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CHAPTER 5
ADAPTING TO AUDIENCES
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Building on the audience analysis techniques discussed in Chapter 4, this chapter
focuses on the methods for adapting precisely to the audience during a speech, by
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction (p. 79): Audience adaptation—the process of tailoring your speech’s
information to the needs, interests, and expectations of your listeners—plays a critical
role in the speech planning process. After dealing with issues of relevance,
comprehension, credibility, audience attitudes, and cultural and linguistic differences, a
speaker is able to generate a plan of adaptation, which will serve as the blueprint for
speech construction.
I. Initial audience disposition: the knowledge and opinions listeners have about
your topic before they hear you speak (p. 79).
II. Common ground: the perception that you are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and
personable (p. 80).
A. Use personal pronouns: “we,” “us,” and “our.”
B. Ask rhetorical questions that stimulate a mental response rather than an
actual spoken response on the part of the audience
1.
Rhetorical questions establish common ground because they stimulate
C. Draw from common experiences: share personal stories and experiences.
III. Relevance: adapting information in ways that help audience members realize its
importance to them (p. 81).
A. First, emphasize the timeliness of a topic by demonstrating that it is useful
to the audience at present, or will be in the near future.
IV. Speaker credibility: the perception of a speaker as knowledgeable, trustworthy,
and personable (p. 82).
A. Articulate knowledge and expertise. The audience’s assessment of your
knowledge and expertise depends on how well you convince them that you
are qualified to speak on the topic.
1.
You can establish your expertise directly by disclosing your experience
B. Convey trustworthiness, the extent to which the audience can believe that
what you say is accurate, true, and in their best interests.
1.
Consider how to demonstrate that you are honest, industrious,
C. Display personableness, the extent to which you convey a pleasing
personality
1.
Manage first impressions by dressing appropriately for the audience
V. Information comprehension and retention: adapting information so that it is easier
for audience members to follow and retain (p. 84).
comprehend the information. Consider presenting new information in ways
that appeal to watching and feeling and doing and thinking.
B. Orient the audience with transitions, a sentence or two that summarizes
one main point and introduces another, to avoid confusing listeners.
C. Choose specific and familiar language to make sure your listeners
D. Use vivid language and examples because they help audience members
understand and remember abstract, complex, and novel material.
use adaptive comparisons.
VI. Language and cultural differences: taking into consideration variations in speech
practice and perceived effectiveness when addressing an audience composed of
people from ethnic and language groups other than your own (p. 88).
A. Work to be understood when speaking in your second language.
1.
When the language spoken by the audience is different from the
speaker’s native language, audience members may have difficulty
understanding what the speaker is saying due to accents,
mispronounced words, inappropriate words, or misused idioms.
2.
The more you practice speaking the language, the more comfortable
B. Choose culturally appropriate supporting material.
1.
A good speaker will learn as much as possible about the culture of
VII. Forming a specific audience adaptation plan by identifying the challenges
presented by the audience and planning how to meet them (p. 88). The
adaptation plan should answer the following questions:
A. What is my audience’s initial disposition toward my topic?
remember the information?
LECTURE IDEAS
1.
Perhaps the most critical, and simultaneously difficult, audience adaptation is
demanded of the president of the United States and his advisors. In 2002, President
George W. Bush faced a specific audience in the wake of 9/11, as documented in
the USA Today article “President had three audiences to play to,” by Chuck Raasch.
2.
Bias exists even in academia. Using Trudy L. Hanson’s “Gender sensitivity and
diversity issues in selected basic public speaking texts” (1999, Woman and
3.
In their article “The chameleon effect as social glue: Evidence for the evolutionary
significance of nonconscious mimicry” (2003, Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 27.3),
Lakin et al. explore the behavioral relationship between interaction partners.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
What would be the benefit to speakers if virtual reality provided a forum for
researching, adapting to, and practicing in front of an audience? Would it ever truly
replace “old-fashioned” research or adaptation? Why?
2.
What advice can be taken from Raasch’s article on the president and his audience?
How is it useful for a public speaker? Will this advice influence your next speech
topic? How will it affect your speech preparation steps?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Activity 5.1: Adapting to All Types
Provide students with a paper divided into two lists. One list contains different types of
audiences (i.e., college students, high school students, stock brokers, firefighters,
Activity 5.2: Hypothetical Audience
In small groups, use the following hypothetical situation to help students understand and
practice audience analysis: “As a member of the student committee on campus activity,
Activity 5.3: Battle of The Sexes
This exercise illuminates the importance of effective adaptation. Divide the class into
men and women. Each group receives a question based on the other sex—something
Stereotypical “Men’s” Questions (Asked of the Women)
1.
What color is the positive terminal on most car batteries? (red)
2.
What do you call a hammer with a large wooden or rubber head? (mallet)
3.
How many points for a safety in American football? (2)
Stereotypical “Women’s” Questions (Asked of the Men)
1.
What shape is a Marquis cut diamond? (a pointed oval or diamond shaped)
2.
In beauty terms, what can women foil? (hair)
3.
In fashion, what is a mule? (open back high-heeled shoe)
As an impromptu speech idea, have students think of something that they are
legitimately knowledgeable about (academics, trivia, athletics, hobbies). Students
should write down three to four reasons why they have more knowledge about their
topic than the average person. For example, perhaps a student has received multiple
Activity 5.5: How Credible Is This Speaker?
Distribute the following questions to the class, instructing students to base their answers
on a person whom they believe is credible. Use these questions to hold a class
discussion regarding speaker credibility and the different perceptions people have about
credibility.
1.
Identify a speaker who is trustworthy or credible: .
4.
What is your perception of this person’s trustworthiness? What are his/her motives
for speaking? Are they ethical?
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
common ground: the perception of a speaker as knowledgeable, trustworthy, and
personable
personableness: the extent to which you project a pleasing personality
personal pronouns: “we,” “us,” and “our”—pronouns that directly link the speaker to
members of the audience
proximity: the relevance of information to the listener’s personal space
relevance: adapting information in ways that help audience members realize its
TEST QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 5
Multiple Choice
1.
Which of the following is NOT one of the ways for a speaker to establish common
ground with an audience?
a.
draw from common experiences
b.
ask rhetorical questions
c.
use personal pronouns
d.
use good posture
ANS: d SEE PAGE 80
2.
A speech about the voter registration process demonstrates because the next
presidential election is in two months so the information presented is useful now or
in the near future.
a.
relevance
b.
timeliness
c.
audience needs
d.
proximity
3.
A strategy for tailoring your speech to the needs, interests, and expectations of your
specific audience is called a(n):
a.
speech outline
b.
speech goal
c.
audience analysis
d.
adaptation plan
ANS: d SEE PAGE 88
4.
Speeches containing information about the audience’s family, neighborhood, city,
state, or country are using the strategy of:
a.
relevance
b.
timeliness
c.
audience needs
d.
proximity
5.
A speech begins with the question, “how much would you give to spend one more
day with someone you have lost” is an effective way to begin a speech because the
audience members could think about their response rather than actually state it
aloud during the presentation. This would be an example of a:
a.
common ground statement
b.
rhetorical question
c.
relevance inquiry
d.
proximity inquiry
6.
When you emphasize a serious physical, economic, or psychological impact of your
topic in your speech, audience members are interested in what you have to say.
This is an example of:
a.
personal impact
b.
relevance
c.
credibility
d.
proximity
7.
Sharing personal stories and using examples in your speech is a way to establish:
a.
timeliness
b.
relevance
c.
common ground
d.
comparison
8.
The knowledge and opinions listeners have about your topic before they hear you
speak is called:
a.
initial audience disposition
b.
relevance
c.
audience adaptation
d.
personal impact
9.
Stating “we need to be concerned about tuition increases” rather than “students
need to be concerned about tuition increases” demonstrates the use of to link
the speaker to members of the audience.
a.
relevance
b.
timeliness
c.
personal impact statements
d.
personal pronouns
10.
Because words have many meanings, you want to make sure your listeners
understand the meaning you intend. You can do so by:
a.
appealing to diverse learning styles
b.
choosing specific and familiar language
c.
using vivid language and examples
d.
comparing unknown ideas with unfamiliar ones
11.
A sentence or two that summarizes one main point and introduces the next is/are
called:
a.
familiar language
b.
transitions
c.
personal information
d.
vivid language
12.
Because audience members learn differently, good speakers will
when presenting new information.
a.
appeal to diverse learning styles
b.
rely on instinct to develop key ideas
c.
utilize the most effective learning technique
d.
encourage the audience to learn about the subject
13.
The background, knowledge, attitudes, experiences, and philosophies shared by
the speaker and audience is called .
a.
common ground
b.
personalization
c.
shared understanding
d.
perspective
ANS: a SEE PAGE 80
14.
What helps audiences understand and remember complex, abstract, and novel
material?
a.
rhetorical questions
b.
vivid language and examples
c.
personal pronouns
d.
transitions
ANS: b SEE PAGE 87
15.
What is one of the ways to be understood when speaking in your second
language?
a.
practice in front of friends who are native speakers
b.
use note cards in your native language
c.
use personal pronouns
d.
practice in front of people who are non-native speakers
16.
The confidence that an audience places in the truthfulness of what a speaker says
is known as .
a.
expertise
b.
credibility
c.
trust
d.
knowledge
17.
You can articulate your expertise by disclosing your personal
experience with your topic.
a.
directly
b.
indirectly
c.
formally
d.
informally
18.
The extent to which one projects a pleasing personality is known as .
a.
credibility
b.
trustworthiness
c.
personableness
d.
characters
ANS: c SEE PAGE 83
19.
Speaking accurately, honestly, and in the audience’s best interest help
establish .
a.
timeliness
b.
proximity
c.
personableness
d.
trustworthiness
20.
All of the following are ways to display personableness EXCEPT .
a.
dressing appropriately for the audience and occasion
b.
smiling and establishing eye contact
c.
being critical of other’s speeches
d.
using appropriate humor
e.
how well one speaks
21.
T F One vivid example can help us understand a complicated concept.
22.
T F Drawing from common experiences such as learning how to drive is a means
of establishing common ground with an audience.
23.
T F A speaker can appear more knowledgeable by using complex words that are
unfamiliar to his/her audience.
24.
T F There are four distinct styles of learning according to Kolb: divergers,
assimilators, accommodators, and commoners.
25.
T F By comparing new ideas with familiar ones, speakers can help their
audience understand any unknown speech material.
26.
T F One way to establish common ground is to use the personal pronouns “we,”
“us,” and “our.”
ANS: T SEE PAGE 80
27.
T F If your audience believes that you are concerned with their interests, you will
establish trustworthiness with them.
28.
T F Public speaking is a social act that varies across cultures.
29.
T F Part of establishing an audience adaptation plan is determining what you can
do to make it easier for audience members to comprehend and remember the
information you will share.
30.
T F Because human experience is universal, identifying culturally sensitive
material is relatively easy.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Boone, R. T., & Buck, R. (2003). Emotional expressivity and trustworthiness:
The role of nonverbal behavior in the evolution of cooperation. Journal
of Nonverbal Behavior, 27(3), 163.
Lakin, J. L., Jefferis, V. E., Cheng, C. M., & Chartrand, T. L. (2003). The
chameleon effect as social glue: Evidence for the evolutionary
significance of nonconscious mimicry. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior,
27(3), 145.
Marklein, M. B. (2003, November 3). Free speech for you but not for me?
USA Today, p. A-1.
