The Art of Public Speaking - Midterm Review Flashcards

Vocabulary study flashcards based on Stephen E. Lucas's The Art of Public Speaking (14th Edition) covering communication levels, ethics, audience analysis, listening types, purpose statements, supporting materials, organization, language usage, and informative speech categories.

Intrapersonal Communication

Communication with oneself, including inner thoughts, self-talk, and mental processing.

Interpersonal Communication

Communication between two or a few individuals, such as conversations and interviews.

Small Group Communication

Interaction among 3 to 12 people working toward a common goal.

Public Communication

One speaker transmitting a structured message to an audience in a specific setting.

Mass Communication

Messages transmitted to large, unseen audiences via media such as TV, podcasts, and print.

Speaker

The person originating the verbal and nonverbal message in the speech communication process.

Message

What the speaker communicates to someone else, distinguishing between the intended and actual message.

Channel

The medium through which the message is communicated, such as voice, visual aids, radio, or video.

Listener

The receiver of the message who processes it through a frame of reference.

Feedback

Messages sent back by the listener to the speaker, which are mostly nonverbal in public speaking.

Interference (Noise)

Anything that impedes communication, categorized as external (e.g., background noise, temperature) or internal (e.g., anxiety, illness, distraction).

Situation

The time, place, and physical/cultural context in which communication occurs.

Global Plagiarism

Stealing a speech entirely from a single source and passing it off as your own.

Patchwork Plagiarism

Stealing ideas or language from two or three sources and stitching them together without attribution.

Incremental Plagiarism

Failing to give credit for specific parts, such as quotes, paraphrases, or statistics, taken from other people.

Oral Citations

Explicitly citing sources aloud during delivery by identifying the document, author or sponsoring organization, author’s credentials, and date.

Demographic Audience Analysis

Audience analysis focusing on age, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, racial/ethnic/cultural background, group membership, and socio-economic status to avoid stereotyping and identify common ground.

Situational Audience Analysis

Audience analysis focusing on audience size, physical setting (room arrangement, temperature, light), and disposition toward topic, speaker, and occasion.

Psychological Audience Analysis

Audience analysis focusing on the audience's frame of mind (attitude), level of knowledge, and level of interest regarding the topic.

Hearing

The passive physiological process involving the vibration of sound waves on the eardrums and the firing of electrochemical impulses in the brain.

Listening

The active process of paying close attention to, making sense of, and critically evaluating what is heard.

Appreciative Listening

Listening for pleasure or enjoyment, such as listening to music or comedy.

Empathetic Listening

Listening to provide emotional support for a speaker, such as listening to a friend venting.

Comprehensive Listening

Listening to understand the message of a speaker, such as when attending a lecture.

Critical Listening

Listening to evaluate a message for the purpose of accepting or rejecting it, such as in sales pitches or political speeches.

General Purpose Statement

The broad, overarching goal of a speech, such as 'To Inform' or 'To Persuade.'

Specific Purpose Statement

A single infinitive phrase stating precisely what the speaker hopes to accomplish in the speech.

Brief Examples

Specific instances mentioned in passing to illustrate a point.

Extended Examples

Longer, detailed stories or narratives used to vivid effect.

Hypothetical Examples

Imaginary or fictional scenarios used to illustrate a hypothetical situation.

Statistics

Numerical data used to clarify or prove a point, which must be used sparingly, rounded off, and cited clearly.

Expert Testimony

Quotes or paraphrases from recognized authorities in a given field.

Peer Testimony

Opinions or first-hand accounts from ordinary people with direct experience.

Analogies

Comparisons between two things (often one familiar and one unfamiliar) to clarify complex or abstract ideas.

Chronological Order

A main point organization pattern that follows a time pattern, such as history or step-by-step processes.

Spatial Order

A main point organization pattern that follows a directional or physical pattern (e.g., top to bottom, east to west).

Causal Order

A main point organization pattern that shows a cause-and-effect relationship.

Problem-Solution Order

A main point organization pattern where the first main point establishes a problem and the second offers a solution.

Topical Order

A main point organization pattern that subdivides the main topic into logical, distinct sub-topics.

Transitions

Words or phrases indicating when a speaker finishes one thought and moves to another.

Internal Previews

A statement in the body of a speech letting the audience know what is coming next.

Internal Summaries

A statement in the body of a speech summarizing preceding points before moving forward.

Signposts

Brief statements indicating where you are in the speech (e.g., 'First…', 'Most importantly…').

Concrete Words

Words that call up tangible, physical objects (e.g., 'apple,' 'desk,' 'golden retriever'), making speeches clear and vivid.

Abstract Words

Words referring to general concepts, qualities, or ideas (e.g., 'freedom,' 'science,' 'justice').

Clutter

Using more words than necessary to express an idea.

Speeches about Objects

An informative speech classification covering anything visible, tangible, and stable in form.

Speeches about Processes

An informative speech classification covering a systematic series of actions leading to a specific result or outcome.

Speeches about Events

An informative speech classification covering anything that happens or is regarded as happening.

Speeches about Concepts

An informative speech classification covering beliefs, theories, ideas, notions, or principles.