proposal?
What is the correlation between the shock
factor and the actual issue in this message?
BIG LIE (HYPERBOLE)

What evidence supports this nonsense?

Is the cart being placed before the horse?

Technique
Category
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Description
Example(s)
APPEAL TO BELIEF (APPEAL TO

COMMON BELIEF)
An assertion that most people in

general, or a particular group of people,
accept a belief as true is presented as
evidence for the claim. This type of logic
is fallacious because the fact that many
people believe a claim does not, in
general, serve as evidence that the
claim is true.
At one time, most people in Europe

believed that the earth was the center of
the solar system (at least most of those
who had beliefs about such things).
God must exist. After all, I just saw a
poll that says 85% of all Americans
believe in God.
At one time, most people thought
smoking wasn't dangerous to your
health.
APPEAL TO INAPPROPRIATE
AUTHORITY (ENDORSEMENT)
When alleged experts are used to

support an idea or product when they
are not in a position to know or are
otherwise unreliable.
Is the spokesperson really an expert on the

"Drink Milk. It does a body good..." said
position/subject being promoted?
by a popular athlete in a football uniform
Does this person have an incentive, vested
rather than a licensed medical
interest or ulterior motive for making this
professional or nutritionist.
statement?

APPEAL TO AUTHORITY: TESTIMONIAL
HELP FROM GIANTS OF THE PAST &
PRESENT

(BIFURCATION) (EITHER / OR
FALLACY)
A statement that doesn't allow any room

for gradient responses or intermediate
states between two extremes The two
extremes are often in the form of a pro
vs. con decision where there is a false
logic at work indicating only one of the
two options is feasible/acceptable/ideal.
Similar to a FALSE DILEMMA where
some alternatives are ignored or glossed
over but with a more blatant coercion
that forces the audience to disregard
any options not included in the
proposition.
People are being described as being

good or bad, patriotic or unpatriotic,
skinny or fat, tall or short, a believer or
infidel, etc.
"You are either with us, or against us.
There is no in-between." (infers there is
no neutral position)
"You can either sign-up for our discount
program at a nominal fee or pay full
price on every purchase made in our
store." (infers the store is an exclusive
retail outlet)
What is underlying rule that eliminates any

exceptions to the norm being presented?
What other scenarios exist where this
message wouldn't be an acceptable set of
choices?
FALSE DILEMMA
FALSE URGENCY
SLIPPERY SLOPE
EQUIVOCATION
"Only man is rational. No woman is a

To change the meaning of a key word in man. Therefore, no woman is rational."
the middle of an argument.
(the word "man" meaning human vs.
"man" meaning male)
How many different meanings does the

questionable word/phrase have?
Can I substitute a singular meaning of the
word for the word itself and still arrive at the
same conclusion?
USE OF AMBIGUOUS WORDS

NON-SEQUITUR

(ACCIDENTAL BIAS)
By using selected scholar-athletes as

the norm, one could argue that larger
Someone fails to recognize (or conceals sports programs in schools were vital to
the fact) that an argument is based on improving academic performance of all
an exception to the rule.
students.
"4 out of 5 people questioned like our
chocolate"
Does this proposition address the most

commonly found scenarios?
What is the demographics of the sample
used to draw this conclusion?
SELECTED INSTANCES
Page 14 of 22
Am I accepting this proposition at face value

without considering the supporting evidence
just because it is widely held as true?
Is there an opposing view to this belief? And
if so - what is it?
Similar Form(s)
APPEAL TO TRADITION
APPEAL TO CONSEQUENCES OF A
BELIEF
APPEAL TO NOVELTY
RELATIVIST FALLACY

Technique
Category
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Description
Involves an assertion about a whole that

is true of its parts. Assumes that since
the attributes of particulars can be
proven, the claim that the attributes also
FALLACY OF COMPOSITION (HASTY
describe the group is also proven. Often
GENERALIZATION)
called a "hasty generalization" due to the
supporting evidence using too small a
sample, then making a broad claim
about the group based on that.
Example(s)
Academic advisor notes that all of the
students in a given professor's class
have nearly perfect test scores,
therefore all of the professor's students
most be exceptionally smart and given to
option to test out of taking the class.
A military officer points out that some
homosexuals flaunt promiscuous
behavior, therefore all homosexuals
must enjoy the same behavior and
should be forewarned of consequences
of those acts.
A college recruiter presents aboveaverage scores of the honors program

The opposite of FALLACY OF
participants and claims that all of the
COMPOSITION where an assertion
FALLACY OF DIVISION (INVERSE
students are superior.
about all of the parts of a group that is
COMPOSITION FALLACY)
Each Home Depot brick in this wall is
true about the whole because no
three inches high. Thus, all bricks that
exceptions exists.
can purchased from Home Depot must
be three inches high.
"Montreal is about 200 km from Ottawa,
An argument based on contradictory
while Toronto is 400 km from Ottawa.
claims or using faulty reasoning from
Toronto is closer to Ottawa than
inconsistent premises. This happens
Montreal."
when an author/speaker asserts more "John is taller than Jake, and Jake is
than one proposition such that the
taller than Fred, while Fred is taller than
propositions cannot all be true. In such a John."
case, the propositions may be
"All general claims have exceptions."
contradictories or they may be
(The statement itself is a general claim,
contraries.
and as such, it must also have an
exception.)
"This requirement should be rejected
because it is the kind of thing David
Two or more things that may or may not Duke and his KKK buddies would
FAULTY ASSOCIATION (FALSE
really be similar are portrayed as being support."
ANALOGY) (FAULTY COMPARISON)
similar.
"NSA has received some of the same
awards as Holiday Inn and Federal
Express."
Information is presented that is in direct

opposition to other information within an
extended version of the same
proposition or made by the same
person/organization in a different venue.
If someone stated that schools were

overstaffed, then later argued for the
necessity of more counselors, that
person would be guilty of contradiction.
Page 15 of 22
Is the example given as supporting evidence

representative of everything in the group
without any individual exceptions?
Can the absolute or broad generality be
proven false?
Similar Form(s)

FALLACY OF DIVISION
Is the evidence given representative of the

largest possible grouping or a subset
grouping?
What are the exceptions to the norm that
included in the underlying data for supporting
this statement?
Does the truth of one of these premises

contradict the other(s)?
Where is the supporting evidence that is
relevant and mutually inclusive to all the
premises that stated?
WRONG DIRECTION
APPEAL TO CONSEQUENCES OF A
BELIEF
How are the situations alike? How are they

different?
How well does the analogy apply to the
TRANSFER
current situation?
METAPHORS & SIMILES
Is the association contrived to fit this analogy
to make me feel a certain way about the
proposition?
Are all the facts consistent here?
Has this position changed or evolved over
time?
WRONG DIRECTION

Technique
Category
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Faulty Logic
Description
Example(s)
MIDDLE GROUND FALLACY

(ARGUMENT TO MODERATION)
(GOLDEN MEAN FALLACY) (FALSE
COMPROMISE)
A proposition based on the reasoning

that the middle position between two
extremes must be correct simply
because it is the middle position. This
fallacy draws its power from the fact that
a moderate or middle position is often
the correct one. However, the claim that
the moderate or middle position is
correct must be supported by legitimate
examples or other evidence
Congressman Jones: "The budget

should cut welfare payments by 50% to
allow more spending on new job
programs."
Congresswoman Shender: "The budget
should increase welfare payments by
10% to keep up with inflation and cost of
living increases."
Congressman Trumple: "We should
strive for 30% decrease in welfare
payments as a valid compromise so that
we can call it a bipartisan bill."
SELECTED INSTANCES
(SUPPRESSED EVIDENCE)
Jones is Albertan, and most Albertans

vote Tory, so Jones will probably vote
An attempt to keep people from gaining Tory. (Fails to mention that Jones lives
access to all the relevant material that
in Edmonton and most people in
they need to arrive at the correct
Edmonton vote Liberal or N.D.P.)
conclusion. Only offering information
Sally is on disability and gets food
which makes one's position look good, stamps, so all people who collect
or information that makes the opposition disability get food stamps. (Fails to
look bad.
mention that welfare recipients also get
food stamps, as do single parents on a
limited income.)
SLIPPERY SLOPE (IF / THEN

FALLACY)
A fallacy in which a person asserts that

some event must inevitably follow from
another without any argument for the
inevitability of the event in question. In
most cases, there are a series of steps
or gradations between one event and
the one in question and no reason is
given as to why the intervening steps or
gradations will simply be bypassed.
This technique involves using a word

that has an old and accepted definition
and giving the word a new and often
unrecognized definition.
Similar Form(s)
Does the proposed compromise truly satisfy

the underlying concerns?
Will the problems that need addressed with
this proposition be adequately satisfied?
SELECTED INSTANCES
LOADED QUESTIONS
Is all relevant information being presented or

is the "principle of total evidence" being
ignored in this proposition?
Is their missing evidence that proves the
biased conclusion is false?

CARD STACKING
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
If I make an exception for you then I

have to make an exception for everyone.
DirecTV "Get Rid of Cable... Don't..."
commercials.
"If we pass laws against fully-automatic
weapons, then it won't be long before
we pass harsher gun control laws,
which will lead to restricting other rights,
and then we will end up living in a
communist state. Thus, we should not
ban fully-automatic weapons."
Is there a logical progression between these

series of events that has no room for
deviation from the stated course of actions?
Is the final ultimatum in this series of events
strictly a direct consequence of the first
action?

FEAR MONGERING
BLACK AND WHITE FALLACY
If you have an abortion and terminate

the life of a potential human being, you
are guilty of murder." (The word
"murder" is flaunting the accepted legal
definition.)
"Alcohol is a drug and anyone selling it
is a drug dealer. Liquor store owners
should be imprisoned." (The word "drug"
is intentionally confused with the term
"illegal drug")
Can the proposed idea be restated with using

a unfair play on words and still support the
same conclusion?
Is the conclusion drawn from supporting
evidence or biased generalities?
EQUIVOCATION
CARD STACKING
WEASEL WORDS
Page 16 of 22

Technique
Category
Faulty Logic
Exploitative
Reasoning
Exploitative
Reasoning
Exploitative
Reasoning
Description
Example(s)
A local bank advertises "...all your

troubles will be over when you take out a
loan with us" and fails to mention that
extensive credit checks are required and
a high interest will be applied if you are
USING SIMPLIFICATION
approved.
(OVERSIMPLIFICATION)
"Those who oppose abortion are just
imposing their religious beliefs on the
rest of us." (While some oppose
abortion on religious grounds, it is not a
religious issue, it is a human rights
issue.)
"Smoking isn't harmful. Why my
A message usually told as a story or
grandmother smoked a pack a day and
example of one or two events. These
lived to the ripe old age of 92."
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
anecdotes are designed to "prove"
"I never wear a seat belt. Ida down the
(MISLEADING VIVIDNESS FALLACY)
something which is the opposite of what street was in a crash, and they said she
the larger body of data show.
might have been killed had she been
wearing a seat belt."
When a message leaves out so many
important details it is no longer accurate.
It is often necessary for an
author/speaker to simplify complexities
in order to have the skeleton of his or
her ideas understood and accepted
quickly. But when the complexities are
purposely avoided to relay a fallacy, then
the persuasiveness of the message
should be questioned.
An assertion that an idea or proposition

is true or false because the
consequences of it being true or false
are desirable (positive) or undesirable
(negative). This type of reasoning is
APPEAL TO CONSEQUENCES OF A fallacious because desirability is not
BELIEF (APPEAL TO
related to the truth value of the idea or
CONSEQUENCES) (WISHFUL
proposition. When expressed as a
THINKING)
variation of wishful thinking, this
technique can also be seen as a
cognitive bias than a logical fallacy
because it causes someone to evaluate
evidence very differently based on the
desired outcome.
APPEAL TO IGNORANCE (AD

IGNORANTIAM)
A speaker argues that something they

stated is true because there is no
evidence available that it is not true.
Is the issue is more complex than is being

acknowledged? If so, why are the nuances of
this proposal not being disclosed?
Are there additional fact or considerations
behind this presentation that are being
suppressed that would change my opinion on
the issue?
Similar Form(s)
MIDDLE GROUND FALLACY

STRAW MAN ARGUMENT
EMPHASIZE ONE POINT
Is this statement the exception to the norm or

does most of the data support the
CARD STACKING
conclusion?
MISPLACED BURDEN OF PROOF
Can the stated conclusion be easily disproven SELECTED INSTANCES
by looking at more examples?
"God must exist! If God did not exist,

then all basis for morality would be lost
and the world would be a horrible place!"
"I don't think that there will be a global
warming catastrophe. If I believed that, I
wouldn't be able to get up in the
morning. I mean, how depressing."
"I know in my heart of hearts that our
home team will win the World Series."
Is there a disclaimer attached to this

statement/proposal acknowledging there is
no proof for the claim and the speaker thinks
it's true due to personal belief?
Is it the appeal of the idea of this proposition
that I drawing a conclusion from, or is it the
merits of the claim itself?
Can I imagine alternate lifestyle or
demographic circumstances where this idea
would not appeal to me?

APPEAL TO TRADITION
APPEAL TO BELIEF
"Since you cannot prove that ghosts do

not exist, they must exist."
"Since scientists cannot prove that
global warming will occur, it probably
won't."
What is the problematic assumption that

results from the unknown factors in this
proposal and is it a bigger problem than the
original issue?
Without hard evidence, is this issue
supported circumstantially to be called a
theory (that could be proven later) or is it
merely speculation?

RELATIVIST FALLACY
Page 17 of 22

Technique
Category
Exploitative
Reasoning
Exploitative
Reasoning
Exploitative
Reasoning
Exploitative
Reasoning
Description
Example(s)
APPEAL TO MOTIVES (HALO

EFFECT)
When an argument is made that a

proposition should be accepted or an
action taken for the reason that those
advocating it have good intentions. A
proposition or recommended action
should be accepted or rejected based on
the evidence that demonstrates that it is
correct or a good idea.
Politicians often argue that certain bills

should be passed even if there is solid
evidence that they will not be effective,
because the bill is intended to alleviate
poverty or help the environment, etc.
"How can you object to PETA's tactics?
PETA is trying to save animals so all
animal lovers should support PETA."
Is the motivation of the people behind this

proposal relevant to outcome?
Is there a valid plan, strategy or safety
measures in place that guarantees the
outcome will be as good as the intentions?
STRESS HIGH MORAL PRINCIPLES

APPEAL TO PITY
APPEAL TO PITY (AD

MISERICORDIAM)
When an argument is made that tries to

get you to accept a proposition because
you feel sorry for someone/something
rather than because of reasons based
on the merits of the idea and supporting
evidence.
"How can you say that's out? It was so

close, and besides, I'm down ten games
to two."
"We hope you'll accept our
recommendations. We spent the last
three months working overtime on it."
Does the pitiful state of the speaker have

anything to do with the truth of the
proposition?
When the sympathy card is removed, are
their other compelling factors that support the
validity of this proposal?

APPEAL TO MOTIVES
APPEAL TO POPULARITY (AD

POPULUM)
Someone attempts to justify a claim on

the basis of popularity. Focuses on what
the speaker thinks his or her audience
wants to see, hear and/or is currently
interested or concerned about. There is
typically a reliance on imagery and littleto-none sales pitch offered in this
technique. Similar to BANDWAGON but
more subtle in the way the message is
delivered.
An unknown songwriter introduces

themselves by name-dropping bigger
artists who have bought his songs.
Awards show ad features a trend-setting
celebrity host, dancing to a hit song in a
popular pair of sneakers, and no verbal
message is given such that imagery of
popularity is left to speak for itself.
Opponents of year-round school claim
that students would hate it.
What are the opposing views or alternate

choices not be presented here?
How do I feel about this proposition when the
promotional imagery and trendy elements are
removed?
APPEAL TO BELIEF
BANDWAGON
APPEAL TO NOVELTY
LOADED QUESTIONS (LEADING

QUESTIONS) (SEEK SIMPLE
ANSWERS) (MISUSING THE
SOCRATIC METHOD)
A question which is intended to get a

particular answer or never asking a
question that doesn't get the desired
answer. A line of questioning that, no
matter how it is answered, will
incriminate the one who answers.
Instead of properly using the Socratic
Method where roundtable discussion is
driven by questions that eliminate vague
terminology and clarify complex
meanings. Demanding a simple answer
to a complex issue is a device used by
advertisers, politicians and lawyers.
"You don't want to see our world

become more polluted, do you?"
"Did you stop your habit of substance
abuse?"
"Have you stopped committing acts of
treason?"
"Being a concerned citizen, are you
planning to vote this year?"
"Who would want to see their children
going to an under-funded school?"
You wouldn't want to see all the
redwoods cut down, would you?
Is this question or line of questioning a bait

and switch discussion or an honest debate?
Is the question is asked in a way that only
one answer could be given without great
struggle, and is that answer guaranteed to
favor the one asking it?

Page 18 of 22
Similar Form(s)

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
METAPHORS & SIMILES (WEAK

ANALOGY)
The use of figures of speech to simplify

the main point(s) of argument in a
catchy way that is designed to appeal to
the audience and induce a no-brainer
decision of acceptance. A word/phrase
is transferred from the object it normally
describes to another object it may
designate only by implicit comparison or
analogy. Alternately, two unlike things
are compared in such a way that they
seem similar.
"That symphony orchestra sounds like a

thousand meowing cats all out of tune.
They're not worthy of the price of
admission and they don't deserve your
donation."
"Sally is as nutty as the topping on a
chocolate sundae. You must be out of
your mind if you plan on voting for Sally
for president of the Parent Teacher
Association."
Can the proposal be re-stated using

supporting evidence rather than the figure of
speak and still support the same conclusion?
Are examples provided that strengthen the
comparison being made enough to justify the
play on words?
RELATIVIST FALLACY
Jill: "I read that people who do not get

enough exercise tend to be unhealthy.
When a person rejects a claim by
Look at results of this study."
asserting that the claim might be true for Bill: "That may be true for you, but I
others but is not true for him/her.
never exercise and pass my annual
Supporting evidence is not evaluated on physicals with flying colors."
its merits and a logical opposing
argument to the proposal is not
Dave: "Your position results in a
presented in lieu of a subjective truth
contradiction, so I can't accept it."
that essentially stops all further thought Bill: "Contradictions may be bad in your
on the matter.
Eurocentric, oppressive world view, but I
don't think they are bad. Therefore my
position is just fine."
Is this an objective truth presented with

logical supporting evidence, or subjective
truth that is only relevant to the speaker's
APPEAL TO IGNORANCE
opinion?
Why is the speaker unwilling, or unable, to
APPEAL TO BELIEF
address the issue in a manner that takes all
the information presented into consideration?
Blatant
Disinformation
BIG LIE (HYPERBOLE)
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
In WWI the British falsely claimed the

Germans were cutting off the hands of
A false proposition with assertions of
Belgian children.
fact with no evidence to support them. The USA falsely claimed that Saddam
Hyperbole or loaded language that far
Hussein was hiding chemical weapons
overstates the condition of something. of mass destruction in Iraq.
The idea is that if a lie is big enough, or "This is the best movie in the history of
the hyperbole is extreme enough, people the world!" or "This is a GLOBAL
will tend to think there must be some
CRISIS!"
truth in it.
When someone merely has a difference
of opinion we hear "They are violating
my rights," etc.
Is the speaker using verbal inflation or wild

exaggeration to work up the audience?
Does removing/reducing the exaggerated
language used to describe the situation
change how I feel about this message?
POTEMKIN VILLAGE
SHOCK `EM
FALSE CONVERSION OF PROPOSITIONS
Blatant
Disinformation
CARD STACKING
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
The deliberate organization and

presentation of material that makes one
position look good and another look bad.
All positives or all negatives presented
as a means to slant a message. Key
words, facts or unfavorable statistics are
omitted in an ad or commercial to
present a message comprising a series
of half-truths.
Is this the whole truth or merely an

advertisement of strictly positives by a party
with a vested interest in what is being
promoted?
Is this message giving me the complete
picture that can be verified via neutral
sources?

SELECTED INSTANCES
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
SHOTGUN APPROACH
Exploitative
Reasoning
Exploitative
Reasoning
TV commercials for SUVs that promote

body construction, slick interior, great
sound system and trick wheels but fail
to mention the vehicle is gas guzzling
piece of machinery with notoriously bad
transmissions and a history of fuel
injection and break problems.
Page 19 of 22
Similar Form(s)

EUPHEMISMS
FAULTY ASSOCIATION
TRANSFER (SYMBOLISM)

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Similar Form(s)
Blatant
Disinformation
EMPHASIZE ONE POINT
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
A speaker selects what he or she feels

is the strongest argument supporting the
position being taken on a subject and
addresses that one point in a singleminded fashion. All other supporting
arguments are excluded or brushed
aside, aiding penetration.
Abraham Lincoln debated using this

approach. He was seriously opposed to What are all the pros and cons of this issue? REPETITION
slavery and in his speeches he
Is the importance of the single argument
hammered away at the problem
given worthy of being repeated?
relentlessly.
Blatant
Disinformation EXAGGERATION OF
(Deceptive CONSEQUENCES
Rhetoric)
Emphasizing the worst possible

outcome of a decision or choice.
Exaggerating what may follow from the
acceptance/rejection of someone or
something will result in a situation that
isn't compatible to the audience's best
interests or goals.
One candidate for public office might

claim that if his or her opponent is
How does the speaker know that?
elected taxes would increase, the budget
Where is the evidence supporting this
would be in a shambles and corruption
hypothetical conclusion?
would invade every agency of the
government.
Blatant
Disinformation
FALSE DILEMMA
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
A manufactured situation that requires

someone to choose between two equally
balanced alternatives when in fact there
are several or many possible choices. A
person trying to persuade others knows
full well the range of choices but wants
to distract the listener by offering
seemingly restricted choices.
If you have these cold and flu

symptoms, you can either buy our overthe-counter medicine or go to the
doctor. (Infers there is only one, viable
over-the-counter product when in fact
there are several.)
Are the options presented the only ones

readily available for consideration, or is
FALSE URGENCY
something being overlooked?
What factors are limiting my consideration of
other options?
Blatant
Disinformation
FALSE URGENCY
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
Early annual membership renewal

includes a discounted price plus a free
A message that infers some action (or gift the member chooses. The group
agreement) with a proposition should be pressures members to renew
done immediately when the reality is
immediately "while supplies last" on the
doing it now vs. doing it a week or
free gifts when the in actuality
month from now makes no difference. discounted price (which doesn't change)
is the real incentive to pay their
membership fees early.
What is more import, the factors denoting

urgency of responding to the proposal or the
key issues the proposal advocates?
FALSE DILEMMA
Is the alternative choice that serves my best BLACK & WHITE FALLACY
interests without the requirement of
immediate consideration?
When there is no evidence in favor or,

or against, an assertion a display of
Blatant
confidence (perhaps overconfidence)
Disinformation FOREGONE CONCLUSIONS
can often can sway public opinion in
(Deceptive (HYPOTHESIS CONTRARY TO FACT) support of one side over another.
Rhetoric)
Similarly, when someone argues that
things would have turned out differently
if only their position was accepted.
"If Abraham Lincoln were alive today, he

would agree with me."
"Poverty would be a much worse
problem in this country had we not
implemented the programs of the
Johnson administration."
Page 20 of 22
Can the assertion be tested or proven

independently?
Can the hypothetical condition be justified
with a reasonable analogy?
BIG LIE (HYPERBOLE)

APPEAL TO IGNORANCE
RELATIVIST FALLACY

Technique
Category
Description
Example(s)
Similar Form(s)
Uses important-sounding "glad words"

that have little or no real meaning.
These words are used in general
statements that cannot be proved or
disproved. Words like "good," "honest,"
"fair," and "best" are examples of "glad"
words.
Gandhi was an honest man and a

vegetarian shouldnt you be one too?
"The defendant is charged with armed
robbery, but he loves children and
volunteers in the community so he is still
a good citizen."
Is an idea harmful to my interests being tied

with things I like to elicit my support?
Ignoring the positive/negative associations,
what are the merits of the idea itself?
Blatant
Disinformation IRRELEVANT CONCLUSION
(Deceptive (SPECIOUS THESIS)
Rhetoric)
An argument which purports to prove

one thing instead proves a different
conclusion.
"You should support affirmative action.

White males have run the country for
500 years. They run most of
government and industry today. You
can't deny that this sort of discrimination
is intolerable. (The author has proven
that there is discrimination, but not that
affirmative action will end that
discrimination.)
Does the conclusion presented match the

facts given?
Van you reverse the statement and still have
it make sense?
Blatant
Disinformation
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
A debate technique where a speaker

opens with challenges or answers the
opposition's strongest argument rather
than stating the pros of their own
position. In this way it's possible to
defuse the thrust of the opponent's
attack.
"My opponent is going to tell you that his

plan will lower taxes, when in reality it
will give tax breaks to the upper class."
"The defendant will claim it was selfdefense when it reality it was coldblooded murder."
What is the alternative to the person,

organization or proposition being attacked?
Is the bias behind this attack on the speaker's
opponent supported by evidence or just big
words and allegations?
Blatant
Disinformation
POTEMKIN VILLAGE
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
Denotes any pretentious facade, like a

Hollywood movie set, designed to cover
up a shabby or undesirable condition. If
the propagandist needs to cover up
something, this technique may work.
A president seeking reelection might

draft a speech and have a flashy film
playing behind me showing image an
America that is great, strong, rich and
beautiful. No mention is made nor
shown that poverty, homelessness,
unemployment and interest rates are all
at an all-time high.
Am I seeing the whole picture here or just

what the speaker wants me to see?
BIG LIE (HYPERBOLE)
Where are the facts, statistics and/or first
STRAW MAN ARGUMENT
person accounts that provide evidence for the DOUBLE TALK (multiple entries)
statements in this message?
"As a doctor, I swore to upload the

Hippocratic oath and I would not support
this clinical trial if the criticism leveled
against it had any bearing in fact."
"I'll be candid with you because I cannot
tell a lie, this bill will increase taxes on
the middle class."
When the morality standard is removed from

the proposal, does the proposition stand on
its own merits?
Does the severity of the issue justify adopting EMPHASIZING CREDENTIALS
a higher ground position in order to qualify
the accuracy of the statement?
Blatant
Disinformation
(Deceptive
Rhetoric)
Blatant
Disinformation STRESS HIGH MORAL PRINCIPLES
(Deceptive (I CANNOT TELL A LIE)
Rhetoric)
A blanket justification technique where a

speaker claims that high moral
principles (a vague term) characterize
the people, ideas or things the
propagandist supports. A false claim to
being an opinion leader based on
virtuous personal characteristics.
Page 21 of 22
WEASEL WORDS
EUPHEMISMS
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
EMPHASIZE ONE POINT

CARD STACKING
RED HERRING
SHOTGUN APPROACH

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bennett, Bo. "Logical Fallacies Index." Logically Fallacious. Archieboy Holdings, LLC, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.logicallyfallacious.com/index.php/logical-fallacies>.
Conserva, Henry T. Propaganda Techniques. S.l.: 1st, 2003. Print. [As excerpted for http://vnnforum.com/showthread.php?t=104535.]
Curtis, Gary N. "Alphabetical List of Fallacies." The Fallacy Files. Gary N. Curtis, 8 Apr. 2002. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fallacyfiles.org/introtof.html>.
Delwich, Aaron. "Propaganda Index." Propaganda Critic. September 2002. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.propagandacritic.com>
Jowett, Garth S., and Victoria O'Donnell. Propaganda and Persuasion. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2006. Print.
Jowett, Garth S., and Victoria O'Donnell. Propaganda & Persuasion. 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2012. Web [excerpt].
<http://jclass.umd.edu/classes/cpsp222/propaganda%20and%20persuasion.pdf>.
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Scientology Propaganda Techniques - Dogma and Fund Raising Practices

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Propaganda Identification Rubric

Form (Alternate Name)

APPEAL TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

An emotion-laden example that angers

A police officer tells the press a Senator

APPEAL TO POSITIVE EMOTIONS

An emotion-laden "sob" story is used as

A politician uses a heartbreaking story of

Making an appeal to people using

DEMAND FOR SPECIAL

Making an appeal to people using a

LET ALTRUISM REIGN

Philanthropic organizations such as the

"Vote for Kennedy, because familyvalues matter" said by a third or fourth

How is this person, product or organization

Christian Children's Fund advertises

If the merits of the product or program were

Am I getting a hard sell pitch for a proposal

HELP FROM GIANTS OF THE PAST &

DEMAND FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

Propaganda Identification Rubric

Form (Alternate Name)

LOOK TO THE FUTURE & BE

A proposition that takes advantage of

"The innovation in this product line has

What does this proposal deliver in immediate

CLICHS AND PLATITUDES

START COLD, GET WARM & END

Hitler would begin speeches calmly and

Am I responding to key information of this

USING HOT & COLD WORDS

A message using emotive language with

Can I easily identify the neutral point of view

DOUBLE TALK (multiple entries)

A defense attorney for a man charged

An audience member is brought on

Prior to involvement: Am I certain this is an

Propaganda Identification Rubric

Form (Alternate Name)

"Our beer is brewed from the best hops

Psychological APPEAL TO AUTHORITY:

Use of a first hand account from a

Psychological APPEAL TO NOVELTY (NEWER IS

APPEAL TO RIDICULE / SPITE

Use of actors and actresses portraying

"Sure my worthy opponent claims that

APPEAL TO INAPPROPRIATE AUTHORITY

Does the person/organization/publication etc.

Am I being given enough information to

LOOK TO THE FUTURE & BE OPTIMISTIC

Does the assertion actually disprove the

APPEAL TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

Propaganda Identification Rubric

Form (Alternate Name)

Am approach that pushes you towards

Political campaigns using independent

What is the agenda behind the message, and

Psychological DEMONIZATION (HATE

In dictatorships, the media is a

Why is this message painted in such an

Good credentials such as titles, degrees

"More Dentists use Crest Toothpaste."

What supporting evidence is given besides

Psychological FEAR MONGERING (APPEAL TO