Which of the following is NOT an example of an emotional appeal?

• A. A commercial that uses heartwarming stories to encourage donations
• B. A political ad that evokes fear to influence voting behavior
• C. A charity flyer that shows images of suffering animals to elicit sympathy
• D. A scientific report presenting statistical data without emotional language

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand what an emotional appeal is. In psychology and communication, an emotional appeal is a persuasive technique that aims to evoke an emotional response from the audience, such as happiness, fear, sympathy, or sadness, to influence their attitudes or behaviors.
2. Step 2: Analyze each option to identify whether it uses emotional content to persuade. For example, heartwarming stories, fear evocation, and images of suffering are all designed to trigger emotions.
3. Step 3: Recognize that a scientific report presenting statistical data without emotional language relies on logical reasoning and factual evidence rather than emotions.
4. Step 4: Compare the options and determine which one does not fit the definition of an emotional appeal because it lacks emotional content and instead uses objective data.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the option describing the scientific report is NOT an example of an emotional appeal, as it appeals to logic rather than emotion.