An appeal to emotion is embedded in an argument in order to convince the person being persuade to make a decision based on how they feel about the given claim. Appeal to emotion can be easily seen in the media, such as in advertisements that involve electoral campaigns trying to play with people's feelings in order to gain votes. Commercials and magazine advertisements also play a role in appeal to emotion because they manipulate their readers to buy the products they are promoting and/or to make them feel that they need such a product to make their life or appearance more sufficient.
An appeal to emotion that pops my eye the most is an appeal to pity, which is a way to get someone to act out of sympathy. This is not an effective way to carry out a belief or action because it is solely based on emotion and not rational evidence that backs up a point of view.
For example:
Jimmy: I can't finish this slice of cheese pizza mom.
Mom: You only have half a slice of the pizza left, just finish it up.
Jimmy: But, I am really full and I can't handle it anymore.
Mom: Don't waste food. You know how many starving children there in Africa, Asia, and even parts of the United States and the rest of the world? How would they feel if they knew you wasted your food? You are privileged to be able to eat good food. So, don't be disrespectful to these children by not finishing that pizza.
Jimmy: Fine, I'll finish my food.
--> So basically, mom is using the starving children card to guilt trip her son to finish his pizza. Her argument is that there are starving children in the world, so he should not leave behind his unfinished pizza. Thus, Jimmy would feel bad about wasting his food when there are kids that don't even get to eat.
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