Which type of appeal is illustrated when someone leverages emotional sympathy for a persuasive argument?

The appeal in question is an Appeal to Pity. This type of appeal is characterized by the use of emotion, specifically sympathy, to sway an audience towards a particular argument or point of view. When a person presents a situation designed to evoke sympathy, they are trying to elicit an emotional reaction that leads listeners to feel compassion or sorrow. This emotional engagement can be powerful, as it bypasses logical reasoning and directly targets the audience's feelings, making them more receptive to the speaker's message.

For example, if someone argues that a policy should be adopted by sharing stories of individuals who are suffering as a result of a situation the policy addresses, they invoke an appeal to pity. By focusing on the emotional plight of these individuals, the speaker hopes to stir up compassion in the audience, leading them to support the policy based on that emotional response, rather than on rational evidence alone.

In contrast, other types of appeals, such as those to practical consequences or ridicule, do not primarily focus on evoking sympathy. Similarly, joining the bandwagon appeal encourages individuals to adopt a belief because many others do, rather than based on personal emotional reactions to a situation.