COM 114 Presentation Skills and Audience Analysis Guide

Audience Analysis

Understanding audience demographics and psychographics for presentations.

Demographics

Statistics about a population's characteristics like age and income. Note differences between race/ethnicity, gender/sex

Psychographics

Audience interests, attitudes, and opinions influencing presentation. Categories: Knowledge, Interests, Values/Attitude, Audience Homogeneity

Conversational Group

Audience size of 0-10 for informal discussions.

Presentation Size

Audience size of 10-40 for structured presentations.

Performance Size

Audience size of 40-100 for performances.

Show Size

Audience size of 100+ for large events.

Sex

Physical characteristics defining male or female.

Gender

Societal beliefs about male or female roles.

Race

Physical characteristics like skin color and bone structure.

Ethnicity

Cultural identity based on shared values and traditions.

Values

General beliefs about what is good or important.

Attitudes

Specific assessments of ideas or topics.

Interests

Topics that engage and resonate with the audience.

Audience Homogeneity

Similarity in audience demographics and psychographics.

Supporting Materials

Evidence used to enhance presentation credibility.

Authority

Expertise level of a source or individual.

Subject Expertise

Knowledge based on education and experience.

Societal Position

Influence based on a person's societal role/position.

Special Experience

Unique insights from personal circumstances.

Primary Sources

Original materials or firsthand accounts.

Secondary Sources

Analysis or interpretation of primary sources.

Currency of Information

Relevance and timeliness of presented data.

Works Cited

List of sources referenced in a presentation.

Presentation Structure

Introduction (10%), Body (85%), Conclusion (5%).

Attention-Grabber

Engage audience with stories, facts, or humor.

Rule of Three

Present three main points for better retention.

Supporting Points

Each main point should have 2-3 supporting points.

Restate Goal

Summarize the presentation's goal in conclusion.

Review Main Points

Summarize key points at the end.

Circular Narrative

Connect conclusion back to the introduction's hook.

Expertise in Credibility

Demonstrate knowledge through credentials and posture, and know what you're talking about.

Trustworthiness in Credibility

Smile and use reliable evidence to build trust. Address different POVs.

Ethos

Using credibility to persuade the audience.

Pathos

Emotional appeal to influence audience agreement.

High Valence Emotions

Positive feelings like happiness and pride.

Low Valence Emotions

Negative feelings like fear and guilt.

Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM)

Framework for understanding fear-based responses. 3 responses: Fear Control, Danger Control, and No Response.

Fear Control

Reducing fear instead of taking action.

Danger Control

Taking action to eliminate perceived danger.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to take action.

Response Efficacy

Belief that actions will effectively reduce threat.

Susceptibility

Belief in personal vulnerability to a threat.

Severity

Perception of the threat's seriousness.

Guilt Appeal

Inducing guilt to influence behavior.

Logos

Logical reasoning used to persuade an audience.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning from specific examples to general conclusions.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning from general premises to specific cases.

Informatory Presentation

Presentation aimed at raising awareness or explaining.

Explanatory Presentation

Presentation aimed at deepening understanding of a topic.

Speech of Awareness

Presentation that informs about an event.

Speech of Demonstration

Presentation teaching how to perform a task.

Elucidating Explanation

Clarifying concepts with definitions and examples/nonexamples.

Quasi-Scientific Explanations

Organizing information to highlight key relationships.

Transformative Explanation

Changing beliefs; often through scientific reasoning.

Visual Aids Importance

Enhancing understanding and retention in presentations; they SHOW rather than TELL.

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

Explains how we process multimedia information:

We select relevant words for processing,

We select relevant images for processing,

We organize selected words into a verbal model,

We organize selected images into a pictorial model,

We integrate these verbal and pictorial models with each other and our prior knowledge.

Assertion-Evidence Method

Combines headlines with visuals for clarity.

Slippery Slope

Action leads to a series of consequences; can be used logically but avoid emotional/out of proportion responses.

False Dilemma/Dichotomy

Presents only two choices, ignoring others.

Hasty Generalization

Broad assumption from limited evidence.

Correlation vs. Causation

Assuming causation from mere correlation.

Ad Hominem

Attacking character instead of argument validity.

Appeal to Authority

Using authority figure's opinion as evidence.

Faulty Analogy

Weak argument due to poor analogy comparison.

Linking (Directional)

Connects two main points, indicates direction change.

Signpost

Words/phrases guiding audience focus in presentation. (First, to begin, finally, etc.)

Internal Preview

Previewing material before discussing it.

Internal Summary

Summarizing previous points before moving on.

Glossophobia

Fear of public speaking.

Communication Apprehension

Anxiety from actual or perceived communication.

Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA)

Assessment tool for public speaking anxiety.

Habituation

Reduced nervousness as presentation progresses.

Sensitization

Increased nervousness as presentation continues.

Trait Anxiety

Anxiety from inherent personality traits or disorders.

Situational Anxiety

Anxiety triggered by specific situations or contexts.

Rate of Speech

Optimal speaking speed: 110 to 150 WPM.

Chronological/Temporal

Sequence of events in time progression.

Spatial/Geographical

Arrangement based on physical location or region.

Topical Organization

Each point is a separate topic related to presentation.

Cause-Effect

One point causes another effect.

Problem-Solution

Identifies a problem and proposes a solution.

Monroe's Motivated Sequence

Five-step persuasive speech framework:

Attention: Grab audience’s attention

Need: Detail problem and convince audience that your problem is, in fact, a problem

Satisfaction: Provide a plan to solve the problem

Visualization: Describe to your audience what the world will look like after you implement your solution

Call to Action: Ask your audience to do something that helps your cause (petition signature, monetary donation, letter-writing campaign, etc.)

Comparative Advantage

Compare and contrast two options to highlight benefits.

Informative Speaking

Aims to provide information to an audience.

Persuasive Speaking

Goal-oriented speaking to change beliefs or actions.

Targets of Persuasion

Change beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors of others.

Cognitive Dissonance

Misalignment of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Steps of Persuasion

Exposure: Hearing or seeing the message

Attention: Having someone pay attention to the message instead of ignoring it

Comprehension: Understands the message

Acceptance: Accepts or agrees with message

Retention: When they keep their acceptance instead of going back to old behaviors due to temporary, short-lived agreement

Action: Doing the desired action (changing a belief, attitude, or behavior)

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Describes how messages are processed by individuals.

Central Route

Careful consideration/evaluation of a message's content.

Peripheral Route

Evaluation based on heuristics, not message content.

Social Judgment Theory

Explains how likely a person is to accept a persuasive methods by describing three continuums:

Latitude of Acceptance: Range of ideas acceptable to a person

Latitude of Rejection: Ideas outside the Latitude of Acceptance, which are by definition unacceptable to a person

Latitude of Noncommittal: Ideas a person has no opinion on

Ego Involvement

Importance of an issue to an individual.

Oral Citation

Briefly mention source and publication date.

Memorized Delivery

Presenting from memory without notes.

Manuscript Delivery

Reading from a prepared script.

Impromptu Delivery

Speaking without prior preparation.

Extemporaneous Delivery

Practiced speaking without a full script.

Emblems

Gestures with specific, recognized meanings. (Thumbs up/down, etc.)