Introduction
In Section 3 we will look at identifying and responding to manipulative use of language. Every day of our lives we are confronted by a number of verbal messages encouraging us to make certain choices or believe certain things. We need to look carefully at how advertisers, reporters and politicians, to name a few, use language in such a way as to influence and manipulate us.
Manipulative Language
What do we mean by “manipulate” and “manipulative”?
In the context of language use, to manipulate means to control or influence somebody or something in a clever or devious way. It can also mean to change or present something in a way that is false but personally advantageous. Some examples of where we find manipulative language being used are news clips, political speeches, marketing material, and advertisements. Of course, in our daily interaction with friends, our peers and family, we can also experience manipulation, and may even at times attempt to manipulate others.
For example:
- The farmer manipulated the residents into believing that he had not harmed the environment by using pesticides as he emphasized only the positive aspects of pest control.
- The producers of a solar energy device claimed that you would save thousands by using this instead of electricity but did not mention that the cost of the device was far beyond most people’s budgets.
- The newspaper report manipulated the buyers to purchase advertised fruits by minimizing discussion on the loss of nutrients caused by genetic modification of those foods.
- The Manager of Canal Irrigation Services did not mention the disadvantage of the furrow method of irrigation where plants nearer the water source may receive more water than those further away, so that farmers were more likely to opt for this system of irrigation.
- Cape plc initially denied liability for causing asbestosis choosing to disregard the evidence of 7500 asbestosis victims in the Northern Cape where the asbestos plant was functioning, so that they could continue production.
Facts and Opinion
In order to understand manipulative language, it is important that we learn to distinguish fact from opinion.
A fact is a statement about an object or event on which we can check up in order to ensure it is accurate.
An opinion on the other hand is a statement about an object or event which reflects what we think about it – what our opinion of it is.
It is important to be able to distinguish between the two. Advertisers and politicians may often state opinions in such a way that they appear to be facts. Sometimes people have such strongly held beliefs that they think they are facts. Clever politicians and people who are trying to persuade us about something often use a blend or combination of fact and opinion. In order to avoid being manipulated we need to be clear about the difference between the two.
Omission of facts
Sometimes we are presented with messages or pieces of information which are incomplete. How do we make sure that the omission (leaving out) of necessary information is noted by us and how do we address this?
In order to avoid being manipulated and in order to form our own independent opinions about certain events or products we need as detailed a picture as possible. We need to be alert to what is not being said in the same way as we need to be alert to what is being said.
Sometimes information is deliberately omitted in order to present a certain point of view.
Sometimes we are given insufficient facts and information is omitted which could lead us to form incorrect opinions on something. This is often the case in a seemingly objective factual type report. For example, if we hear of research that seems to prove something, we need to ask who did the research, on whom was the research done, where was it done, how does it compare with other research and so on. Only then can we make up our minds about the results.
Learning Task
Look at this example from a marketing campaign where facts have been omitted. See what questions you could ask in order to get the whole picture, or at least a more complete one. “Research has shown that young farmers want more property insurance, and most are prepared to pay a lot for it.”
Remember any questions you thought of that lead to you getting more information on the issue of young farmers and property insurance are appropriate. Ensure that your questions are appropriate by checking whether the answer would lead to greater understanding and mean that you are less likely to be manipulated by the presentation of “facts” that in fact leave out a lot of information.
There are many instances in political speeches, news reports, and advertisements where necessary information is omitted.
Persuasive language features
You should by now have a reasonably clear idea about how persuasive the English language can be and how speakers (and writers) can use language to manipulate their audience into doing or believing things. We are going to look at three features or elements of language that particularly affect the audience’s interpretation of spoken texts.
The first feature is tone.
Tone can be defined as a way of speaking; the way somebody says something as an indicator of what that person is feeling or thinking, e.g. “she spoke in a very sad tone about the death of her mother”; “she had a defiant tone in her voice when she argued with the vice-rector”.
It can also refer to the general quality or character of something as an indicator of the attitude or view of the person who produced it, e.g. “the optimistic tone of the news report”; “the salesperson adopted a very sincere tone when talking about the vacuum cleaner.”
Learning Task
See if you can match these tones with the appropriate sentences:-
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We can look forward to a bright future |
surprised |
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I really miss my ex-partner |
Happy |
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I am looking forward to the concert! |
pessimistic |
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What are you doing here? |
Sad |
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We are never going to finish this work |
angry |
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Get out of my house! |
excited |
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This is the best party I ever had! |
optimistic |
Obviously the general tone of the speaker will have an effect on his or her audience.
An enthusiastic, optimistic speaker will be persuasive and could even be manipulative by making the audience feel happy and pleased about something when maybe they should be taking the issue more seriously, or asking more questions.
Similarly an incredibly pessimistic speaker who is full of doom and gloom will affect his or her audience and may even manipulate them into feeling apprehensive and anxious about something which is actually not that frightening.
The next feature of language we need to consider is style.
Style can be defined as a way of doing something; a way of expressing something, especially a way regarded as expressing a particular attitude; e.g. “She has a very confrontational style when she speaks to a large audience”.
“He adopts a condescending (patronising) style when talking to his colleagues.”
Learning Task
See if you can match these styles with the appropriate sentences:-
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The building is 70 metres high |
Condescending |
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You probably won’t understand this but…. |
Factual |
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Think clearly if you can |
Persuasive |
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We would really appreciate it if you could |
Confrontational |
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The much- loved chair will address his admiring Trustees |
Abrupt |
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Three people are needed. Volunteer now. Move to the left |
Exaggerated |
The style in which a speaker addresses his or her audience can also obviously have an effect on how the audience interprets what is being said. A persuasive style can be used to manipulate you, an exaggerated style can be used to stir up our emotions and stop us thinking clearly. A factual style could even bore us, but it could, if used in a manipulative way, convince us to do something or buy something. Try to take note of what style of speech good effective public speakers use. Also, if you have recently been persuaded to buy something or to believe in something, think what style the person who convinced you used.
Lastly in terms of language features that affect audience interpretation, we are going to look at point of view.
Point of view is someone’s personal opinion on a subject, shaped by his or her own character and experience; e.g. “Because she is a staunch Roman Catholic, Noleen has the point of view that abortion is a sin”. “It is my point of view that women should get paid more than men because I think they work harder.”
A point of view can be negative or positive. Your point of view can be pro (for) something or anti (against) something. It is very hard to have a neutral point of view. Political speakers often present their points of view as if they were facts when in reality they are simply opinions.
Advertisers also assume certain points of view are universally accepted whereas they are simply opinions. An example of this would be the way advertisers assume that we all have the point of view that to look younger than we are is a good thing. This is simply an opinion
News reports can reflect a particular point of view. The way the facts are reported could be biased or slanted to reflect a particular point of view. Check this out for yourself the next time you listen to a news report.
Distortion of language
Let us now look at the idea of distortion of the spoken word.
Distortion in this context can be defined as misleading alteration; the altering (changing) of information in such a way that the audience is misinformed or misled. e.g. “When she gave her talk on World War II she distorted the facts by leaving out the role played by black soldiers.”; “When he spoke about Jan van Riebeek’s arrival at the Cape he distorted the facts by neglecting to mention that there were already people living in the Cape.”
We can see from these examples that one way of distorting a presentation is to omit (leave out) certain key facts; another way is to only select information that reflects a particular point of view.
Remember that the way an audience interprets a presentation can be dramatically affected by what material has been selected and what material has been omitted. Always be aware of this and try to think of this the next time you are listening to a news report or a political statement.
From all of the above you should be able to see that language has certain features which can be manipulated. You must be alert to this fact when listening to adverts, news reports, summaries and political speeches, as well as marketing material. Think of why you believe the things you do. Did someone persuade or manipulate you to? Think of the way you dress – why do you make those particular choices? Think of all the products you buy – were you manipulated by a clever advert into choosing your agricultural tools or pesticides or even the vehicles you drive?
To summarise:
By the end of this Unit:
- You should be certain that you are aware of your audience at all times and that you adapt your language in a way that is appropriate to the context in which you are delivering your oral communication.
- You should be able to adapt your language style depending on the requirements of the situation you find yourself in. You should now be able to communicate with a degree of confidence both formally and in more relaxed settings. You should be able to pick up hidden messages and attempts to manipulate you and should be able to identify the message someone is trying to convey to you.
- The three main sections you should be confident about are: that you can now interact successfully with your audience during oral communication; that you can effectively use strategies that capture and retain the interest of your audience and that you can both identify and respond effectively to manipulative use of language.