Speech Chapter 6: Analyzing the Audience

Gertrude, a returning student in her sixties, gave a speech to her classmates, who were traditional college freshmen. She focused on the qualities to look for when purchasing a fur coat. Partway through, she realized that most of the audience was not paying attention. What principal demographic trait did she fail to consider fully when preparing her speech?

Age

How can speakers ensure they are being audience-centered?

By opening the speech with a noncommittal position By making their ideas clear, interesting, and persuasive to the audience By considering the audience's backgrounds, interests, knowledge, and attitudes

Keeping the audience in mind as you prepare your speech includes adjusting what you are saying to make it which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Clear Convincing Appropriate

Stacy had a 30-minute speech planned for a conference on the virtual workplace. When she arrived at the event, she was told she only had 20 minutes for her speech. What should she do?

Condense her speech to its most essential points and present them in the time available

A classroom audience usually expects the speaker to do which of the following?

Conform to the assignment Follow standards for taste and decorum Conform to time parameters

What is the tendency of people to be concerned primarily with their own values, beliefs, and well-being?

Egocentrism

True or false: The larger your audience, the less formal your presentation should be.

False

What does being audience-centered involve?

Gaining the desired response from the audience

Shelley is speaking at a hospital about volunteer opportunities. Which demographic trait should she focus on primarily?

Group membership

During his speech on gay rights, Peter avoided calling on anyone with a question in the audience who was wearing a hijab. Why?

He wrongly assumed that all Muslim women condemn homosexuality.

Why should a speaker avoid stereotyping the audience?

It can lead to false generalizations.

What factors in situational audience analysis are related to physical setting?

Lighting of the room Temperature of the room Placement of chairs

Suppose there are two speakers giving a speech about potty training. One speaker, Molly, has three school-age children and a lot of real-world examples. The other, Lola, has no children but is knowledgeable about all of the top potty training methods. Which speaker is the audience more likely to accept advice from?

Molly

Which of the following are types of positive audience feedback?

Nodding your head Sitting forward in your chai

What approaches can you use to develop your audience's interest in your speech topic?

Present an engaging introduction Provide provocative supporting materials Display visual aids

At an Academy Awards ceremony, an award recipient took her Oscar, briefly thanked those who helped her earn it, and then made one statement in support of a particular presidential candidate. What was the biggest mistake she made?

She violated audience expectations about the purpose of the occasion.

While creating a persuasive argument supporting Planned Parenthood, Kate decided to deal with any audience objections by first discovering their religious affiliations. Why?

She wanted to anticipate emotionally charged and passionate reactions.

Which of the following statements best explains what speakers should do to avoid stereotyping the audience?

Speakers should recognize that not all members of a group are the same.

Josh, a Marine, noticed that his audience did not seem enthusiastic during his speech on the uses of infrared technology for military applications and for mapping the earth's temperature. Glancing at his laser pointer, Josh suddenly realized his mistake, and he asked, "How many of you changed the channel on TV last night without walking across the room? Did you realize you were using infrared technology?" What is the best reason for Josh to add this example during his speech?

The example would be relevant to many audience members' experiences.

True or false: An audience's characteristic group membership is important because it can give clues about listeners' attitudes and interests.

True

Which of the following is recommended practice when preparing your speech?

Trying to hear the speech through the ears of your audience

After completing an audience analysis, what should a speaker do with what he or she has learned?

Use the information in preparing a speech

What is the advantage to knowing in advance the attitudes of audience members?

You can address the concerns of the audience related to your topic. You can respond to the audience's objections related to your topic.

The size of your audience may affect which of the following?

Your choice of visual aids The formality of your language

During speech preparation, a speaker who analyzes the size of the audience and the attitude of the audience toward the subject, speaker, and occasion is said to be doing ______ audience analysis.

a situational

In general, a good speaker will consider an audience's religious affiliations during speech preparation because

audiences are often religiously diverse.

Audience adaptation occurs

before and during a speech.

When giving a persuasive speech, you should give

both sides of the issue.

An audience will be most likely to accept a speaker's message if they perceive the speaker as

competent

Sheri has chosen to speak about the Japanese practice of bonsai and the success she has had cultivating a small, potted tree. To prepare for her speech, she wants to determine her audience's toward the topic by considering the audience interest in bonsai, knowledge about it, and attitudes toward it.

disposition

According to a Brookings Institution report, racial _________ may be "the most defining and impactful characteristic of the millennial generation."

diversity or prejudice

In general, the larger your audience is, the more ______ your presentation must be.

formal

There is often a direct link between a person's ______ a topic and his or her knowledge about it.

interest in

Your audience's ______ a topic will typically determine ______ of your speech.

knowledge about; the level of detail

Cameron gave a speech in class about the use of infrared technology in government projects. After his speech, one of his classmates asked, "This is all very impressive, but what is infrared technology and how does it affect me?" Then, Cameron realized he had made several errors, including

misjudging the audience's knowledge on infrared technology. neglecting to connect the topic to the audience's experiences.

When beginning a speech about a controversial issue, it is best to start with a

noncommittal position.

When speaking before a classroom audience, effective speakers should

regard the audience as seriously as any other audience.

While preparing an audience analysis, a speaker who classifies women as caring about issues regarding children and men as caring about issues of national security

risks losing the support and interest of the audience through role stereotyping.

If your audience knows very little about the topic of your speech, you should

talk at a basic level.

Although there are exceptions, people tend to be interested in

what they know about.

A news anchor at a city television station was asked by a rural food bank to speak at its annual fund-raiser. Even though the fund-raiser was being held in a distant town, she agreed and began trying to find out all she could about her audience. What are ways that she can discover her the specific characteristics of her audience?

Attending a meeting of the food bank's board of directors Asking for more information from the person who invited her Searching the food bank's Web site for information about its past donors Talking to the speaker from the previous year's event

What is the process of using what you learned during audience analysis called?

Audience adaptation

Which generation is the most racially and ethnically diverse in U.S. history?

Millennials

Rachel was the only person in her speech class who was a member of a sorority. For her demonstration speech, Rachel showed her class how to make a sorority paddle (a wooden decoration containing the name of a sorority). Although Rachel's speech was clear and thorough, it was met with glazed stares. What should Rachel have done differently?

Rachel should have thought about her listeners' experiences.

For his final speech, James intends to persuade his classmates to volunteer for a few hours a week at a charity of their choice. Part of his argument is based on his personal feeling that all people are obligated to help the less fortunate, but he is not sure if that appeal will work with this audience. What is the best type of question James should use to discover how strongly his audience feels about their obligation to volunteer?

Scale question

Analyzing your audience's disposition toward your speech topic means considering which of the following? Multiple select question.

Their interest in the subject Their attitude toward the topic Their knowledge about the issue

Which of the following are questions to keep in mind when developing an audience-centered speech?

What is the most effective way to compose my speech to accomplish my aim? To whom am I speaking? What do I want them to know, believe, or do as a result of my speech?

When preparing speeches, speakers are advised to analyze group characteristics in order to do which of the following?

Choose appropriate talking points and support material Help create goodwill during the speech Choose appropriate language

When preparing a speech, considering the general age of an audience can help you do which of the following?

Choose the kind of supporting material you need Consider the type of historical references to use Identify your audience's value

When giving a speech for a school rally, what is the most important factor to consider for audience analysis?

The occasion

Which of the following motivate people to listen to a speech?

Messages that address their own beliefs Messages that affect their own well-being Messages that touch on their own values

What should a speaker assess to help determine if listeners have any concerns or objections to the speech topic?

Attitude

Ruby, the new mother of an adopted Korean infant, decided to explain the process of overseas adoptions to her speech class. Knowing that there were other parents in the class, Ruby was not certain how much the others understood about the process. What is the best type of question Ruby could use to find out whether or not her audience knows the steps in overseas adoption or is unsure about the steps?

Fixed-alternative question

People usually attend speeches because they are already interested in the subject of the speech. However, in the classroom, the audience is "captive," and the interest level for your topic may not be as high. What is the best way for a classroom speaker to handle this?

Generate interest by finding ways to get your classmates engaged in the topic

Which of the following statements are true of a situational audience analysis?

It considers the physical setting. It should be used in conjunction with demographic analysis. It considers the size of the audience.

Kenton decided to persuade his classmates to start savings plans for their retirement. What is the most important demographic trait that Kenton should consider when preparing his speech?

Age

Fellow students should be seen as a(n)__________ (authentic/fake) audience.

authentic

Speakers who consider different sexual orientations in their audience analysis and speech preparation do so because

effective speakers try to make language choices that make all people feel included.

When Tomas gave his speech, the heating system was not working correctly. Knowing that his audience felt hot and cranky, Tomas began his speech by saying, "I know we are all very uncomfortable from the temperature. But I want you all to close your eyes and imagine the heat coming from the sun while you are lying in the sand listening to the waves at one of my favorite vacation spots, Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida!" The class became energized, and Tomas was able to keep his audience's attention. Why?

He refused to be influenced negatively by the physical setting. He used the physical situation to his advantage.