Rhetorical functions of suggestion as a means of verbal influence
Abstract
The article reveals rhetorical functions of the means of suggestive verbal influence and differentiates the means of suggestive and rational, emotional, and volitional verbal influence. Theoretically, the article rests on the intersubjective understanding of communication where verbal means are treated as inseparable from non-verbal and speech is interpreted on perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and volitional levels of the speakers’ interaction. Methodologically, the article applies inferential analysis, which allows predicting the speakers’ presuppositions and intentions as well as the addressees’ inferences. Empirical data is constituted by the TED Talk of a non-verbal behaviour researcher, Amy Cuddy, which is on the top of the list of the most popular TED Talks. Relying on the cognitive psychology data on semi-automatic cognitive schemes (impulsive and reflexive) that regulate social behaviour by switching on and off the focus of attention, the authors propose a hypothesis that in order to exert suggestive influence verbal means must be able to activate the impulsive scheme and switch off the reflexive one. To be able to do it, verbal means of suggestion must operate on the level of form, but not on the level of meaning. The articles state that suggestion is realized through syntactic arrangement of speech, but not through its content, which can serve rational argumentation, as well as emotional and volitional influence. Verbal means of rational, emotional and volitional influence activate certain conceptual structures, while means of suggestive influence engraft these concepts into the recipients’ consciousness through influencing their sub-consciousness. Repetition of syntactic structures creates rhythmical patterns that switch off the recipients’ focus of attention and automatize their comprehension. A change of rhythmical patterns has the opposite function of switching on the recipients’ focus of attention and de-automatizing their comprehension.
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References
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