9. Shawanda’s new supervisor tells her, “I have an open door policy. If you need to talk about
anything, even personal stuff, I’m here to listen.” This comment is an example of a(n)
__________. [p. 243, III]
a. collegial story
10. Not long after Tim had been on the job, a co-worker told him, “Joanne gets crazy if you’re
not here on time. I was late from lunch one time and she let me have it!” The co–worker’s
comment is an example of a(n) __________. [p. 243, III]
a. enhancement rite
b. corporate story
11. “In my sorority we recognize the sisters that make the dean’s list each semester by putting a
mini-box of Godiva’s chocolates next to their dinner plates,” Amy says. “That way, everyone
realizes who has done well academically.” This is an example of __________. [pp. 244, III]
e. a rule
12. E-mail chatting and forwarding of jokes are examples of __________. [p. 245, III]
e. corporate rites
13. The semi-annual meeting of the board of directors of No-Doz Corporation is always held in
the company’s executive conference room. This special practice is an example of
__________. [p. 245-246, III]
a. a personal ritual
b. organizational rules
14. The connections that link members of organization together through formal and informal
forms of interaction are __________. [p.247, I]
e. communication practices
15. Among the challenges for effectively participating in organizational life are __________.
[pp. 249-251, II]
a. adapting to diverse needs, situations, and people
16. Bob was telling everyone in the break room that he thought it was a big mistake to hire
Laurie because it was clear to him that she was not qualified for her position. Even though
Laurie had the credentials and previous experience for the job, Bob was angry that his
girlfriend had not been hired instead. He called Laurie “inept” and “under qualified” despite
her fine performance on the job so far. This is an example of __________. [p. 245, III]
a. a personal ritual
e. in New York state, workers let workers sue due to abusive treatment on the job
18. Javier’s job description listed duties that include being responsible for assessing needs and
providing training for the staff in his division. This represents which structure that expresses
and upholds organizational culture? [p. 246, III]
e. all of the above
19. Firings, demotions, and reprimands are all forms of __________. [p. 244, II]
a. rites of passage
20. Mark’s wife asked him how his first day at work went. He smiled and said everyone he met
told him about how Jed McClusky single-handedly saved the company from the brink of
disaster. Mark had learned what the people he worked with really valued through their use of
e. personal relationships on the job
TRUE/FALSE
2. Workers can belong to physical networks and virtual networks. [II] T
4. Organizational cultures include rites that blame people. [II] T
6. An example of a regulative rule in an organization would be when participating on the
company’s softball team is interpreted as showing pride in the company. [III] F
8. Research on organizations tells us that the grapevine is not a reliable source of information.
[II] F
10. Friendships between co-workers, and even between supervisors and subordinates, often
enhance job commitment and job satisfaction. [II] T
13 // PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
I. There are three overlapping purposes for public communication.
A. Presentations to entertain aim to engage, amuse, or please listeners.
1. Presentations to entertain include more than humorous addresses. Included are all
presentations that amuse, interest, and/or entertain listeners.
2. Narrative speaking (storytelling) is a form of presentation that may entertain without
being humorous.
B. Presentations to inform are intended to increase listeners’ understanding, awareness, or
knowledge of some topic.
1. Presentations to inform may include persuasive aspects.
2. Presentations to inform should be designed with attention to what listeners already
know and believe.
C. Presentations to persuade aims to change attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, or serve as
motivation for some purpose.
III. A well-developed speech requires researching and supporting evidence.
A. Evidence is material used to support claims.
1. Evidence makes ideas clearer, more compelling and more dramatic.
2. Evidence fortifies a speaker’s opinions.
3. Evidence heightens a speaker’s credibility.
B. Evidence includes: statistics, examples, comparisons, and quotations. Visual aids can
be used to present evidence.
C. Speakers must check the accuracy of material and credibility of sources.
IV. Effective speeches require organization.
A. The body of the presentation develops the thesis by organizing content into distinct,
yet related points.
1. Organization patterns include: chronological, spatial, topical, star structure, wave,
comparative, problem-solution, and cause-effect.
2. The motivated sequence pattern can be used to organize a persuasive speech.
Includes attention step, need step, satisfaction step, visualization step, and action
step.
B. The introduction is the first thing the audience hears.
1. It should capture the audience’s attention.
2. It should motivate the audience to listen.
3. It should include the thesis statement.
4. It should enhance the speaker’s credibility.
C. The conclusion should summarize the main ideas of a presentation and leave listeners
with a memorable final idea.
D. Transitions are words, phrases, and sentences that connect parts of a presentation and
points within each part.
3. Manuscript delivery involves giving the presentation directly from a completely
written manuscript.
4. Memorized delivery involves committing the entire presentation to memory and is
delivered without notes.
C. Regardless of the style, the selection of verbal and nonverbal symbols is important.
VI. Digital media can enhance public speaking in at least three ways.
A. Online tools provide quick and easy access ways to research a topic and find
supporting evidence for a speech.
B. Digital media also offer many examples of expert public speakers.
C. Digital media can provide dynamic visual and audio support to speeches.
VII. Two guidelines for effective public speaking.
A. Effective public speaking requires analyzing and adapting to an audience.
1. Speakers should adapt presentations to listeners’ interests, knowledge of a topic,
educational levels, values, and so forth.
2. Observations, conversations, and surveys are means of gathering information that
can inform listeners of analysis.
KEY CONCEPTS
Comparison (Analogies)
Credibility
Derived credibility
Evidence
Example
Extemporaneous delivery
Impromptu delivery
Initial credibility
Manuscript delivery
Memorized delivery
Oral style
Quotation
Speech to entertain
Speech to inform
Speech to persuade
Statistics
Terminal credibility
Thesis statement
Transition
Visual aid
ACTIVITY: Brainstorming Good and Bad Topics
Purpose/Objective:
To give students an idea of their classmates’ interests and dislikes in speech topics in order to help them prepare for their presentations.
Instructions:
In a brainstorming session with the class, solicit possible topic ideas for speeches from students.
As students call out a topic, write it on the board to create an orderly list. Continue until people
seem to run out of ideas. Next, inform the class that you are comfortable with them helping
censor which speech topics will be allowed in the class. Ask them if any of the topics seem
inappropriate for the audience, the assignment, or the timeframe, and is there a general sentiment
to eliminate it? Are any of the topics ones the students have heard so many times that they
believe it would be hard for a speaker to say anything new? As topics are eliminated, erase
them. Students can then use their phones to take a picture of the final list, confident their
audience will find them interesting and appropriate.
ACTIVITY: Vary Your Vocalics
Purpose/Objective:
To gain a better understanding of the ways in which individuals express emotion through tone of
voice.
Instructions:
Working with a partner, students should recite aloud the following line using vocalics to express
one of the emotions from the list below. Their partner should try to guess the emotion and then
switch turns to become the speaker while the first student identifies the emotion. Continue until
all emotions have been attempted.
A frog jumped out of the water.
Anger
Reverence
Disgust
Relief
Love
Confusion
Hate
Surprise
Jealousy
Joy
Boredom
Pain
Passion
Guilt
Following this exercise, discuss the importance of using vocalic expressiveness when giving
presentations to entertain, inform and persuade, as well as in one’s own interpersonal
communication.
ACTIVITY: Where’s the Support?
Purpose/Objective:
To increase students’ critical evaluation of support (or lack thereof) for public communication.
Instructions:
JOURNAL ITEMS
PANEL IDEA
1. Invite three or four individuals who are in different professions to speak with your class.
To prepare the panelists, tell them your goal is to make students aware of the importance
of public communication in professional life. Ask panelists to come prepared with
examples of short and long, formal and informal, impromptu and memorized speeches
that they have given as part of their professional life. Allow the panelists a set number of
minutes each to speak, then invite students to ask questions.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
MOVIE—COMEDIAN
This documentary follows comedian Jerry Seinfeld as he develops an entirely new stand-up act.
The film focuses on Seinfeld as he develops jokes and tries them out in front of a variety of
audiences, with varying degrees of success. While a stand-up routine is perhaps not the best
example of a well-organized public speech, students may still gain a lot from viewing this film.
They may be surprised to see the amount of preparation that goes into developing a routine. They
should also pay particular attention to the techniques the various comedians featured in the film
use to connect with their audiences.
COMMUNICATION SCENARIOS DVD
Adam Parrish was an undergraduate attending the University of Kentucky when he presented
this speech, which is presented here in its entirety. As you read the speech and view it online,
consider how it could be made even more effective. Also, think about different ways you might
accomplish the speaker’s objectives; can you identify alternative organizational structures, kinds
of evidence, transitions, and so forth? Specifically, be able to answer the following three
questions.
1. Is Adam’s speech persuasive, informative, or both?
2. Describe Adam’s credibility – initial, derived, and terminal.
3. What organizational pattern did Adam use and to what extent was it effective?
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Compare and contrast public speaking and everyday talk, as discussed in Chapter 13. Note
specific differences and similarities in your answer.
2. Discuss the three traditional speaking purposes. Address the similarities and differences
between the three types and give examples of each.
3. Identify one topic for a presentation, and then write out thesis sentences for 5 different
organizational patterns on that topic. Also, explain how different organizational patterns
shape the meaning of a public message.
4. Using a hypothetical topic discuss and elucidate on the three planning steps you should go
through in preparing for an effective speech.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Ancient rhetoricians used the term inventio to refer to: [p. 257, II]
a. a speaker’s natural talent for entertaining the audience
b. a speaker’s moral responsibility to tell the truth
e. a speaker with very high credibility
2. Which of the following would most likely be an example of a speech designed to entertain?
e. giving a lecture about touring the Athenian ruins
3. When Brandon begins his presentation, the audience doesn’t know him and has no basis for
assuming he is competent. However, during his presentation Brandon gains the trust and
respect of listeners because he has good research and clear organization. The increase in
Brandon’s credibility during the presentation is due to __________ credibility. [p. 259-260,
e. assumed
4. Raymond is well known as an expert on environmental policy. Thus, when he begins his
presentation, listeners already have a high opinion of his abilities. Raymond has __________
credibility. [p. 259-260, III]
a. high terminal
5. The main idea of the entire speech is __________. [p. 265, I]
e. none of the above
6. All of the following are considered forms of supporting evidence EXCEPT __________. [p.
260, II]
a. statistic
b. example
7. “What would you think if you went to a doctor because you were ill and she told you to
watch Seinfeld as a part of your treatment?” is an example of which type of attention getting
device from an introduction to a presentation? [p. 265, III]
e. statistic
8. A good introduction does which of the following? [p. 265 II]
a. captures the listeners’ attention, motivates the audience to listen, presents the body in
chronological order, and enhances the speaker’s credibility
9. “Today I will explain to you how humans have evolved from apes to Neanderthals to the
human form we have today.” This thesis sentence suggests which organizational pattern? [p.
262, III]
e. topical
10. Which of the following is NOT a part of the motivated sequence pattern used to organize a
persuasive speech? [p. 264, II]
a. attention step
b. action step
11. The function of transitions are to __________. [p. 266, III]
e. motivate the listeners
12. A strong conclusion should look to accomplish which of the following? [p. 266, II]
a. gaining support of the listeners
b. offering an opportunity for rebuttal
13. The name for the step in the Motivated Sequence in which the speaker tries to intensify the
listener’s commitment to the solution by helping them imagine the results from the solution
is called the __________ step. [p. 264 , II]
a. need
14. Probably the most widely used style of delivery is __________. [p. 267, II]
d. memorized
e. cohesive
15. Which of the following questions would a critical listener ask? [pp. 270, II]
a. What does the speaker announce as the purpose of the talk?
b. What evidence does the speaker provide to support claims?
16. Critical listeners recognize in a speaker’s reasoning. [pp. 271, II]
e. terminal credibility
17. When the primary objective is to engage, interest, amuse, or please listeners, one delivers
__________. [p. 258, II]
a. good anecdotes and funny jokes
b. a speech to persuade
18. When the primary goal is to change listener’s attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, one delivers
__________. [p. 259, II]
e. a speech to entertain
19. When the primary objective is to increase listeners’ understanding, awareness, or knowledge
of some topic, one delivers __________. [p. 258, II]
a. specific instances and rhetorical questions
b. a speech to persuade
20. Material used to support claims in a speech __________. [p. 260, II]
e. b, c, and d
TRUE/FALSE
1. Evidence will boost a speaker’s credibility. [II] T
3. A demonstration speech is not considered an informative speech. [II] F
5. The thesis statement is the single most important sentence in a speech. [II] T
7. In speeches organized around a temporal pattern, the main points are structured around their
8. Oral communication requires more organization and simpler sentence structure than written
communication. [II] T
10. A speaker’s terminal credibility will always be higher than her initial credibility. [II] F
14 // MASS COMMUNICATION
I. Mass communication is all media that address mass audiences.
A. Mass communication includes books, films, television, radio, newspapers, magazines,
and other forms of visual and print communication.
B. Mass communication includes computer technologies through which communication
reaches a great many people.
C. Mass communication does not include one-on-one computer-mediated communication
(e.g., e-mail exchanges between friends.)
II. Marshall McLuhan traced media that have emerged and evolved during four different eras in
Western society to show how the media shape our lives.
A. The tribal epoch was dominated by oral communication.
1. Stories and rituals passed cultural traditions and history from generation to
generation.
2. Hearing was the dominant sense.
3. Fostered cohesive communities.
B. The literate epoch emerged with the invention of the phonetic alphabet.
1. Written communication allowed individuals to gain information privately without the
need for face-to-face interaction.
2. Sight was the dominant sense.
3. Sequential ordering of written words cultivated linear thinking.
C. The print epoch was ushered in by the invention of the printing press.
III. Mass communication also serves our needs and desires.
A. Uses and gratification theory claims that people attend to media to gratify themselves.
B. In a quest for satisfying some specified need, we select media we believe will offer that
gratification.
1. We use media for pleasure.
2. We use media for excitement.
3. We use media to escape.
C. Uses and gratification theory assumes people are active agents who make deliberate
choices to gratify themselves.
D. People also create media if existing media do not gratify them or their communities.
IV. Mass communication also influences human knowledge and perspectives.
A. Agenda setting theorists argue that media set our agenda by spotlighting some events,
issues, people, and perspectives while downplaying others.
1. Mass media direct us to pay attention to topics by covering those topics.
2. Mass media lead us to ignore topics by giving them little coverage.
B. Gatekeepers are people and groups that decide which messages pass through the gates of
information control to reach people. The information that gets through the gatekeepers is
what we know or understand about many issues, events, and people.
1. Mass media have many gatekeepers among them owners, producers, editors,
publishers, advertisers, political groups, etc.
2. Gatekeepers screen stories to create messages that shape our perceptions of people
and events.
C. Cultivation theory claims that television cultivates (or promotes) a worldview that is
inaccurate but that viewers assume reflects real life.
1. Cultivation is a cumulative process that over time comes to foster our view of reality.
2. The premise is that the more one attends to television (heavy viewers) the more
distorted perspective of reality they hold, a “television view” of the world.
3. The amount of violence on television is much greater than the amount of violence that
most people encounter in their own lives, yet many people think that they are likely to
be the victim of violence because of what they have seen on television.
4. Two mechanisms help explain the cultivation process.
a. Mainstreaming is television’s tendency to stabilize and homogenize views within
a society in order to create a single allegedly mainstream view.
1. Mass communication depends on revenues generated by advertising.
2. Product placement is the practice of featuring products in media so that the products
are associated with particular characters or storylines.
3. Immersive advertising incorporates the product or brand into the actual storyline in
books, television programs, and films.
VI. Digital media and mass media continue to develop and influence one another.
A. Increasingly the television shows are watched online and newspapers are read on tablets,
showing us how interwined these two media are.
B. Mass media and digital media are also responsive to one another.
C. As McLuhan claimed, digital media is affecting how we think and relate.
KEY CONCEPTS
Agenda setting
Cultivation
Cultivation theory
Cultural studies theory
Electronic epoch
Gatekeeper
Global village
Hypodermic needle model
Immersive advertising
Literate epoch
Mainstreaming
Mass Communication
Mean world syndrome
Print epoch
Product placement
Puffery
Resonance
Tribal epoch
Uses and gratification theory
ACTIVITY: It’s a Mean World
Purpose/Objective:
To allow students to explore the claims made by cultivation theory and to gain practice in
interviewing.
Handout activity for It’s a Mean World
Instructions:
Find 10 people to participate in this short survey. After each statement, there is a row of 10
blocks, one block for each of your respondents. Read the statement aloud to the respondents and
ask whether they agree, are unsure, or disagree, and then record their answers.
A = Agree U = Unsure D = Disagree
1. Most public officials are not interested in the plight of the average person.
2. Despite what some people say, the life of the average person is getting worse, not better.
3. Most people usually look out for themselves rather than trying to help others.
4. Most people would try to take advantage of you if they had a chance.
5. You can’t be too careful in dealing with people.
6. How many hours of television do you watch in an average week?
ACTIVITY: Audience Analysis Ads
Purpose/Objective:
To emphasize the importance of audience analysis in mass communication settings.
To teach students how to adapt the message they are trying to send to audience demographics
(age, gender, education, group membership, and sociocultural background).
ACTIVITY: It’s Only for Kids
Purpose/Objective:
To have students use cultivation theory in their analysis of children’s television programming
and to promote media literacy habits.
JOURNAL ITEMS
1. Keep a record of the amount of time you spend watching television during an average
week. Record what you watch and why you watch. Do your choices of programs reflect
the uses and gratification formula?
2. How dangerous and mean do you think the world really is? How much television do you
watch? Comment on the connection between the answers to these two questions.
3. Watch Saturday morning cartoons on a commercial television station. Record the number
of violent incidents in one hour’s programming. What are your comments on what you
observe?
PANEL IDEAS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In reflecting on your own communication behaviors, do your relations with others rely
predominantly on tribal, literate/print, or electronic means? Do you use different forms
with different people? If so, why? In your own relationships, what is lost and what is
gained by using each medium?
2. Bring three examples of advertisements from the media (e.g. newspapers, magazines,
commercials) to class. Try to identify the prevailing ideologies in the ads. Who and what
is privileged as the norm?
MOVIES—FAHRENHEIT 9/11, FAHRENHYPE 9/11
Probably no movie in recent time has caused as much controversy as Fahrenheit 9/11. Michael
Moore’s documentary focuses on the Bush Administration’s response to the tragic events of 9/11
and argues strongly for the presence of a conservative bias in our country’s media. Fahrenhype
9/11 was filmed in response to Moore’s documentary and provides rebuttal for the claims made
in the original film. Regardless of your students’ political philosophies, these films represent
attempts to use the media to influence political action. Students can make note of the specific
techniques the filmmakers used to influence the viewer. You might also ask your students to
research to what extent these films succeeded in changing the viewpoints of the audience.
COMMUNICATION SCENARIOS DVD
Charles and Tina Washington are in the kitchen area of their great room working on dinner. At
the other end of the room their six-year-old son, Derek, is watching television. Tina is tearing
ESSAY QUESTIONS
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is NOT an example of mass communication? [p. 278-279, II]
a. books
2. During the tribal epoch, the dominant sense was __________. [p. 279, II]
e. taste
3. During the literate epoch, the dominant sense was __________. [p. 280, II]
e. taste
4. Increased access to information made possible by electronic communication that links people
all over the world creating a modern world-wide community is known as __________. [p.
281, I]
e. cultivation theory
5. Marshall McLuhan claimed that the dominant media at any given time in a society strongly
d. a and c
e. all of the above
6. When a TV show or film incorporates the product into the storyline they are engaging in
__________. [p. 287, II]
a. product agenda setting
7. After a heavy session of studying for final exams, Barbara and Lynn wish to relax for a few
hours. Feeling melancholy and in the mood for escapist romanticism, they rent the video
Titanic. The choice of media content Barbara and Lynn made reflect __________. [pp. 281,
III]
a. agenda setting
b. cultivation theory
8. Of all the cadets who withdrew from the Citadel in 1995, the media selected Shannon
Faulkner and called her to the public’s attention. This is an example of which of the
e. standpoint theory
9. Mass communication uses gatekeepers to determine what consumers come to know, believe,
and understand are issues they should deem as worthy of serious attention. This view of how
mass communication operates represents __________. [p. 282, I]
a. cultivation theory
10. The mass media theory that claims that television promotes a worldview that is inaccurate
but that views may assume reflects real life is known as __________. [p. 283, I]
e. hypodermic needle theory