11.2: Types of Persuasion

Types of Persuasive Claims

Imagine you’re sitting in the campus cafeteria and a classmate tries to convince you that the college should extend cafeteria hours. Another friend argues that streaming music doesn’t fairly pay artists. Later that day, you see a flyer for a rally urging students to support free community college tuition in California. Each of these situations is an example of persuasion in action.

As a student, you’re surrounded by persuasive messages every day - on Instagram, in group chats, at campus meetings, and even in casual conversations with friends. To be an effective public speaker, you need to know what kind of claim you’re making. A claim is simply the main idea you want your audience to accept, whether it’s, true or false, what we should do, or whether something is good or bad (Albarracín et al., 2021). Learning to recognize and craft these claims will make your speeches sharper, more engaging, and more convincing.

The four common types of persuasive claims are: definitional, factual, policy, and value (McKenna, 2025).

1. Definitional Claims

A definitional claim argues about the meaning or classification of something. In short, you’re saying: “X is (or is not) a Y because it has (or doesn’t have) features A, B, and C.”

• Example: A student argues that thrifting and upcycling clothing should be seen as sustainable fashion, not just “cheap shopping” (Tan et al., 2021).
• Example: A classmate giving a speech on e-sports might argue that competitive gaming should be classified as a real sport because it requires strategy, training, and teamwork (Albarracín et al., 2021).

2. Factual Claims

A factual claim argues whether something is true or false, or whether something will happen. Some are straightforward (“Barack Obama was the first African American U.S. president”), while others are harder to prove because the evidence is uncertain or ongoing (Fransen et al., 2015).

• Example: A student speech might argue that streaming music pays artists less than the radio ever did.
• Example: Another might predict that California will face more frequent wildfires due to climate change (Gleick, 2010).

Think of a factual claim like a courtroom trial: your job as the speaker is to present evidence and convince the jury (your classmates) that your claim is most believable.

3. Policy Claims

A policy claim argues for a specific action or change - what should be done about a problem. These are very common in persuasive speeches because students often see problems on campus or in society that they want to fix (Cruz et al., 2025).

• Example: Our college should provide free or reduced-cost parking passes for students.
• Example: California should make community college tuition-free for all residents. 
• Example: The campus cafeteria should offer more vegan and culturally diverse food options.

Policy claims can aim for passive agreement (just convincing the audience that your policy is good) or immediate action (getting your audience to do something right away, like sign a petition, scan a QR code, or attend a rally) (Albarracín et al., 2021).

4. Value Claims

A value claim argues whether something is good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair. These can spark debate because people’s values differ, so you’ll need to explain your criteria for making the judgment (McKenna, 2025).

• Example: It’s unfair for textbooks to cost more than $200 when free OER materials exist.
• Example: It’s better for students to live at home during community college than to take on high rent (Glass & Westmont, 2014).
• Example: Fast fashion is harmful and should not be supported (Tan et al., 2021).

With value claims, make your standards clear. If you say fast fashion is harmful, are you talking about environmental damage, labor practices, or consumer waste? Defining your criteria makes your claim stronger and easier to understand.

Example 11.2.1  

Types of Persuasive Claims

Type of Claim	Definition	Student-Friendly Examples
Definitional	Argues what something is or is not; how something should be defined or classified.	“E-sports should be classified as a legitimate sport because it requires skill, strategy, and teamwork” (Albarracín et al., 2021). “Thrifting and upcycling clothes count as sustainable fashion, not just ‘cheap shopping’” (Tan et al., 2021).
Factual	Argues whether something is true/false or whether something will happen.	“California will face more frequent wildfires due to climate change” (Gleick, 2010). “International students contribute billions to the U.S. economy each year” (Institute of International Education, 2023).
Policy	Argues what should be done; proposes a solution to a problem.	“Community colleges in California should expand free tuition programs for low-income students” (Cruz et al., 2025). “Our college should provide more affordable housing options for international students” (Glass & Westmont, 2014).
Value	Argues whether something is good/bad, right/wrong, fair/unfair.	“It’s unfair for textbooks to cost more than $200 when free OER materials exist” (Albarracín et al., 2021). “Fast fashion is harmful and should not be supported by college students” (Tan et al., 2021).

Key Takeaways

• Every persuasive speech begins with a claim. Knowing whether you’re defining something, debating a fact, proposing a policy, or making a value judgment shapes your approach (Example: Is fast fashion sustainable = definitional).

• Different claims need different evidence. Definitional claims use clear criteria, factual claims rely on data, policy claims need solutions, and value claims require standards for judgment (Example: Community college should be free = policy).
• Persuasive claims connect to real student issues. Framing your claim well makes it more impactful, whether you’re talking about tuition hikes, housing costs, or sustainability (Example: It's unfair for textbooks to cost over $200 = value).

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Exercises

•     Claim Tweet: Students take a persuasive topic and write one claim as if it had to fit in a tweet (max 280 characters). Bonus if they add a hashtag (Example: Fast fashion isn't cheap - it's costly for workers and the planet. #ShopSmart).
• Perusasion Pair Challenge: In pairs, one student gives a quick 30-second persuasive claim on a fun topic (like pineapple on pizza, best boba shop, or Lakers vs. Warriors). Their partner identifies the type of claim (definitional, factual, policy, or value) and explains why, then they switch roles.
• Fact or Opinion Flip: With a partner, one person states an opinion (Example: Textbooks are too expensive), and the other flips it into a factual claim with evidence (Example: The average cost of a textbook at U.S. colleges is over $100). Switch roles and repeat with new examples.