Chapter 11 Selecting a Speech Topic and Adapting to the Audience 11.1 Multiple Choice Questions 1) What one factor regarding this speaking situation helped Jamal determine how he would deliver his speech? Choose the BEST answer. a) The size of his audience b) The demographics of his audience c) The time limit d) The size and shape of the room Answer: d Rationale: The size and shape of the room are crucial factors in determining how to deliver a speech. In this case, the poor lighting suggests that visual aids, such as PowerPoint slides, would be beneficial. The room's size also impacts how Jamal should project his voice and use the sound system to ensure everyone can hear him clearly. 2) What is one advantage of choosing a speech topic using your own experiences? a) It is easier to visualize your topic, making the entire public speaking experience easier. b) You are required to do less research. c) There is less preparation. d) You do not need to prepare an outline. Answer: a Rationale: Choosing a speech topic based on your own experiences allows for a deeper connection with the subject matter, making it easier to visualize and convey to the audience. This can enhance the speaker's confidence and the audience's engagement. 3) Demographics refer to a) age, sex, and ethnic/cultural/religious background. b) physical characteristics. c) demonstrating a predetermined methodology. d) the population. Answer: a Rationale: Demographics refer to the statistical data of a population, especially those showing average age, income, education level, etc. In the context of public speaking, understanding the demographics of the audience helps tailor the speech to their characteristics and interests. 4) A prominent politician spoke to a first-grade class about the importance of registering to vote. During his speech, the politician used jargon the children did not understand. The politician failed to reach the children because he did NOT do which of the following? a) Exercise his authoritative opinion b) Analyze his audience c) Establish his credibility d) Cite his sources Answer: b Rationale: Analyzing the audience is crucial in public speaking. In this case, the politician failed to consider the age and comprehension level of the first-grade class, leading to a mismatch in communication and a failure to connect with the audience. 5) Ilene was preparing her informative speech on the band “Panic at the Disco.” The majority of the class consisted of returning students whose ages ranged from 42 to 65. What should Ilene have considered when deciding her speech topic? a) Demographics b) Geographics c) Ideographics d) Stratigraphics Answer: a Rationale: Ilene should have considered the demographics of her audience, specifically their age range, when choosing her speech topic. Understanding the audience's demographics helps ensure that the topic is relevant and engaging to them. 6) Maslow used a hierarchy to describe basic human a) desires. b) audiences. c) orientation. d) needs. Answer: d Rationale: Maslow's hierarchy of needs describes the five levels of human needs, ranging from physiological needs at the base to self-actualization at the top. These needs are fundamental to understanding human motivation and behavior. 7) Appealing to the lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can evoke sympathy and interest. This most basic human need for water and air, for example, is what Maslow identifies as _____ needs. a) safety b) esteem c) physiological d) belonging Answer: c Rationale: Maslow identifies physiological needs, such as the need for water, air, and food, as the most basic human needs. Meeting these needs is essential for survival and forms the foundation of Maslow's hierarchy. 8) Discussing the dangers of texting while driving, or drinking too much caffeine, is taking which of Maslow’s needs into consideration? a) Safety b) Belonging c) Esteem d) Physiological Answer: a Rationale: Discussing the dangers of texting while driving or excessive caffeine consumption is related to safety needs, which are the second level in Maslow's hierarchy. These needs include personal security, financial security, health, and well-being. 9) Jarek was to deliver a 3- to 5-minute informative speech on the history of hip-hop. In preparation for his speech, he had his MP3 player ready to play several of his favorite “classics,” and PowerPoint slides of the five most influential groups in hip-hop. Before he even made it through the second main point of his speech, he had to move straight to the conclusion. What did Jarek fail to take into account when analyzing the situation? a) The size of his audience b) The time limit c) The size and shape of the room d) The lighting Answer: b Rationale: Jarek failed to take into account the time limit for his speech. He prepared too much content for the allotted time, leading to a rushed delivery and skipping of main points. Understanding and adhering to the time limit is crucial for effective speech delivery. 10) One way to pick an appropriate speech topic and be able to adapt it to the audience is to look at audience characteristics. When we think of the many different “hats” people wear, what are we taking into consideration? a) Occupation b) Economic status c) Societal roles d) Needs Answer: c Rationale: Considering the different "hats" people wear refers to their societal roles, which can include roles such as parent, student, employee, etc. Understanding these roles helps in selecting a speech topic that resonates with the audience's experiences and interests. 11) There are three ways to gather information when determining the characteristics of your audience. They are a) examination, discussion, and opinion-poll. b) observation, interviews, and surveys. c) spying, intrusive questioning, and eavesdropping. d) observation, intrusive questioning, and examination. Answer: b Rationale: Observation involves watching the audience's behavior and reactions. Interviews allow for direct communication with individuals to gather specific information. Surveys are a structured way to collect data from a larger group, providing insights into audience demographics, interests, and preferences. 12) One of the easiest and often least time-consuming ways we can determine some audience demographics is through a) polling. b) surveys. c) observations. d) interviews. Answer: d Rationale: Interviews are a direct and efficient way to gather audience demographics. By asking individuals about their age, gender, occupation, etc., speakers can quickly determine key demographic characteristics. 13) An information-gathering tool, which can pose a variety of general questions such as age, group, education, marital status, and income bracket, is a (n) a) observation. b) survey. c) interview. d) Likert scale. Answer: b Rationale: Surveys typically include a variety of general questions to gather information about the audience, such as age, education level, marital status, income bracket, etc. Surveys can be an effective tool for collecting demographic data and other relevant information. 14) What type of scale does the following question use: “Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the following statement: Children with parents who continually fight are worse off than children whose parents are divorced.” a) Modified scale. b) Likert scale. c) Adaptive scale. d) Primary scale. Answer: b Rationale: This question uses a Likert scale, which is a type of rating scale that measures the extent of agreement or disagreement with a statement. The scale typically ranges from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree," allowing respondents to express their opinions on a continuum. 15) If, after you have considered yourself, the situation, and the audience, you find that you still have a difficult time deciding on a suitable topic, what should you try? a) Rewriting your introduction b) Picking presentational aids c) Brainstorming d) Analyze your goals in life Answer: c Rationale: If you are having difficulty deciding on a suitable speech topic, brainstorming can help generate ideas. By brainstorming, you can explore different topics and angles that may be of interest to your audience and align with your goals for the speech. 16) Julianne is giving a speech at a local business about losing weight with diet and exercise. While doing her research, she realizes that there are several technical terms she would like to use but does not know if her audience will understand them. Julianne sends out a survey to the intended audience to gauge their understanding of the topic. What area of audience characteristics is Julianne taking into consideration? a) The audience’s attitude b) The audience’s needs c) The audience’s wants d) The audience’s knowledge Answer: d Rationale: Julianne is considering the audience's knowledge level by sending out a survey to gauge their understanding of technical terms related to losing weight with diet and exercise. This helps her tailor her speech to ensure the audience can comprehend the information presented. 17) The general purpose of a speech a) decides whether your overriding goal is to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. b) decides what you hope to accomplish, which aspect you will cover, and your intended audience. c) includes the major ideas of your speech. d) includes the main points of your speech. Answer: a Rationale: The general purpose of a speech determines the speaker's overarching goal, whether it is to inform, persuade, or entertain the audience. This purpose guides the content and delivery of the speech. 18) Discussing forensic evidence to members of the community, the crime scene investigator defined the terms, “alternative light source,” “oblique lighting,” and “latent fingerprints” to his audience because he felt that those terms were unrecognizable and uncommon. In doing so, the crime scene investigator a) adapted to his audience. b) personally connected with his audience. c) addressed the interest of his audience. d) provided his audience with a thesis statement. Answer: a Rationale: By defining technical terms to ensure the audience's understanding, the crime scene investigator adapted to his audience. This demonstrates effective communication by tailoring the content to the audience's knowledge level. 19) April told her audience, “Participating in an internship program will help you fulfill your graduation requirements for your major, add experience to your resume, and give you an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned to the workplace.” This is an example of what kind of statement? a) Opening statement b) General purpose statement c) Thesis statement d) Specific purpose statement Answer: c Rationale: April's statement is a thesis statement because it presents the main argument or purpose of her speech. It outlines the benefits of participating in an internship program, which she will likely elaborate on in the body of her speech. 20) Amy decided that her _____ would be “to inform her class about the three ways to effectively discipline a preschool child.” a) thesis statement b) specific purpose c) general purpose d) call for action Answer: a Rationale: Amy's thesis statement clearly states the purpose of her speech, which is to inform her class about the three ways to effectively discipline a preschool child. This statement guides the content and structure of her speech. 11.2 Short Answer Questions 1) The second step in choosing an appropriate topic is to analyze the situation in which you will be speaking. Specifically, you want to consider what three things? Answer: the size of your audience, the time limit, and the size and shape of the room 2) Tim is disappointed. He delivered a speech to a filled auditorium on practicing safe sex. Having AIDS, Tim wanted to share his experiences. He hoped to create an intimate setting so the audience would ask him questions. This did not happen. What part of the speaking situation did Tim fail to analyze? Answer: the audience’s size. 3) Officer Friendly visited a kindergarten class. One of the goals during her visit was to discuss why children should obey the rules. However, the children sat confused when she talked about misdemeanors and Class A felonies. What did the officer fail to consider when analyzing her audience? Answer: age 4) List the three ways to gather information that your textbook identifies. Answer: observation, interview, survey 5) Identify the three kinds of surveys identified by your textbook. Answer: closed surveys, open surveys, and graduated scale 6) According to Abraham Maslow, people have the same basic needs, which are best understood when explained in terms of a hierarchy. Identify these five needs in their hierarchical position. Answer: The student should draw a pyramid with physiological needs making up the base. Above that the student should identify safety needs, then belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs should be the peak of the pyramid. 7) According to Maslow, what is the highest level of what you believe your potential to be? Answer: self-actualization 8) When Stanley started thinking about his informative speech, he wrote down everything that came to his mind. Then he chose one topic from all of those. What is this technique called? Answer: brainstorming 9) The ________ includes the major ideas of your speech and refines your specific purpose. Answer: thesis statement 10) Identify several additional criteria besides demographic factors to assess an audience. Answer: age, sex, ethnic, cultural, and religious background 11.3 True/False Questions 1) When selecting a speech topic, we can look to ourselves, our concerns, experiences, knowledge, and curiosity to generate possible ideas. Answer: True Rationale: Looking to ourselves and our experiences is a common strategy for generating speech topics. Our concerns, experiences, knowledge, and curiosity can provide a solid foundation for a speech topic that we are passionate about and can effectively communicate to an audience. 2) Jeff learned sign language at the age of three in order to communicate with his mother; she wore hearing aids. Because Jeff had a certain level of expertise concerning sign language, he picked it for his topic. His familiarity with the topic increased his confidence before the group. Answer: True Rationale: Jeff's personal experience and expertise in sign language made it a suitable topic choice for him. His familiarity with the topic likely increased his confidence in delivering the speech, as he was knowledgeable about the subject matter. 3) Lorraine’s biggest mistake was picking a topic she was curious about. Curiosity can NOT be a good foundation for a speech topic choice because enthusiasm is NOT beneficial. Answer: False Rationale: Curiosity can be a great foundation for a speech topic choice. When you are curious about a topic, you are likely to be enthusiastic about researching and presenting it, which can engage your audience. Enthusiasm is generally seen as beneficial in public speaking. 4) Lighting, room shape, and room size are NOT important to consider when preparing for giving a speech. Answer: False Rationale: Lighting, room shape, and room size are important factors to consider when preparing to give a speech. These factors can affect the visibility of visual aids, the acoustics of the room, and the overall comfort and engagement of the audience. 5) It is more important to communicate the details of your topic than to adhere to the time limit. Answer: False Rationale: Adhering to the time limit is important in public speaking to ensure that you respect the audience's time and maintain their attention. While communicating the details of your topic is important, it should be done within the allocated time frame to effectively convey your message. 6) To inform, to persuade, and to entertain are all general speech purposes. Answer: True Rationale: To inform, to persuade, and to entertain are common general speech purposes. These purposes dictate the overall goal of the speech and guide the content and delivery style. 7) In an effort to narrow your topic, you may generate several different specific purpose statements. Answer: True Rationale: Generating several different specific purpose statements can help you narrow down your topic by focusing on different aspects or angles of the topic. This process can help you refine your speech topic to a manageable scope. 8) Another term for a graduated scale is the Likert Scale Answer: True Rationale: The Likert Scale is a type of graduated scale commonly used in surveys and research to measure attitudes or opinions. It consists of a series of statements to which respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement. 9) The air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink all satisfy the Maslow’s safety need. Answer: False Rationale: The air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink satisfy the physiological needs in Maslow's hierarchy, not the safety needs. Safety needs include personal security, employment, resources, health, and property. 10) According to Maslow, esteem needs are the desire for influence or status within the social structure. Answer: True Rationale: Maslow's hierarchy of needs includes esteem needs, which encompass the desire for recognition, respect, self-esteem, and status. These needs involve both internal esteem factors, such as self-confidence and achievement, and external esteem factors, such as social recognition and status. 11) Maslow’s physiological needs functions on two levels: physical security and personal security in social situations. Answer: False Rationale: Maslow's physiological needs refer to basic biological requirements for human survival, such as air, water, food, and shelter. They do not include personal security in social situations; rather, they focus on individual survival needs. 12) Speech topics that fall under Maslow’s safety needs include wearing seat belts and using carbon monoxide alarms in homes. Answer: True Rationale: Maslow's safety needs include the need for safety and security, which can encompass topics like personal safety, health, and financial security. Wearing seat belts and using carbon monoxide alarms contribute to personal safety and can be related to Maslow's safety needs. 13) A shared body of knowledge or interest can be found from an audience analysis of occupation. Answer: True Rationale: The occupation of an audience can provide insights into their shared body of knowledge or interest. For example, people in the same profession often share common experiences, challenges, and interests related to their work, which can influence their understanding and engagement with a speech topic. 14) The graduated scale is also known as the Likert scale. Answer: True Rationale: The graduated scale and the Likert scale refer to the same type of measurement scale used in surveys and questionnaires, where respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a series of statements. 15) “To inform my classmates how to make bananas Foster” is an example of a general purpose. Answer: False Rationale: "To inform my classmates how to make bananas Foster" is an example of a specific purpose statement, as it specifies the exact goal of the speech (to inform about a particular topic). A general purpose statement would be broader, such as "to inform," "to persuade," or "to entertain." 11.4 Matching Questions For the questions that follow, match the word or phrase with its meaning. a) To inform my audience about the three ways to get better grades b) Serving on a museum’s board of directors c) “How do you feel about organ donation?”… “Are you an organ donor?” d) The two most significant fears in infants are loud noises and falls e) Ground water contamination f) Fraternities and sororities g) Closed, open, graduated or Likert scale h) Leading the volleyball team through a victorious match i) The 40 years spent working at a steel mill j) To inform k) Proper fire extinguisher use 1) Belonging needs 2) Interview 3) Esteem needs 4) General purpose 5) Physiological needs 6) Safety needs 7) Self-actualization 8) Specific purpose 9) Thesis statement 10) Survey Answers: 1) f 2) c 3) b 4) j 5) e 6) k 7) h 8) a 9) d 10) g 11.5 Essay Questions 1) Define brainstorming. What are the two basic principles of brainstorming? Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write down as many ideas as you can, using one of the following topics: Education; sports; family; responsibility; politics; entertainment. Once you are finished, read over your ideas and circle the one that you believe would make the best information speech topic. Answer: Brainstorming is a spontaneous method for generating ideas that can help you select a speech topic. This process involves listing as many ideas as you can within a given amount of time either by yourself or with a group. The two basic principles of brainstorming are: (1) defer judgment on all ideas, and (2) strive for quantity. Example: Entertainment: movies, movie stars, Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, action figures, comic strips, newspapers, books, yearbooks, school, sports, football games, Friday Night Lights, television shows, Big Bang Theory, scientists, science, Weird Science, Robert Downey, Jr., talent, talent shows, magicians, tricks, scams, Internet, etc. 2) Explain four ways to use yourself when selecting a speech topic. Answer: Student answers can vary in detail but should be similar in that they address areas relating to concern, experience, knowledge, and curiosity. Answer: When selecting a speech topic, you can draw from your own concerns. By doing so, you can communicate your sincerity to the audience, which will enhance the quality of your delivery. For example, Paula is concerned about violence in schools; for her informative speech topic, she decides to speak about the increase of gang activity in her daughter’s high school. Your knowledge about a topic is an excellent place to look for a speech topic. Ashante is an accountant. For her informative speech, she decides to explain to her audience how large corporations in the news “cooked the books” to make their earnings seem larger than they actually were. Her knowledge of accounting will enhance her speech and add to her credibility. Your own curiosity is another excellent source in finding a speech topic. Choosing a topic that you are interested in will enhance your delivery. Your enthusiasm for the subject will most likely be apparent to your audience. For example, Frank is interested in Bonsai trees but feels intimidated by their smallness. He takes the time to do additional research on these delicate trees. He decides to demonstrate to his audience how to care for and maintain Bonsai trees. Speaking from your own experience makes it easier to visualize what you are talking about. For example, Bonnie has 10 years of experience in massage therapy. For her speech she decides to persuade her audience to reduce stress by getting weekly massages. Since she is so experienced in massage therapy, she uses descriptive language that makes it easier for her audience to “see” what she is describing. 3) Identify the hierarchy of basic needs people have as outlined by Abraham Maslow. Provide an explanation and an example for each need. Answer: Maslow classified the hierarchy of needs as physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and selfactualization. The physiological needs are the lowest level needs relating to food, water, and air for example. Safety needs are on the second level and refer to the need to feel or be secure. This could be physical security or personal security in social situations. An example of each would be air bag usage in vehicles or sexual harassment guidelines in the workplace. The need to belong is next in the hierarchy. This fulfills the desire to be part of a group. For example, most student organizations on university campuses are created to fulfill this need whether it’s Los Latinos, or the Young Republicans, etc. The next need is identified as esteem needs or the desire for influence or status within the social structure. An example could be parental representation on the Parent Teacher Student Association. Finally, the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is self-actualization. This need is relating to an individual reaching their highest level of potential. An example could be taking the lead in a group presentation by convincing other group members that you have researched, prepared, and practiced. 4) In the stages of preparing for a speech, once you have chosen a topic based on your analysis of self, situation, and audience, what four steps do you use to adapt your speech and delivery to the audience? Answer: First (1), you want to make a personal connection to the audience; show the audience why the topic matters to you and why it should matter to them. Next (2), you want to be sure to define all your terms. By clearly and precisely connecting your language to the audience through definitions of terms and concepts, you will help keep the audience connected to you and the topic. Third (3), address the audience’s needs, concerns, and interests. Audiences will listen better to a speech that makes a direct connection with their lives. Finally (4), use vivid examples or stories to make your topic come alive. Telling a story about a compelling character or even yourself will get your audience more involved. They will better relate to you as a speaker. 5) Develop a general purpose, a specific purpose, and a thesis statement for an informative speech. Answer: Example: General Purpose: To inform. Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the five stages one goes through when losing a loved one. Thesis Statement: The five stages we go through when dealing with the death of a loved one are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Test Bank for Communication: Embracing Difference Daniel M. Dunn, Lisa J. Goodnight 9780205943661, 9780205865635, 9781269602877
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