Question

analyzing a poster for purpose

what is this public service announcement trying to persuade people to believe?

a good friend helps protect his or her friends.
there are many people out there who are not wearing their seat belts.
soon, everyone will be wearing a seat belt.
many people do not know that they are supposed to wear seat belts.

Explanation:

Analyze the poster's visual and textual elements

The poster displays a seatbelt with the text: "KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T WEAR THEIR SEATBELT?" and a smaller message near the buckle that reads "YOU COULD SAVE THEIR LIFE." This visual and textual combination targets the viewer's personal relationships to encourage action.

Identify the persuasive purpose

Using Persuasive Purpose, we determine what the creator wants the audience to believe or do. The poster does not merely state a statistic about seatbelt usage; instead, it connects wearing a seatbelt to saving a friend's life.

Evaluate the options using media literacy

Applying Media Literacy, we analyze the message's subtext:

• Option 1 ("A good friend helps protect his or her friends") directly aligns with the message "KNOW SOMEONE... YOU COULD SAVE THEIR LIFE."
• Option 2 is a passive observation about seatbelt statistics.
• Option 3 is an unrealistic prediction.
• Option 4 assumes ignorance, which is not the focus of this emotional appeal.

Select the best option

The primary belief the PSA promotes is that individuals have the agency and responsibility to protect those they care about by encouraging seatbelt use.

Answer:

• (A) A good friend helps protect his or her friends. (Correct answer)
• (B) There are many people out there who are not wearing their seat belts.
• (C) Soon, everyone will be wearing a seat belt.
• (D) Many people do not know that they are supposed to wear seat belts.