The Art of Public Speaking 13Th Edition By Stephen Lucas – Test Bank

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Sample Questions Posted Below

 

6

Analyzing the

Audience

T

he questions for each chapter are organized according to type: true-false, multiple-choice, short-

answer, and essay. Within each of these categories, questions are clustered by topic, roughly

following the order of topics in the textbook.

To provide as much flexibility as possible in constructing examinations, there is deliberate overlap

among the questions, both within and across question types. This enables you to choose the wording

and question type that best fits your testing objectives. In deciding which questions to use, take care to

avoid items such as a multiple-choice question that gives away the answer to a true-false or short-

answer question, or an essay question that covers essentially the same ground as a true-false, short-

answer, or multiple-choice question.

Each type of question—true-false, multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay—has an automatic

numbering system, which means you can copy and paste items from within a question type, and they

will automatically number themselves consecutively, beginning with “1.” The five answer choices for

each multiple-choice question are also ordered automatically, so you can add, change, or reorder answer

choices without rearranging the lettering.

If you would like to preserve the fonts, indents, and tabs of the original questions, you can copy

and paste questions into the Exam Master provided at the end of the Test Bank. In the Exam Master,

spaces for your course name, exam type, and the student’s name and section are followed by headings

and instructions for true-false, multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions. You can add

elements unique to your exams and delete elements you don’t want to use. After you customize the

Exam Master, you can save it with your changes. Then, each time you open it, click “Save As” to give

it the name of the exam you are currently constructing.95 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

True-False Questions

T F T F T F T F T F T F 1. T F The primary purpose of speechmaking is to demonstrate your command of the topic.

2. T F According to your textbook, public speakers need to be audience-centered.

3. T F Being audience-centered means that your primary purpose as a speaker is to gain a

desired response from the audience.

4. The aim of successful speechmaking is to gain a desired response from listeners by

any means necessary.

5. The need to adapt to the audience means that speechmakers must usually compromise

their own beliefs or values.

6. The aim of successful speechmaking is to gain a desired response from listeners even

if the speaker must compromise his or her beliefs to do so.

7. Being audience-centered means a speaker must sacrifice what she or he really believes

to get a favorable response from the audience.

8. Adapting to audiences is one of the easiest tasks facing beginning speakers.

9. The need for audience analysis and adaptation is one of the major differences between

public speaking and everyday conversation.

10. The classroom is an artificial speaking situation in which you can overlook the

attitudes and interests of your audience.

11. You are most likely to be successful in your classroom speeches if you think of your

classmates as a real audience.

12. An audience’s response to a message is invariably colored by its perception of the

speaker.

13. T F Unlike beginning speakers, experienced speakers have little need for audience

analysis.

14. Audience analysis and adaptation affect all aspects of speechmaking except for the

delivery of the speech itself.

15. The process of audience analysis and adaptation affects every aspect of speech

preparation from choosing a topic to delivering the speech.

16. Public speaking is essentially like acting because once you learn a speech, you can

give it over and over without adapting to the different audiences you address.

T F T F T F T F T F T F CHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 96

17. 18. 19. T F T F T F 20. T F 21. T F 22. T F 23. T F 24. T F 25. T F 26. 27. T F T F 28. T F 29. T F 30. T F 31. 32. T F T F 33. T F Audience analysis first comes into play after a speaker has chosen a speech topic.

Audience analysis first comes into play after a speaker has chosen a specific purpose.

Audience analysis is only important after a speaker has completed research for a

speech.

Audience analysis is only important after a speaker has prepared an outline for the

speech.

The process of audience adaptation is over by the time a speaker starts delivering the

speech.

Although most of the process of audience adaptation occurs as part of preparing a

speech, a speaker may still need to adapt her or his remarks to the audience during the

presentation of the speech.

Even when listeners pay close attention, they don’t always process a speaker’s

message exactly as the speaker intended.

As your textbook explains, a speaker’s frame of reference is usually the same as that

of his or her listeners.

Every speech contains two messages—the one sent by the speaker and the one

received by the listener.

Egocentrism is the belief that one’s culture is superior to all others.

Egocentrism means that audiences typically approach speeches by asking, “Why is

this important for me?”

Ethnocentrism means that audiences typically approach speeches by asking, “Why is

this important to me?”

Listeners typically approach a speech with one question uppermost in their minds:

“Why is this important to the speaker?”

Any characteristic of a given audience is potentially important to a speaker analyzing

that audience.

One of the major demographic traits of audiences is interest in the speaker’s topic.

Gender, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, and group membership are all factors

to consider when conducting a demographic audience analysis.

Recognizing that some of your listeners may have racial, ethnic, cultural, or sexual

orientations that bear upon your topic is part of demographic audience analysis.97 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

34. T F 35. 36. T F T F 37. T F 38. T F 39. T F 40. T F 41. T F 42. T F 43. T F 44. T F 45. T F 46. T F 47. T F 48. T F Audience size, the physical setting for the speech, and the audience’s disposition

toward the topic are all elements of demographic audience analysis.

Stereotyping is an effective way to use demographic audience analysis in a speech.

Although the differences between women and men have diminished in recent years,

the gender of listeners is still a major factor in audience analysis.

Because men and women in the United States share a much broader range of

experiences than they once did, gender is no longer a significant factor in

demographic audience analysis.

Because religion is private and personal for most people, it is seldom an important

element in demographic audience analysis.

A public speaker can safely assume that all members of a religious denomination

share the same beliefs and values.

According to your textbook, sexual orientation is one factor to be considered in

situational audience analysis.

According to your textbook, sexual orientation is one factor to be considered in

demographic audience analysis.

Employers are looking for college graduates who can communicate effectively with

people of different cultural backgrounds.

As the United States becomes more diverse, speakers no longer need to be sensitive to

issues of race, ethnicity, and cultural background in public speaking.

The group membership of an audience can provide excellent clues about their interests

and attitudes.

Audience size, the physical setting for the speech, and the audience’s disposition

toward the topic, the speaker, and the occasion are all elements of situational audience

analysis.

The size of the audience is one of the factors to be considered in situational audience

analysis.

As a general rule, the larger your audience, the more formal your speech presentation

should be.

Knowing how the physical setting might affect your listeners’ receptivity to your ideas

is an important factor in demographic audience analysis.CHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 98

T F T F T F T F T F 49. Knowing how the physical setting might affect your listeners’ receptivity to your ideas

is an important factor in situational audience analysis.

50. Interest, knowledge, and attitude are the three most important factors to consider when

determining an audience’s disposition toward a speaker’s topic.

51. The more people know about a topic, the more likely they are to be interested in it.

52. No matter what the occasion, listeners will have fairly definite expectations about the

kinds of speeches appropriate for the occasion.

53. Keeping speeches within strict time limits is an artificial constraint of classroom

speeches and is less important for speeches outside the classroom.

54. T F When you construct an audience-analysis questionnaire, fixed-alternative questions

are especially useful for getting at the strength of a respondent’s attitudes.

55. T F When you construct an audience-analysis questionnaire, scale questions are especially

useful for getting at the strength of a respondent’s attitudes.

56. T F When you construct an audience-analysis questionnaire, scale questions give

respondents the maximum leeway in responding.

57. T F When you construct an audience-analysis questionnaire, open-ended questions are

especially valuable because they usually generate clear, unambiguous responses.

Multiple-Choice Questions (Students are to indicate the best answer for each

question by circling the correct letter.)

1. As your textbook explains, the primary purpose of speechmaking is to

a. b. c. d. gain a desired response from listeners.

learn more about the speech topic.

gain experience as a speaker.

try out new ideas with an audience.

e. display the speaker’s knowledge.

2. As your textbook explains, the primary purpose of speechmaking is to

a. display the speaker’s skills as a speaker.

b. use language to manipulate people.

c. gain a desired response from listeners.

d. all of the above.

e. a and b only.99 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Audience-centeredness means that public speakers should

a. keep the audience foremost in mind throughout the speechmaking process.

b. use any means necessary to gain the assent of the audience.

c. avoid choosing topics that are controversial.

d. all of the above.

e. a and b only.

Audience analysis is an important factor in which of the following?

a. selecting a topic

b. organizing the speech

c. choosing supporting materials

d. all of the above

e. a and c only

Audience adaptation is an important factor in which of the following?

a. choosing the speech topic

b. preparing the speech

c. presenting the speech

d. all of the above

e. a and b only

Audience adaptation is an important factor in which of the following steps of the speechmaking

process?

a. formulating a specific purpose

b. writing an introduction and conclusion

c. choosing visual aids

d. all of the above

e. a and b only

In her speech introduction, Kailyn asked, “Have you ever looked through old family photo

albums and laughed at what people were wearing? Like many of you, I’ve noticed the changes in

fashion and feared that my effort to look stylish today may eventually be a source of amusement

to my future children.” According to your textbook, by attempting to show her listeners why

they should care about her topic, Kailyn was

a. using comparison.

b. stereotyping her audience.

c. engaging in ethnocentrism.

d. adapting to her audience.

e. practicing inclusion.

In her speech introduction, Suya said, “Though we are all very different, we are all students here

at this university and are all working toward the completion of a degree. Unfortunately, becauseCHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 100

of rising tuition, some of us may lose the ability to continue in school.” According to your

textbook, by trying to show her audience how her topic affects her listeners, Suya was

a. using comparison.

b. stereotyping the audience.

c. engaging in ethnocentrism.

d. adapting to her audience.

e. practicing inclusion.

9. To say that people usually want to hear about things that are meaningful to them is to say that

people are

a. empathetic.

b. eclectic.

c. egotistic.

d. egalitarian.

e. egocentric.

10. The fact that audiences are egocentric means that

a. listeners interpret what you say on the basis of what they know and believe.

b. listeners believe that their cultural group is superior to all other groups.

c. listeners interpret the speech through the speaker’s frame of reference.

d. all of the above.

e. a and c only.

11. The fact that audiences are egocentric means that

a. listeners believe their cultural group is superior to all other groups.

b. listeners are concerned above all with how a speech will affect them.

c. listeners interpret the speech through the speaker’s frame of reference.

d. all of the above.

e. a and b only.

12. What are the two types of audience analysis discussed in your textbook?

a. demographic and situational

b. personal and impersonal

c. occupational and educational

d. psychological and sociological

e. descriptive and analytical

13. One of the ways speakers analyze audiences is by looking at traits such as age; religion; racial,

ethnic, and cultural background; gender and sexual orientation; and group membership.

According to your textbook, what is this called?

a. demographic audience analysis

b. psychological audience analysis101 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

c. background audience analysis

d. situational audience analysis

e. descriptive audience analysis

As Amanda analyzed the audience for her speech about organic foods, she focused on such

things as their gender, age, and cultural background. In doing so, she was engaging in

__________ audience analysis.

a. situational

b. psychological

c. demographic

d. preliminary

e. descriptive

According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. knowledge about the subject

b. attitude toward the speaker

c. interest in the topic

d. physical setting

e. cultural background

According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. their size

b. their sexual orientation

c. d. e. their attitude toward the speaker

their knowledge about the subject

their attitude toward the occasion

According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. interest in the topic

b. attitude toward the speaker

c. group membership

d. knowledge about the subject

e. physical setting

According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. physical setting

b. attitude toward the speaker

c. knowledge about the subjectCHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 102

d. attitude toward the occasion

e. religious affiliation

19. According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. age

b. interest

c. size

d. attitude

e. knowledge

20. According to your textbook, which of the following is a demographic characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. interest

b. attitude

c. size

d. gender

e. knowledge

21. According to your textbook, when analyzing demographic information about your audience, it is

essential that you avoid

a. fallacies.

b. relativism.

c. emotionalism.

d. egocentrism.

e. stereotyping.

22. Creating an oversimplified image of a particular group of people or assuming that all members of

the group are alike is called

a. egocentrism.

b. genotyping.

c. sensationalism.

d. stereotyping.

e. ethnocentrism.

23. If you were giving a persuasive speech to a general audience on the subject of mandatory retirement,

the most important demographic factor to consider when analyzing your audience would probably

be its

a. economic standing.

b. group membership.

c. gender.

d. age.103 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

e. education.

If you were giving a persuasive speech on Medicare to members of the American Association of

Retired Persons (AARP), the most important factor to consider when analyzing your audience

would probably be the

a. age of the audience.

b. gender of the audience.

c. audience’s attitude toward the speaker.

d. physical setting of the speech.

e. size of the audience.

If you were giving a speech to a general audience on the topic of Elvis Presley, the most

important demographic factor to consider in analyzing your audience would probably be its

a. religion.

b. age.

c. gender.

d. education.

e. sexual orientation.

If you were giving an informative speech to a general audience about the war in Vietnam, the most

important demographic factor to consider in analyzing your audience would probably be the

a. sexual orientation of the audience.

b. economic standing of the audience.

c. gender of the audience.

d. age of the audience.

e. education of the audience.

As part of his economics seminar, Geraldo has been invited to give a persuasive speech to a

community audience on the subject of Social Security. The most important factor for Geraldo to

consider when analyzing his audience is probably its

a. occupation.

b. gender.

c. sexual orientation.

d. education.

e. age.

Karyn was leading a meeting of the parent-teacher group at the local elementary school. As her

first item on the agenda, she described the position of homeroom mother and asked people to

sign up after the meeting. One of the dads in the room raised his hand and said, “I’d love to do it,

but is there any way we could change the name?” Which of the following factors of audience

analysis did Karyn fail to take into consideration?

a. educationCHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 104

b. occupation

c. gender

d. political party

e. age

29. If you were giving a persuasive speech to a general audience on the issue of immigration reform,

the most important factor to consider when analyzing your audience would probably be its

a. size.

b. gender.

c. ethnic background.

d. sexual orientation.

e. education.

30. If you were giving a persuasive speech to a general audience arguing that all children should be

required to use standard English in the public schools, the most important factor to consider in

audience analysis would probably be

a. b. c. d. e. the age of the audience.

the physical setting for the speech.

the ethnic background of the audience.

the time of day for the speech.

the size of the audience.

31. If you were giving a persuasive speech on gun control to members of the National Rifle

Association, the most important factor to consider in audience analysis would probably be the

a. size of your audience.

b. group membership of your audience.

c. economic standing of your audience.

d. education of your audience.

e. knowledge of your audience.

32. Ramona is preparing a persuasive speech on environmental issues to present to members of the

National Wildlife Federation. The most important factor Ramona should consider when

analyzing her audience is probably its

a. age.

b. ethnic background.

c. group membership.

d. education.

e. knowledge of the topic.

33. As a member of the City Council, you have been invited to address the city’s bicycling club

about the mayor’s plan to create additional bike routes. The most important demographic factor

you should consider when analyzing your audience is probably its105 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

a. education.

b. ethnic background.

c. economic standing.

d. group membership.

e. occupation.

According to your textbook, you should always combine demographic audience analysis with

__________ audience analysis.

a. scientific

b. educational

c. informational

d. situational

e. occupational

As explained in your textbook, __________ audience analysis usually builds on demographic

audience analysis.

a. psychological

b. descriptive

c. occupational

d. background

e. situational

According to your textbook, which of the following is a situational characteristic of a speech

audience?

a. gender

b. size

c. religion

d. group membership

e. age

According to your textbook, which of the following is a factor in situational audience analysis?

a. the audience’s cultural background

b. the audience’s religious beliefs

c. the audience’s group membership

d. the audience’s gender

e. the audience’s attitude toward the topic

Which of the following is a factor to consider in situational audience analysis?

a. gender

b. group membership

c. attitude toward the topic

d. all of the aboveCHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 106

e. a and c only

39. As the size of your audience increases, your presentation should usually become more

a. formal.

b. flexible.

c. extemporaneous.

d. punctual.

e. informal.

40. You are giving a speech on a community building project to a local service organization at its

monthly luncheon. Dessert dishes are being cleared away as you walk into the overcrowded,

overheated room. The most important situational factor to consider when adapting to your

audience would probably be the

a. age of your audience.

b. audience’s attitude toward you.

c. physical setting for your speech.

d. education of your audience.

e. gender of your audience.

41. According to your textbook, what are the three primary factors to consider when assessing an

audience’s disposition toward a speech topic?

a. gender, knowledge, and opinions

b. interest, background, and age

c. size, occasion, and group membership

d. knowledge, interest, and attitude

e. background, situation, and gender

42. Dimitri plans to give a speech to his classmates about the principles of physics behind the design

of hybrid automobiles. The most important factor for Dimitri to consider when analyzing his

audience is probably its

a. age.

b. group membership.

c. attitude toward the speaker.

d. knowledge about the topic.

e. size.

43. If you were giving an informative speech to your public speaking class about recent

developments in artificial intelligence, the most important factor to consider when analyzing

your audience would probably be its

a. age.

b. knowledge about the topic.

c. disposition toward the speaker.107 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

d. ethnic background.

e. physical setting.

Fran Breit, the golf pro at a local municipal course, has been asked by a social club to give a talk

about how to play golf. What is probably the most important factor for Fran to consider in

preparing her presentation?

a. b. c. d. e. the age of the audience

the racial background of the audience

the time of day the talk will be given

the audience’s knowledge of the topic

the audience’s disposition toward the speaker

If you were giving an informative speech to a general audience on 3-D printing technology, the

most important factor to consider when analyzing your audience would probably be the

a. group membership of the audience.

b. size of the audience.

c. knowledge of the audience about the topic.

d. gender of the audience.

e. physical setting for the speech.

If you were giving an informative speech to a general audience about digital encryption, the most

important factor to consider when analyzing your audience would probably be the

a. b. d. e. physical setting for the speech.

knowledge of the audience about the topic.

c. size of the audience.

attitude of the audience toward the speaker.

group membership of the audience.

Michael is preparing a persuasive speech for class in opposition to gun control. The most

important factor for Michael to consider when analyzing his audience is probably its

a. knowledge of the topic.

b. disposition toward the speaker.

c. cultural background.

d. religious beliefs.

e. attitude toward the topic.

Gemma wants to persuade her classmates to become vegans. The most important factor for

Gemma to consider when analyzing her audience is probably its

a. knowledge of the topic.

b. disposition toward the speaker.

c. attitude toward the topic.

d. disposition toward the occasion.CHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 108

e. racial composition.

49. A landlord with a bad reputation among students for her high rent, deceptive advertising, and

refusal to return security deposits is speaking to a campus group about how the city’s new zoning

law will affect students. The most important factor the landlord should consider in her situational

audience analysis is probably her listeners’

a. gender.

b. knowledge of the topic.

c. disposition toward the speaker.

d. interest in the topic.

e. cultural background.

50. The __________ will usually dictate how long a speech should be.

a. size of the audience

b. speech occasion

c. physical setting

d. general purpose

e. topic

51. Which of the following elements usually has the greatest impact on the length a speech should be?

a. b. c. d. e. the audience’s disposition toward the topic

the physical setting for the speech

the audience’s attitudes toward the speaker

the occasion for the speech

the group membership of the audience

52. Everyone in the room was set to applaud as Raymond started to wrap up his wedding toast. But

instead of finishing, he said, “Now that I have you all here, let me tell you about the great new

app my company is developing.” When Raymond finishing talking about the app, there was little

applause and a serious glare from the bride and groom. Which aspect of audience analysis did

Raymond fail to take into consideration?

a. b. c. d. e. the physical setting for the speech

the audience’s disposition toward the occasion

the group membership of the audience

the audience’s attitudes toward the speaker

the education of the audience

53. The major advantage of using fixed-alternative questions in an audience-analysis questionnaire is

that they

a. b. enhance the credibility of the questionnaire.

get below the surface of respondents’ beliefs.

c. produce clear, unambiguous answers.109 54. 55. 56. 57. TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

d. e. give respondents maximum leeway in answering.

require that respondents give truthful answers.

If you were constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire and wanted to learn how many of

your listeners believe in extraterrestrial life, which of the following would be the best kind of

question to ask?

a. leading question

b. opinion question

c. fixed-alternative question

d. open-ended question

e. scale question

If you were constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire and wanted to learn how many of

your listeners had ever heard of the Salem witch trials, which of the following would be the best

kind of question to ask?

a. demographic question

b. open-ended question

c. leading question

d. scale question

e. fixed-alternative question

According to your textbook, the following question from a student audience-analysis

questionnaire is an example of what type of question?

The percent of the U.S. population who speak Spanish in their homes is closest to

5%

___

10%

___

20%

___

30%

___

a. leading question

b. open-ended question

c. demographic question

d. fixed-alternative question

e. scale question

When making up an audience-analysis questionnaire, you should use __________ questions to

get at the strength of a respondent’s attitudes or feelings.

a. scale

b. fixed-alternative

c. leading

d. open-endedCHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 110

e. interview

58. If you were constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire and wanted to learn the strength of

your listeners’ attitudes for or against allowing college athletes to form unions, which of the

following would be the best kind of question to ask?

a. fixed-alternative question

b. demographic question

c. open-ended question

d. opinionated question

e. scale question

59. If you were constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire and wanted to learn the strength of

your listeners’ attitudes for or against the use of animals in medical research, which of the

following would be the best kind of question to ask?

a. demographic question

b. open-ended question

c. leading question

d. scale question

e. fixed-alternative question

60. According to your textbook, the following question from a student audience-analysis

questionnaire is an example of which kind of question?

Draw an “X” below to indicate how you feel about allowing steroid use in sports.

Strongly Strongly

disapprove approve

a. fixed-alternative question

b. attitudinal question

c. scale question

d. open-ended question

e. degree question

61. As your textbook explains, a questionnaire item that gives the respondent the widest freedom in

answering is called a(n)

a. free-response question.

b. open-ended question.

c. short-answer question.

d. scale question.

e. informal question.111 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

62. If you were constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire and wanted to learn why some of

your listeners do not fasten their seatbelts every time they ride in a motor vehicle, which of the

following would be the best kind of question to ask?

a. scale question

b. leading question

c. fixed-alternative question

d. demographic question

e. open-ended question

63. According to your textbook, the following is an example of which type of audience-analysis

question?

“Explain why you believe that capital punishment is moral or immoral.”

a. short-answer question

b. scale question

c. informal question

d. free-response question

e. open-ended question

64. If you were constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire and wanted to learn why some of

your listeners had not signed organ donor cards, which of the following would be the best kind

of question to ask?

a. demographic question

b. open-ended question

c. leading question

d. scale question

e. fixed-alternative question

Short-Answer Questions

1. Because listeners are _______________ , they typically approach speeches by asking, “Why is

this important to me?”

egocentric

2. Age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, group membership, and racial, ethnic or cultural

background are among the factors to be considered in _______________ audience analysis.

demographic

3. _______________ is the error of creating an oversimplified image of a group or people or

assuming that all members of the group are alike.

StereotypingCHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 112

4. If you were giving a speech to a general audience about the early days of rock and roll, the

_______________ of your listeners would probably be the most important factor to consider in

your demographic audience analysis.

age

5. If you were giving a speech to a general audience about the role of women in combat, the

_______________ of your listeners would probably be the most important factor to consider in

your demographic audience analysis.

gender

6. If you were giving a speech to a general audience about mythology in the Bible, the

_______________ of your listeners would probably be the most important factor to consider in

your demographic audience analysis.

religion

7. If you were giving a speech to a general audience on the history of the Vietnam War, the

_______________ of your listeners would probably be the most important factor to consider in

your demographic audience analysis.

age

8. According to your textbook, the five major factors to consider in situational audience analysis

are:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

the size of the audience

the physical setting of the speech

the audience’s disposition toward the topic

the audience’s disposition toward the speaker

the audience’s disposition toward the occasion

9. As a general rule, the larger your audience, the more _______________ your presentation should

be.

formal113 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

10. The three most important factors to consider when determining an audience’s disposition

toward a speaker’s topic are the audience’s _______________ , _______________ , and

_______________ .

interest

knowledge

attitude

11. _______________ audience analysis identifies the traits of the audience unique to a particular

speaking occasion.

Situational

12. When used in an audience-analysis questionnaire, _______________ questions are valuable

because they produce clear, unambiguous answers.

fixed-alternative

13. The major advantage of using _______________ questions in an audience-analysis questionnaire

is that they help reveal the strength of a respondent’s attitudes or feelings.

scale

14. In constructing an audience-analysis questionnaire, you should use ______________ questions

when you want to give respondents maximum leeway in answering.

open-ended

Essay Questions

1. What does it mean to say that a public speaker should be “audience-centered”? At what stages in

speech preparation should a speaker be concerned about being audience-centered?

2. Briefly explain the following statement: “To step outside your own frame of reference and see

things from another person’s point of view is a real achievement. Yet this is exactly what you

must learn to do if you are to become a successful speaker.”

3. Explain the following statement: “Every speech situation contains two messages—the one sent

by the speaker and the one received by the audience.”

4. What does it mean to say that people are “egocentric”? What implications does the egocentrism

of audiences have for you as a speaker?CHAPTER 6—ANALYZING THE AUDIENCE 114

5. Explain why each of the following is an important factor in demographic audience analysis: age;

religion; racial, ethnic, or cultural background; gender and sexual orientation; and group

membership.

6. Imagine that you are preparing a classroom persuasive speech in favor of abolishing

intercollegiate athletics. According to your textbook, what are the three factors to consider in

analyzing your audience’s disposition toward the topic? In a well-developed essay, explain how

differences in each of the three factors might influence your preparation of this speech.

7. What are the three types of questions for audience-analysis questionnaires discussed in your

textbook? Give an example of each type and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.

8. As your textbook states, “There are two major stages in the process of audience adaptation. The

first occurs before the speech, as part of your preparation and rehearsal. The second occurs

during the presentation of the speech itself.” In a well-developed essay, discuss the steps a

speaker might take in adapting her or his speech to the audience in each of these stages.

9. Imagine that you are preparing a classroom persuasive speech in favor of forgiving student loans

for anyone who spends two years in the Peace Corps. Write an essay in which you formulate an

audience-analysis questionnaire for your class and explain how you would use the results of each

question in writing your speech.

10. As a university professor, your research, writing, and teaching in the area of gender

communication has attracted media attention. It seems that nearly everyone is interested in the

differences between the communication styles of men and women. You have been asked to

address the managers of a large local manufacturing company on the topic of gender

communication in the workplace.

To prepare for your speech, you have arranged a meeting with the company’s human

resource director—the person who contacted you about giving the speech—to learn more about

the audience and situation you will be facing. Write an essay in which you discuss (1) the three

most important questions you want to ask the resource director about the demographics of your

audience, and (2) the three most important questions you want to ask about the situational traits

of your audience. Be specific in your questions and explain why each of them is important.