Chapter 1 - Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards based on the Chapter 1 Key Terms study guide.

audience

the specific group of people to whom the speech is directed.

audience adaptation

tailoring a speech to the needs, interests, and expectations of the audience.

audience analysis

studying the intended audience for your speech.

channels

both the route traveled by a message and the means of transportation.

communication

the process of creating shared meaning.

communication context

the environment in which communication occurs.

content

the information and ideas you present.

credibility

the perception that you are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and personable.

cyberplagiarism

presenting Internet material as one's own by failing to credit the source.

decoding

interpreting messages.

delivery

communicating through voice and body to convey your message.

encoding

creating messages.

ethics

moral principles that guide judgments of right and wrong.

ethos

everything you say and do to convey competence and good character.

exigence

a real or perceived need that a speech might address.

feedback

receivers' reactions that show how a message is being interpreted.

interference/noise

anything that disrupts shared meaning.

interpersonal communication

communication between two people with an identifiable relationship.

intrapersonal communication

communication with yourself (self-talk).

listener relevance links

statements showing why a point matters to the audience.

logos

appeals to logic and sound reasoning.

macrostructure

the overall organizational framework of your speech.

mass communication

communication sent via mass media to large audiences.

mediated channels

technology-enhanced auditory and visual channels.

messages

verbal, visual, and nonverbal elements used to communicate.

microstructure

specific language and style within your sentences.

occasion

the purpose and physical/virtual setting for the speech.

participants

individuals acting as senders and receivers.

pathos

appeals to emotions.

plagiarize

failing to credit the ideas, words, or works of another.

positionality

how our values, perspectives, and place in time/space shape understanding.

proximity

how relevant information is to someone's personal space or experience.

public communication

communication with more than ten people, involving one primary sender.

public speaking

a sustained formal presentation by a speaker to an audience.

receivers

participants who interpret messages sent by others.

rhetorical situation

the intersection of speaker, audience, and occasion.

senders

participants who form and transmit messages.

setting

the location (physical or virtual) where the speech is given.

small group communication

interaction in a group of about three to ten people.

speaker

the originator of the speech.

structure

the organizational framework for speech content.

transition

words or phrases that connect ideas.

virtual presence

a simulated presence created through digital technology.