chapter 6- attention

Perception

• Definition: How you view and interpret the world.

• Involves organizing and making sense of data perceived from the environment.

Attention

• Definition: The focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others.

• Limited resource: Humans can effectively focus on one thing at a time.

• Multitasking is a myth: Engaging in two activities simultaneously can lead to poor retention in each. Example: Listening to a lecture while playing games reduces comprehension.

• Factors influencing attention:

  • Personal choice based on interests and needs.

  • Past experiences and expectations shape what we focus on.

  • Specific qualities of stimuli affect attention.

• Illustration: Upon learning about pregnancy, a person suddenly notices pregnant women everywhere, highlighting how perception is influenced by personal experience.

Connecting Attention and Perception to Speaking

• Goal: Capture the audience's attention during a speech.

• Techniques to enhance audience engagement:

  • Movement: Strategically move during transitions to maintain interest.

  • Gestures: Use gestures to emphasize key points.

  • Conflict and Novelty: Introduce new, attention-grabbing elements (e.g., humor).

  • Familiarity: Build commonalities with the audience to relate to them.

  • Repetition: Use repetitive phrases to improve retention.

  • Proximity: Get closer to the audience both physically and thematically to establish a connection.

  • Intensity: Use vocal variety to emphasize important points, akin to using highlighters.

  • Concreteness: Favor specific language and examples over abstract concepts for clearer understanding.

Supporting Materials in Speech

• Supporting materials answer key questions: who, what, where, why, when, how.

• Importance of credibility: The perceived reliability of the speaker is often based on quality and variety of research and supporting materials.

• Variety is key: Use different types of supporting materials to strengthen arguments and enhance the overall impact of the speech.