Class 12 - Midterm Review

Rhetoric

The study of how messages affect people and the techniques of effective communication.

Rhetorical Situation

A situation where people's understanding can be changed through messages, influenced by audience, occasion, speaker, and the speech itself.

Public Forum

An imagined space where citizens discuss issues affecting them, characterized by cooperative action and subjective judgment.

Critical Thinking

The ability to form and defend one's own judgments, analyze different points of view, and distinguish fact from opinion.

General Purpose of Speech

Broad categories of speech goals: to inform, persuade, instruct/demonstrate, entertain, and motivate/inspire.

Types of Communication

Categories of communication: verbal, written, physical, and visual.

Sender

The source of the communication who encodes a message.

Encoding

The process of putting thoughts into symbols such as words, icons, or gestures.

Message

The intended and unintended content communicated by a sender to a receiver.

Channel

The medium through which a message passes from sender to receiver, such as speech or social media.

Decoding

The process by which a receiver interprets the meaning of a message.

Feedback

The response from the receiver back to the sender regarding the message.

Noise

Distractions that interfere with the transmission and reception of a message.

Ethos

The speaker's credibility and character as perceived by the audience.

Thesis

The main idea or central claim made by a speech, often stated in one sentence.

Heterogeneity

The variety or diversity among audience members.

Demographics

Statistical characteristics of a population, such as age, education, and cultural background.

Psychographics

Psychological variables that shape individual identities, including values, attitudes, and lifestyles.

Audience Culture

Subjective factors characterizing a particular audience, making its situation distinct.

Supporting Material

Types of evidence or information used to back up claims in a speech, including personal experience, common knowledge, statistics, and testimony.

Active Listening

The multidimensional psychological process of actively constructing meaning and responding to messages.

Obstacles to Good Listening

Factors that hinder effective listening such as factual distractions, semantic distractions, and psychological distractions.

Pedestrian Audience

A random group of people that temporarily listens to a speech, requiring engagement to hold their interest.

Passive Audience

An audience whose attention is incidental to other purposes, needing compelling visuals and descriptions to engage.

Selected Audience

An audience that expresses interest in the topic, either positively or negatively, allowing for tailored communication.

Organized Audience

An audience that is motivated about the topic but requires additional information to move forward.

Absent Audience

An audience that is not physically present with the speaker, necessitating engaging visual aids to maintain interest.

Statistics

Numerical data used to quantify information or measure the extent of a phenomenon.

Testimony

Information or opinions expressed by someone other than the speaker, used to support points made in a speech.