What is the relationship between expertise and persuasion?

A) Expertise has no effect on persuasion.
B) Nonexperts tend to be the most persuasive.
C) Greater expertise leads to greater persuasion.
D) Communicators with moderate expertise are the most persuasive.

Greater expertise leads to greater persuasion as individuals with greater knowledge on a topic are perceived as more trustworthy and credible by the audience. They are also more likely to provide compelling arguments and evidence to support their perspective, which can increase persuasion. However, there is a point of diminishing returns where too much expertise can actually decrease persuasion due to the audience's inability to understand and relate to the complex information presented.