COMM 101 exam 1 - all quizzes

Why is expecting listeners to respond overtly to a question risky business? You may get a strong, unexpected response. You may get no or few responses. Unexpected responses may cause you to stall or stammer.

All of above

Speeches typically should include these objectives: Attention strategy Clear purpose statement Preview of main points

All of the above

The ready availability of huge quantities of information from computer technologies raises which of the following challenges when making an informative speech? Information overload Going way over your time limit Providing too much detail

All of the above

Which of the following is an effective way to explore potential speech topics? Do a personal inventory of topics that interest you Scan for topics in books, blogging sites, and magazines Brainstorm ideas from a list of general topics

All of the above

Which of the following are examples of communication noise? 1. A large tattoo on a speaker's face that draws attention. 2. Use of a racist term of abuse characterizing a group 3. An upset stomach while giving your speech

All of the above Anything (tattoos, racist terms, upset stomach) that interferes with a speaker's ability to share the meaning of messages with an audience is communication noise.

Which of these vocal techniques can induce interest? ncreasing your volume Reducing your volume Maintaining a constant, consistent volume throughout your speech

Both a and b, Both increasing and reducing volume can be used to stimulate listening; maintaining a constant volume may be perceived as tedious or boring. Make sure you have the microphone appropriately placed if you must amplify your voice-if it's too far away you will not be heard; if it's too close it may blast your voice and distortion will occur.

A defense lawyer is making an opening statement to a jury in a child molestation case. The lawyer wants to capture the jurors' attention. Using an opening joke that minimizes the seriousness of the crime is an effective strategy.

False

A preparation outline for a speech is one in which simple words and phrases are used in outline form, and a presentation outline is a full-sentence version.

False

Articulation is speaking words correctly as indicated in any dictionary based on Standard English rules.

False

Using intensity as an attention strategy means using only examples that are intense and pleasant but not intense and unpleasant.

False

An informative speech always calls for action to be taken by an audience.

False A call to action is persuasive, not informative

A direct question is just another name for a rhetorical question

False A direct question seeks an overt response from the audience; a rhetorical question seeks a mental answer only, nothing out loud.

A transitional statement and an internal preview are the same thing.

False A transitional statement connects what was said with what will be said, but provides no specifics. An internal preview specifically identifies points to be made.

A signpost is an internal summary.

False An internal summary reminds listeners of points already made; a signpost is simply a marker that notifies listeners that a particular point is about to be addressed. Signposts can be particularly effective when they alert listeners to where you are in your speech, e.g., "My third and final point . . ."

Sometimes there is no substitute for showing the actual object to your audience. For example, you need to show the actual assault rifle to your classmates during your public speaking class on campus to illustrate key points made about the weapon.

False Bringing an assault rifle onto a college campus is almost always illegal and would likely frighten many members of your audience, who may not trust that the weapon is unloaded and "harmless." In this case, a picture, drawing, or video could be used to safely familiarize your audience with this weapon.

Gaining proper perspective as a means of reducing speech anxiety means concentrating on what could go wrong while giving your speech and trying hard to correct these deficiencies as you present your speech.

False Concentrating on what might go wrong heightens anxiety and can easily lead to irrational catastrophic thinking ("Prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse") and poor presentations. Gaining proper perspective notes that the severity of failure is minimal even in worst-case scenarios in our heads, and it is highly unlikely that such disasters will occur.

You should never cry when speaking to an audience; it shows lack of composure and weakens credibility.

False Giving a eulogy and crying (not bawling uncontrollably) shows grief. Displaying stoicism may brand you as unfeeling. Context determines the appropriateness of crying (composure).

"Have you ever wanted to be a rap star?" is an effective direct question to gain attention during the introduction of a speech on the perils of celebrity.

False If listeners have never wanted to be a rap star, then this rhetorical, not direct, question will be a flop. Make sure the rhetorical questions you use are meaningful to your audience, and not asked just for the sake of asking a question.

PowerPoint slides or a Prezi presentation can enhance any speech.

False Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech would not have been enhanced by a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation. Most informative speeches can be enhanced by such visual aids, but many persuasive speeches, eulogies, toasts, award presentations, and acceptance speeches do not require such visual aids and may actually be less effective with them.

The useful approach to speech anxiety, generally, is to eliminate the fight-or-flight response, not merely moderate the symptoms.

False Moderating the fight-or-flight response is more realistic. Some anxiety when giving a speech is not necessarily counterproductive.

Impromptu speaking is the preferred way to delivery an important speech in almost all situations.

False Most speeches benefit enormously from preparation and most speeches are not impromptu.

A narrative informative speech provides a demonstration of how to use an object or perform a specific activity.

False Narratives are a version of storytelling, not demonstrations.

Self-deprecating humor works well for high-status individuals but not for low-status individuals.

False Self-deprecation works better for high-status individuals by revealing a lack of arrogance and ego, but low-status individuals can also use self-deprecation effectively to increase likeability if the self-deprecation is mild and doesn't lower credibility (just shows that you don't take yourself too seriously).

The specific purpose identifies the overall goal of your speech.

False The general purpose identifies the overall goal of your speech; the specific purpose is a phrase that encompasses the general purpose and indicates what the speaker hopes to accomplish with the speech.

"I want to convince you that this new health care plan is another devil-may-care, porkbarrel program" is a clear, precise and specific purpose statement.

False The language is too colorful and possibly unfamiliar ("pork-barrel") to many listeners who are unfamiliar with "political speech."

The Monroe's motivated sequence is a chronological organizational pattern.

False The motivated sequence is a problem-solution pattern with the added elements of a visualization step and an action step. The five steps follow a logical sequence but not in a time relationship.

You should strive to eliminate vocal fillers because listeners immediately notice them and are distracted by them

False Vocal fillers are often unnoticed by listeners unless they become frequent. An occasional um or uh will not diminish the overall effectiveness of your presentation, although when frequent, they may be the only part of your speech that is memorable! Practice not using vocal fillers during casual conversation with friends and family, and do try to remove them from your formal presentations

It's most effective to read the narrative when telling a story.

False While there may be some times that reading is necessary in any speech (e.g., when quoting an expert), it is rarely effective to read anything to an audience (see Chapter 10). Keep in mind that you want to sound natural, not artificial.

A main point in an outline can be divided into a single subpoint

False You don't divide anything into one. If I divide a stack of cash into one, I get all the money and you get bupkis. There must be a minimum of two subpoints for division.

The significance of the topic, credibility of the speaker, and preview of main points can be presented in any order and still be effective.

False You wouldn't preview main points before establishing significance and credibility. The preview always comes last in the introduction because it leads you into the body of your speech.

Ethnocentrism is the perspective that argues for treating all cultures with respect and acceptance of their practices and customs.

False Ethnocentrism is the belief that the customs, practices, and behaviors of your own culture are superior to those of any other culture.

Detecting, decoding, and comprehending signals from your audience is called mindfulness.

False It is called sensitivity (receptive accuracy).

Using information already published and easily accessible—whether on the web, on bumper stickers, or in movies—is not plagiarism, and sources need not be cited.

False Plagiarism is the use of anyone else's material without some attribution.

Stereotypes are broad negative generalizations about a group that ignore individual differences and are always untrue claims.

False Stereotypes may be true in some instances. "College professors are well educated and smart" is generally a true and positive stereotype.

Storytelling is one very effective way to increase stylistic similarity with an audience.

False Storytelling enhances likability, not stylistic similarity.

The difference between informative and persuasive speeches is easily determined.

False The difference between informative and persuasive speeches is more a matter of emphasis along a continuum than always definite and obvious. The line can be blurry.

"Never get visibly angry when giving a speech" is a universal rule applicable to every speaking situation.

False There are no universal rules.

A good topic is any topic of interest to your listening audience.

False While speech topics must be suitable for your audience, they also need to be suitable to you as well as the event.

A speaker presenting a speech to a video camera that will be posted on YouTube, is an example of transactional communication.

False Without feedback there is no transactional communication.

Picturing your audience naked is an effective technique for diminishing speech anxiety because it addresses the root causes of such anxiety.

False, Good luck with that image in your head! It may work for a few individuals, but it is a diversionary tactic rather than an effective nervousness-reduction strategy, and it does not address the root causes of anxiety.

Which of the following is sound advice about different methods of speech delivery? Never memorize your speech; you're likely to forget important details. Always use an extemporaneous method of delivery. Always have a manuscript in front of you in case you lose your train of thought.

None of the above Memorization, especially for short speeches (e.g., toasts at weddings), may be appropriate and effective. Extemporaneous delivery is widely applicable but may not work well in some circumstances in which precision of phrasing and accuracy of details are essential. If you bring a manuscript with you, even if you intend not to use it, you will likely use it and all the disadvantages of manuscript speaking will almost assuredly surface.

Which of the following is a universal rule applicable to all public speaking situations? -Never heckle a speaker. -Always be honest and direct. -Never use your smart phone while a speaker is addressing an audience.

None of the above Heckling is occasionally the only avenue open to the less powerful. Honesty is a guiding principal of ethical public speaking, but complete honesty in all contexts relieves you from using your brain. Sometimes honesty can be hurtful, even lethally damaging. You have to consider the context. Some listeners may use their smart phones to take notes, check sources offered by a speaker, or check the accuracy of a statistic presented by a speaker. Using your smart phone, however, for irrelevant purposes such as texting a friend about a dinner date is inappropriate.

Computer-assisted presentations are enhanced by the following:

Practice with the technology before giving your presentation

Texting while a classmate is giving a speech violates which of the following ethical standards?

Respect Remember that sensitivity in the communication competence model is not defined as "caring" about others. That is respect. Sensitivity is "receptive accuracy."

You want to demonstrate the perils of gum disease. Which of the following would be an effective visual aid?

Showing a large photo of gum disease

The successful performance of a communication behavior and the ability to repeat such behavior is which element of the communication competence model?

Skill This is the definition in the text for a skill.

Which of the following is a common mistake made by speakers who use visual aids?

Standing in front of the visual aid, blocking the audience's view correct

One of the chief problems with reading a manuscript speech is the likelihood of getting buried in the manuscript and failing to make eye contact with your audience.

True

Tables are great for isolating and clarifying a lot of information.

True

There is little reason to use visual aids if your choice of aids serves no useful purpose.

True

Using several different-sized fonts for each PowerPoint slide is not advisable because it may confuse your audience and make reading text difficult.

True

"Tell us what we don't already know" is a useful guideline for informative speeches.

True It isn't informative if your audience already knows what you are conveying.

Attention to change is built into our brains.

True Our brains are hardwired to notice movement and change, not to notice stasis. We don't really watch the grass grow (too little movement), but we might notice large change that comes from an unmowed lawn. In addition, the startle response is hardwired into our brains as a defensive reflex that protects us from threats.

Attention is both a voluntary and an involuntary activity

True Some stimuli grab our attention automatically (an obnoxious ringtone from a cell phone) and some require voluntary focus (choosing to listen to a speaker deliver a message on filling out your income tax forms-"Anyone, anyone?").

A speaker's outline should always flow from the purpose statement.

True The purpose statement acts as the blueprint for your speech. Don't build your house without a blueprint, unless you want to replicate the famous Winchester Mystery House (see http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/tours.cfm), and don't build your speech without beginning with a specific purpose statement.

Informing a person about the illusion of transparency can free speakers from the cycle of anxiety and help them present better speeches.

True Unlike telling a person not to be nervous, which is about as helpful as telling a person with a mental disorder to "just get it together," noting that a speaker's anxiety is not as noticeable (transparent) to audience members as most speakers think can be helpful in reducing the anxiety.

Often your first classroom speech will be a personal introduction—a nonthreatening narrative that tells a story in three parts.

True A narrative speech tells a story that typically begins with a challenge, reveals a struggle, and resolves the problem in the conclusion.

Labeling someone a "competent speaker" makes a judgment about that person's degree of proficiency in a particular speaking context.

True You may be deficient in one speaking situation but quite proficient in another.

How do you know whether your informative speech goes beyond what your audience already knows?

You must first analyze your audience. Obviously, not even all adult audiences will have a college education, although often your audiences will already have knowledge of the simple basics of your topic. In order to choose a topic that will likely interest your listeners and will be well-suited to their knowledge, concerns, and expectations, you must conduct an audience analysis (see Chapter 3).

A manuscript speech is most appropriate in which of the following circumstances?

You need to be precise in your phrasing to avoid offense or legal difficulties

Speech anxiety is

a common problem for most people Speech anxiety can be a bothersome problem for most people, but it is nearly incapacitating for only a small percentage of the population

Anxiety-provoking situations include: a) conspicuousness of the speaker (spotlighted). b) subordinate status of the speaker in relation to the audience i c) novelty of the speaking situation

all of the above

Research on multitasking reveals: almost everyone is terrible at multitasking a deterioration in performance on all tasks undertaken simultaneously a general inability of multitaskers to ignore irrelevant information

all of the above

The communication orientation to reducing speech anxiety: a) focuses on performing well b) focuses on presenting a clear message, not on your performance c) is enhanced by practicing your speech conversationally with a friend

b and c

A topical organizational pattern

breaks nicely into types, classifications, or parts of a whole

You are told by your instructor to attend a speech by a famous author who is appearing on campus in the evening. Failure to attend will result in a loss of points for your term grade. Attending this speech makes you part of a ___________ audience.

captive You attend not because of interest or commitment to the speaker's cause, but because you have to if you want to avoid losing points

Ways to establish speaker identification with an audience include

displaying abundant tattoos to an audience gathered at a tattoo artists' convention

The Monroe's motivated sequence is an organizational pattern that

has 5 steps: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action

Presenting the pros and cons of potential solutions to a serious problem

is a type of informative speech as long as no specific solution is advocated

Sound delivery advice includes

look directly at your audience, typically beginning with the middle of your audience, then looking left, then right, and back again to the middle, taking in the full sweep of your listeners

The ideal speaking rate for any speech is 200 words per minute 175 words per minute 150 words per minute

non of above There is no ideal, specific speaking rate. It depends on the context. A motivational speech may have a higher rate than a eulogy. An informative speech on a complex subject may have a much slower pace than a persuasive speech before a knowledgeable audience. A speaking rate between 140 and 180 wpm is appropriate for most speaking situations.

As a speaker, you want to use a novel opening to your speech. A novel opening that is both potentially effective and appropriate includes which of the following? Startling your audience of parents, relatives, and friends at graduation ceremonies by appearing in a sexually provocative outfit Beginning your speech with the statement: "Today I am excited to talk about . . ." Telling a personal story unrelated to your topic to gain attention of your audience

non of the above

When addressing the symptoms of the fight-or-flight response to speech anxiety, it is reasonable to assume that: a) you can deactivate selective, dysfunctional symptoms. b) the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for the fight-or-flight response can be entirely controlled by mental discipline. c) the sympathetic nervous system responsible for the fight-or-flight response can be selectively activated to choose only symptoms that prove to be functional for the speaker d) non of the above

non of the above You cannot selectively activate (increased glucose) or deactivate symptoms (sweaty armpits, goose bumps, butterflies in the stomach, cold hands) of the fight-or-flight response. Your sympathetic nervous system activates a constellation of symptoms; you get the whole package.

"I want to explain how you can avoid identity theft" is an example of a: report demonstration narrative

none of the above It is an explanation type of informative speech

Guidelines for competent use of visual aids include avoid simple visual aids; they are too commonplace almost any visual aid is preferable to no aid at all an occasional misspelling or grammatical error on a poster or slide is fine as long as you don't have too many

none of the above Simple visual aids are preferable to complex aids, which can be confusing and cluttered. Sloppy, unattractive, amateurish-looking aids can detract from your speech. Even a single misspelling or grammatical error in a slide heading can stick out like Miley Cyrus's tongue, and draw unappealing attention.

A speaker says: "Why are there so few electric cars on the road today?" This is: an effective purpose statement a clear central idea for the speech a purpose statement that provides clear direction for the speech

none of the above A specific purpose statement requires a declarative sentence, not a question; this statement also provides no clear direction for the audience (inform, persuade, motivate, entertain, etc.) or central idea (only a question without an answer).

Ways to establish credibility in an introduction to a speech include

noting real expertise that you have on the subject of your speech

The comparative advantages organizational pattern compares two things and argues that

one is significantly better than the other

You should replace your presentation outline (a full-sentence outline) with a __________ outline-an abbreviated outline (with only key words and phrases)-when you're getting ready to deliver your speech.

preparation

Mindful listening

requires focused attention

You are giving a speech on Middle East crises in the last decade. Recognizing that most members of your audience cannot identify most countries and their locations, you should

show a large map of the Middle East taken from a geography book

As a speaker, you try to find common ground with your listeners to overcome anticipated hostility to your point of view. This attempt to find common ground to create identification with your audience is called establishing

substantive similarities

"In brief, I provided historical context for understanding our debt crisis, presented three harms from ignoring our national debt, and offered some long-term solutions" is

summarizing the main points of your speech

Attention is

the act of focusing on a specific stimulus to the exclusion of competing stimuli

The key differences between functional and dysfunctional speech anxiety include

the degree of anxiety and your ability to manage it. Zero anxiety is an unrealistic goal and not necessarily a productive goal either. Your anxiety may never totally disappear, but low to moderate levels of anxiety managed effectively can prove to be functional in "psyching up" a best presentati

A narrative speech is best when

the story is well-suited to the audience

Using humor effectively and appropriately can be challenging for a speaker. Typically,

use self-deprecating humor

"Having considered the serious harms from debt default, let's now consider what can be done about this crisis" is an example of

using a transition

A belief is

what a person thinks is probable or true

"Public speaking is a transactional process" means

you do more than transmit a message; you also develop a relationship with audience members Transactional process means more than mere transmission of a message. Practicing in front of a mirror is hardly transactional. Are you creating a relationship with yourself?