Persuasion

Persuasion is the act of encouraging people to embrace a point of view, change their minds, or do something. It can rely both on reasoning (logical argument) and on personal appeal (the characteristics of the individual). In evaluation, persuasive use is one of three traditional forms of use, occurring when decision makers take the content of an evaluation report and seek to move others to support a position. Such use contrasts with instrumental or conceptual use. Persuasion also underlies debates in the field about whether evaluators should advocate for the programs they study or for the results generated.