Public Speaking 110 Quiz #1

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

Adrenaline

a hormone released in the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress

Brainstorming

a method of generating ideas for speech topics by free association of words and ideas

Central Idea

a one-sentence statement that sums up or encapsulates the major ideas of a speech

Rhetorical Question

a question that the audience answers mentally rather than out loud

Specific Purpose

a single infinitive phrase that states precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech

Preview Statement

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

Stage Fright

anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an audience

Interference

anything that impedes the communication of a message; can be external or internal to listeners

Positive Nervousness

controlled nervousness that helps energize a speaker for his or her presentation

Critical Thinking

focused, organized thinking about such things as the logical relationships among ideas, the soundness of evidence, and the differences between fact and opinion

Visualization

mental imaging in which a speaker vividly pictures himself or herself giving a successful presentation

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

Ethnocentrism

the belief that one's own group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures

General Purpose

the broad goal of a speech

Channel

the means by which a message is communicated

Feedback

the message, usually nonverbal, sent from a listener to a speaker

Speaker

the one who is presenting an oral message to a listener

Listener

the person who receives the speaker's message

Topic

the subject of a speech

Frame of Reference

the sum of a person's knowledge, experience, goals, values, and attitudes; not exactly the same for any two people

Situation

the time and place in which speech communication occurs

Residual Message

what a speaker wants the audience to remember after it has forgotten everything else in a speech

Message

whatever a speaker communicates to someone else