ABSTRACT
Scientific theories seek to be general rather than narrow. But scientific theories must also produce specific causal predictions or be vacuous. Moreover, there is a division of labor: physics doesn’t have to explain in depth how cells produce energy for the organism, but organic chemistry does. This chapter examines that dynamic within the sphere of advertising. The fundamental thesis of a rhetorical approach is that advertisements constitute a distinct class of persuasive attempts. Hence, theories that predict some other behavior, like voting outcomes, may fail to predict buying outcomes. Theories that predict responses to lengthy verbal argument may not predict responses to pictures given only a brief glance. The chapter identifies the forms, purposes, and reception environments which distinguish advertisements from other attempts to persuade. It concludes with a set of propositions about which forms are most likely to be effective within the distinctive reception environment that characterizes commercial advertising.
