Do rhetorical questions make arguments more or less persuasive?

.

80 undergraduates were exposed to arguments advocating supplemental vitamin use. Ending arguments with rhetorical questions (when compared with statements) resulted in more favorable attitudes towards vitamin use and a more favorable profile of questions generated about the message topic. The question profile, principally reflecting uncertainty concerning personal nutrition, mediated the attitudinal effect.

Source: “Question effects on question generation and the mediation of attitude change.” from Psychol Rep. 1994 Aug;75(1 Pt 1):209-10.

Join over 135,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.

Related posts:

How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails

How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips

New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful

Share

Subscribe to the newsletter