COM 111 Chapters 6-10

attitude

A frame of mind in favor of or opposed to a person, policy, belief, institution, etc.

supporting materials

The materials used to support a speaker's ideas. The three major kinds of supporting materials are examples, statistics, and testimony.

crescendo ending

a conclusion in which the speech builds to a zenith of power and intensity

dissolve ending

a conclusion that generates emotional appeal by fading step by step to a dramatic final statement

academic database

a database that catalogues articles from scholarly journals

preliminary bibliography

a list compiled early in the research process of works that look as if they might contain helpful information about a speech topic

catalogue

a listing of all the books, periodicals, and other resources owned by a library

problem-solution order

a method of speech organization in which the first main point deals with the existence of a problem and the second main point presents a solution to the problem

topical order

a method of speech organization in which the main points divide the topic into logical and consistent subtopics

spatial order

a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a directional pattern

chronological order

a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a time pattern

casual order

a method of speech organization in which the main points show a cause-effect relationship

call number

a number used in libraries to classify books and periodicals and to indicate where they can be found on the shelves

rhetorical question

a question that the audience answers mentally rather than aloud

newspaper and periodical database

a research aid that catalogues articles from a large number of magazines, journals, and newspapers

brief example

a specific case referred to in passing to illustrate a point

example

a specific case used to illustrate or represent a group of people, ideas, conditions, experiences, or the like

preview statement

a statement in the introduction of a speech that identifies the main points to be discussed in the body

extended example

a story, narrative, or anecdote developed at some length to illustrate a point

abstract

a summary of a magazine or journal article, written by someone other than the original author

signpost

a very brief statement that indicates where a speaker is in the speech or that focuses attention on key ideas

connective

a word or phrase that connects the ideas of a speech and indicates the relationship between them

transition

a word or phrase that indicates when a speaker has finished one thought and is moving on to another

reference work

a work that synthesizes a large amount of related information for easy access by researchers

hypothetical example

an example that describes an imaginary or fictitious situation

research interview

an interview conducted to gather information for a speech

sponsoring organization

an organization that, in the absence of a clearly identified author, is responsible for the content of a document on the internet

demographic audience analysis

audience analysis that focuses on demographic factors such as age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, group membership, and racial, ethnic, or cultural background

situational audience analysis

audience analysis that focuses on situational factors such as the size of the audience, the physical setting for the speech, and the disposition of the audience toward the topic, the speaker, and the occasion

Stereotyping

creating an oversimplified image of a particular group of people, usually by assuming that all members of the group are alike

audience-centeredness

keeping the audience foremost in mind at every step of speech preparation and presentation

statistics

numerical data

strategic organization

putting a speech together in a particular way to achieve a particular result with a particular audience

open-ended questions

questions that allow respondents to answer however they want

fixed-alternative questions

questions that offer a fixed choice between two or more alternatives

scale questions

questions that require responses at fixed intervals along a scale of answers

testimony

quotations or paraphrases used to support a point

quoting out of context

quoting a statement in such a way as to distort its meaning by removing the statement from the words and phrases surrounding it

peer testimony

testimony from ordinary people with firsthand experience or insight on a topic

expert testimony

testimony from people who are recognized experts in their fields

direct quotation

testimony that is presented word for word

credibility

the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic

goodwill

the audience's perception of whether the speaker has the best interests of the audience in mind

mean

the average value of a group of numbers

main points

the major points developed in the body of a speech

median

the middle number in a group of numbers arranged from highest to lowest

mode

the number that occurs most frequently in a group of numbers

Egocentrism

the tendency of people to be concerned above all with their own values, beliefs, and well-being

paraphrase

to restate or summarize an author's ideas in one's own words