Motivated Sequence

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Speakers, as well as advertisers, politicians, and others whose business it is to persuade people use the Motivated Sequence as an organizational device or frame for organizing speeches and other persuasive media. The Motivated Sequence is simply a n algorithm that you can use to organize you speech. One can modify it by rearranging it or repeating steps, etc.; however, for learning purposes, it is best to stick with the format explained below.

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Needs

Two main assumptions:

1. All people have needs.
2. People can be persuaded by claims to satisfy their needs.

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow was an optimist who believed that people grow psychologically, socially, and morally when given the opportunity. The opportunity, however, comes only when lower needs such as physiological, safety, love, and esteem needs are satisfied. Gang members who worry about being "dissed" suffer from lack of self esteem, and are, therefore, not ready to seek satisfaction of higher, self-actualizing needs such as peace, beauty, meaning, and knowledge. Older people whom they terrorize cannot satisfy th eir safety needs and cannot rise to a level where they seek esteem needs.

It's questionable whether Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is valid theory. Indeed, Maslow himself doubted the theory's efficacy. One might lack self esteem but seek knowledge as a means of attaining self esteem and self knowledge. Perhaps the need for love mi ght precede the need for safety. Nevertheless, the theory has intuitive appeal and is useful as the basis for the Motivated Sequence framework. We can assume with certainty that all people are motivated by needs, no matter what they are.

• Physiological needs are the basic cravings for food, water, sleep, oxygen, sex, etc. If our bodies are deprived of these, we focus all of our energy on satisfying them.

• Safety needs are mainly psychological. They include security, stability, protection from harm, structure, orderliness. People who come from dysfunctional homes, who live in dangerous neighborhood, or attend schools were they are threatened by violence become psychologically paralyzed by fear.

• Belongingness and love desires include the need to belong to social groups, family, to have friends, spouse, children, etc. Love, here, does not mean raw sex. Instead love is a way of staving off pangs of rejection or loneliness. In many ways love and belongingness needs are allied with safety needs.

• Esteem needs are of two types: self-esteem and esteem that results from the approval of others. These needs include achievement, mastery, reputation, prestige, status, etc.

• Self-Actualization includes self-fulfillment, being all that one can be, being true to one's' self, etc. Generally, more mature, economically successful people reach this level, i.e., approximately 5% of the population.

The Motivated Sequence replaces the tripartite division of introduction, body, and conclusion with a five part division:

Attention:

• the creation of interest and desire

Need:

The development of the problem, through analyzing deficiencies and relating them to individual needs and desires.

Satisfaction

The proposal of a plan of action that will correct the deficiency s and thereby fulfill the individual needs.

Visualization

The verbal depiction of the environment as it will look with the deficiency corrected and the plan implemented.

Action

The final call for personal commitment and specific acts.
• One does not have to use all the steps in no persuasive speeches.

• MS can also be used for informative speeches.

Small Example of M.S. Form

Attention:

Does prospect of getting AIDS frighten you?

Need:

If we are to be less frightened, we need to be better informed about ways that we can become infected.

Satisfaction:

AIDS can be acquired through specific sexual practices by both males and females and through sharing of needles. It cannot be acquired from kissing, toilet seats, .....

Visualization:

With this information, I hope I have allayed any irrational fears about when you are and are not at risk.

Action:

This information will be useful to you in practicing safe sex as well as when you encounter victims of the disease.

Another, more detailed, outline

Attention Step

• quotation
• reference to problem
• startling statement
• Remember others from first speaking assignment

Need Step

Statement:

• Offer a clear concise statement of the need.
• This is the central idea
• Tell them what you are going to tell them.
• Establishes expectation.

Illustration:

• Present one or more illustrations and/or specific instances to give audience idea of nature and scope of the problem.

Ramification:

• Use supporting materials, statistics, testimony, etc. to drive point home.

Pointing:

• Point out how issue or problem affects audience's health, security, etc.

Satisfaction

• In informative speeches, this goal is met when you present the information.
• This is the bulk of your speech.
• Includes:

  Initial Summary

  State in advance what your main ideas are.

  Detailed Information

  Discuss in order the information for each of the main ideas.

  Final Summary

  Tell them what you said.

Visualization Step

• Generally used in persuasive speeches
• Primary strategy is to project audience into future and accepting or denying your proposals.
• In informative speeches this step may be used to suggest the pleasure that may be gained from this knowledge.

Action Step

• Only speeches to actuate require this step.
• In informative speeches, this step may urge further study of the subject.

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© Robert Gwynne 1999