Chapter 11.1 Why Conclusions Matter
Learning Objectives
Understand the basic benefits of a strong conclusion.
Explain the serial position effect and its importance in public speaking.
The Importance of a Strong Conclusion
Many students give otherwise good speeches that fall apart at the end.
Speakers may express relief that the speech is over, but the conclusion is the last chance to drive home ideas.
An ineffective or absent conclusion can cause the speech to lose energy, leaving the audience confused and disappointed.
Avoid emotional exhaustion by maintaining energy through the end of the speech and planning an effective conclusion.
A good conclusion cannot save a poorly prepared speech; effective introductions and bodies are essential.
A good conclusion brings the audience back to the reality outside the speech, similar to how a good introduction draws them in.
Functions of a Strong Conclusion
Signaling the end of the speech.
Aiding the audience's memory of the speech.
Signaling the End
Many speakers fail to adequately prepare the audience for the end of the speech.
Abrupt endings can leave the audience confused and disappointed.
Section 11.2 will detail how to effectively and powerfully signal the end of a speech.
Aiding Audience Memory
Based on research by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885) in his book Memory, A Contribution to Experimental Psychology.
Ebbinghaus proposed the serial position effect: humans remember information in a linear fashion.
The ability to remember information in a list depends on the item's location.
Items at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list have the highest recall rates.
Serial Position Effect
Information at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list are easier to recall than information in the middle.
Application to Conclusions
Ray Ehrensburger tested Ebbinghaus's serial position effect in public speaking.
Ehrensburger's 1945 study rearranged the ordering of a speech to determine information recall (An experimental study of the relative effectiveness of certain forms of emphasis in public speaking, Speech Monographs, 12, 94-111, ).
The study reaffirmed the importance of primacy and recency in speeches.
Information delivered during the conclusion (recency) had the highest level of recall overall.
Key Takeaways
A strong conclusion is crucial as it is the final opportunity to explain the message's importance and help the audience remember main ideas.
Speakers must thoroughly examine how to conclude speeches effectively.
The serial position effect indicates that people remember ideas stated first (primacy) or last (recency) in a list most effectively.
Restating main ideas in the conclusion leverages the recency effect, aiding audience recall.