If Looks Could Kill: The Impact of Different Rhetorical Styles on Persuasive Geocommunication

Abstract This study analyses the impact that different rhetorical styles have on reader trust in, fondness for and memory of maps showing the same exact data. Previous research has identified four unique rhetorical styles used on maps meant to persuade an audience. Four maps of a hypothetical nuclear meltdown in the USA using embellished radiation data were produced, each following the design guidelines of one of the four rhetorical styles. An online survey was created testing: (1) map readers’ inclination to believe the data being shown on the four maps; (2) the impact the representations had on personal views regarding nuclear power; (3) map reader trust in the maps; (4) fondness for the maps; and (5) memorability of the maps (i.e. how likely a map would be recalled). The results indicate that different map rhetorical styles result in different levels of opinion change, trust in the data and confidence in answering questions about the data. Designing convincing arguments with maps requires more than lying; different rhetorical designs can help achieve different persuasive goals.

[1]  Terry A. Slocum,et al.  Analysis of Thematic Maps Published in Two Geographical Journals in the Twentieth Century , 2011 .

[2]  Daniel R. Montello,et al.  Cognition of Geographic Information , 2005 .

[3]  Lijiang Shen,et al.  Mitigating Psychological Reactance: The Role of Message‐Induced Empathy in Persuasion , 2010 .

[4]  Robert M. Edsall,et al.  Iconic Maps in American Political Discourse , 2007, Cartogr. Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Geovisualization.

[5]  Karen M. Trifonoff.  How to Lie With Maps, 2nd ed. , 1996 .

[6]  P. Walsh.  The Power of Maps. , 1998 .

[7]  Valerie Smith.  Aristotle's Classical Enthymeme and the Visual Argumentation of the Twenty-First Century , 2007 .

[8]  Mark Monmonier,et al.  Rhumb Lines and Map Wars: A Social History of the Mercator Projection , 2004 .

[9]  Colin Ware,et al.  Visual Thinking for Design , 2008 .

[10]  John Whalen.  Persuasive design: Putting it to use , 2011 .

[11]  J. Pickles.  Texts, Hermeneutics and Propaganda Maps , 2011 .

[12]  Ian Muehlenhaus.  Lost in visualization: using quantitative content analysis to identify, measure, and categorize political cartographic manipulations. , 2010 .

[13]  Ian Muehlenhaus.  Another Goode Method: How to Use Quantitative Content Analysis to Study Variation in Thematic Map Design , 2011 .

[14]  Ian Muehlenhaus.  Genealogy That Counts: Using Content Analysis to Explore the Evolution of Persuasive Cartography , 2011, Cartogr. Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Geovisualization.

[15]  Peter D. Moore,et al.  Drawing the line , 1982, Nature.

[16]  Mark Monmonier,et al.  Drawing the Line, Tales of Maps and Cartocontroversy , 1995 .

[17]  Denis Wood,et al.  Designs On Signs / Myth And Meaning In Maps , 1986 .

[18]  Alan M. MacEachren,et al.  How Maps Work - Representation, Visualization, and Design , 1995 .

[19]  D. C. Innes,et al.  Aristotle's Rhetoric , 1973, The Classical Review.

[20]  Lijiang Shen.  The Effectiveness of Empathy- Versus Fear-Arousing Antismoking PSAs , 2011, Health communication.

[21]  Shailey Minocha,et al.  User Interface Design and Evaluation (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) , 2005 .

[22]  Joachim Meyer,et al.  Chartjunk or Goldgraph? Effects of Presentation Objectives and Content Desirability on Information Presentation , 1999, MIS Q..

[23]  Louis O. Quam.  The Use of Maps in Propaganda , 1943 .

[24]  P. Fayers,et al.  The Visual Display of Quantitative Information , 1990 .

[25]  M. Monmonier.  How to Lie with Maps , 1991 .

[26]  Katherine McCoy,et al.  Information and Persuasion: Rivals or Partners? , 2000, Design Issues.

[27]  Amy D. Propen.  Visual Communication and the Map: How Maps as Visual Objects Convey Meaning in Specific Contexts , 2007 .

[28]  Joachim Meyer,et al.  Chartjunk or goldgraph? Effects of persenataion objectives and content desirability on information presentation: effects of presentation objectives and content desirability on information presentation , 1999 .

[29]  G. Herb,et al.  Persuasive cartography in Geopolitik and national socialism , 1989 .

[30]  J. B. Harley,et al.  DECONSTRUCTING THE MAP , 1989 .

[31]  Susan M. Roberts,et al.  EARTH SHATTERING: GLOBAL IMAGERY AND GIS. , 1995 .

[32]  Edward Rolf Tufte,et al.  The visual display of quantitative information , 1985 .