Glossary

a short-cut version of systematic de-sensitization appropriate for public speaking preparation

the system of beliefs and practices that produces a physical and mental standard that is projected as normal for a human being and labels deviations from it abnormal, resulting in unequal treatment and access to resources

language that evokes many different visual images in the minds of your audience

books that are primarily written for other academics for informational and research purposes

learning and using a code that other group members will be able to recognize

strive for excellence and set challenging goals, constantly seeking improvement and exhibiting confidence that group members can meet their high expectations

primarily interested in finding out what the speaker wants

this stage of group development occurs when a group dissolves because it has completed its purpose or goal, membership is declining and support for the group no longer exists, or it is dissolved because of some other internal or external cause

a humorous speech that makes a serious point

prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly

the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a sentence or passage

making the connection between your support and your argument

the succession of sentences beginning with the same word or group of words

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, or grammatical structures

style scholars in the various social science fields (e.g., psychology, human communication, business) are more likely to use

how persons and groups should be referred to and addressed based on inclusiveness and context

set of logical premises leading to a clear conclusion

personal, social, or cultural identities that are placed on us by others

the repetition of vowel sounds in a sentence or passage

are gaps in a logical sequence that listeners passively fill with their own ideas and opinions and may or may not be accurate

first sentence of a speech that is meant to pull the audience's attention to the speaker and topic at hand

the process of gathering information about the people in your audience so that you can understand their needs, expectations, beliefs, values, attitudes, and likely opinions

personal, social, or cultural identities that we claim for ourselves

after you’ve finished reading useful sources, see who those sources cited on their bibliographies or reference pages

a graph designed to show the differences between quantities

demonstrates the “best” way someone should behave within a specific context

predisposition or preconception of a topic that prevents impartiality

transitional phrase that lets the audience know the speech is coming to a close

audiences that are required to be present or feel obligated to do so

organizational pattern that reasons from cause to effect or from effect to cause

the speaker's use of verbal and nonverbal communication

a person's reputation in regards to trustworthiness and goodness

a graphical representation of data (often numerical) or a sketch representing an ordered process

the assumption that people today are superior to people who lived in earlier eras (Russell, 1991)

main points are delivered according to when they happened and could be traced on a calendar or clock

a statement that is supported with evidence

predictable and generally overused expressions; usually similes

changing from one way of speaking to another between or within interactions; happens most frequently in interracial communication

comes from the ability of a group member to provide a negative incentive

a psychological phenomenon where people confronted with conflicting information or viewpoints reach a state of dissonance (generally the disagreement between conflicting thoughts and/or actions), which can be very uncomfortable, and results in actions to get rid of the dissonance and maintain consonance

an internal process through which individuals can deliberately adjust how they perceive an action or experience

attempts to reproduce what is in our minds in the minds of our audience

an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons

demonstrated skill or knowledge in a particular area or topic

statement that can be clearly drawn from the provided premises

the subjective or personal meaning the word evokes in people together or individually

a decision-making technique in which all members of the group must agree on the same decision

to offer comfort in a time of grief

the stuff you add to the book

are interested in the message itself, whether it makes sense, what it means, and whether it’s accurate

considering the context of a public speech involves thinking about four dimensions: physical, temporal, social-psychological, and cultural (DeVito, 2009)

being conversant is the condition of being able to discuss an issue intelligently with others

all of the numbers or letters of points should represent the same idea

CRAAP stands for “currency,” “relevance,” “authority,” “accuracy,” and “purpose,” or the five ways that you should evaluate each source to determine if it represents the best information available at the time

the perception the audience holds of you regarding your competence and character

using careful, systematic thinking and reasoning to see whether a message makes sense in light of factual evidence

final context dimension Joseph DeVito mentions; we interact with others from different cultures, misunderstandings can result from differing cultural beliefs, norms, and practices

based on socially constructed categories that teach us a way of being and include expectations for social behavior or ways of acting

the ongoing negotiation of learned and patterned beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors

an online searchable collection of information

“sensing (for example, hearing or seeing) a source’s message, interpreting the source’s message, evaluating the source’s message, and responding to the source’s message” (Wrench, McCroskey & Richmond, 2008)

compiling information, such as the gender, age range, marital status, race, and ethnicity of the people in your audience

information such as the gender, age range, marital status, race, and ethnicity of the people in your audience

the objective or literal meaning shared by most people using the word

officially recognized in their leadership role and may be appointed or elected by people inside or outside the group

drawings or sketches that outline and explain the parts of an object, process, or phenomenon that cannot be readily seen

a relationship between two opposing concepts that constantly push and pull one another

based on three overarching principles that dialogue is more natural than monologue, meanings are in people not words, and contexts and social situations impact perceived meanings

communication between two or more persons

dualistic ways of thinking that highlight opposites, reducing the ability to see gradations that exist in between concepts

refers to the unequal access to technology and related skills that exists in much of the world

when you cite the actual words from a source with no changes

provide psychological structure for their group members by clearly communicating expectations, keeping a schedule and agenda, providing specific guidance as group members work toward the completion of their task, and taking the lead on setting and communicating group rules and procedures

occurs when someone purposefully twists information in a way that detracts from its original meaning

a key dimension of audience membership and, therefore, of audience analysis; while the term “diversity” is often used to refer to racial and ethnic minorities, it is important to realize that audiences can be diverse in many other ways as well

if you have an A, then you need a B; if you have a 1, then you need a 2, and so on

historically had and currently have more resources and influence

a practice that disorients your audience by not giving them everything they need to understand how the source is relevant to your own claims

consciousness of being or belonging to an elite

what a source does when “creating a message, adapting it to the receiver, and transmitting it across some source-selected channel” (Wrench, McCroskey & Richmond, 2008)

information sources that provide short, very general information about a topic and are available in both print and electronic formats

those outcomes that you desire to achieve

stories designed purely to delight an audience and transport them from their daily concerns

rests heavily on honest intentions; we should extend to speakers the same respect we want to receive when it’s our turn to speak

developed by Elspeth Tilley; involved three basic concepts: intent, means and ends

a group an individual identifies with based on a common culture

the attitude that one's own group, ethnicity, or nationality is superior to others

the term Aristotle used to refer to what we now call credibility: the perception that the speaker is honest, knowledgeable, and rightly motivated

a speech given in honor of someone who has died

language devices often used to make something unpleasant sound more tolerable

fourth stage of the listening process; judging the value of the message

involves actually reading a quotation, paraphrasing a speaker or author’s words, summarizing a speaker or author’s ideas, providing numerical support, or showing pictographic support

expresses the attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors recommended by someone who is an acknowledged expert on a topic

someone having considerable knowledge on a topic or considerable skill in accomplishing something

the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes

given by someone who has direct contact with the phenomenon of your speech topic

a truth that is arrived at through the scientific process

when a receiver sends a message back to a source

compare two ideas or objects from two different classes, or a group that has common attributes, characteristics, qualities, or traits

language that does not use comparisons like similes and metaphors

a small group of people who give you feedback about their perceptions

the unique set of perspectives, experience, knowledge, and values belonging to every individual

according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law, free speech entails “the right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations (as the power of the government to avoid a clear and present danger) esp. as guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution” (Freedom of speech)

magazines and newsletters published on a fairly systematic basis

a complex system of interconnecting structural and cultural forces that aid the spread of ideas and technologies and influence the social and economic organization of societies

a subset of social phobia, the fear of social situations

a pictorial representation of the relationships of quantitative data using dots, lines, bars, pie slices, and the like

of or relating to the sense of taste

a title at the head of a page or section of a book

an accidental and automatic brain response to sound that requires no effort

a motivational speech given by someone who is considered a hero in society

a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of female–male sexuality and relationships

intentional exaggeration for effect

a word or phrase where the meaning cannot be predicted from normal, dictionary definitions

language that makes the recipient smell, taste, see, hear, and feel a sensation; also known as sensory language

the presentation of a short message without advance preparation

provide information or explanations about a speaker’s topic

the primary purpose of informative presentations is to share one’s knowledge of a subject with an audience

to be an ethical listener or speaker, one must begin with ethical intentions; for example, if we agree that honesty is ethical, it follows that ethical speakers will prepare their remarks with the intention of telling the truth to their audiences

a theory of public speaking that includes the source, channel, receiver, encoding, decoding, and feedback

a process where librarians are able to search other libraries to locate the book a researcher is trying to find

a one-on-one exchange in which you ask questions of a respondent

the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect

language used in a specific field that may or may not be understood by others

a scholarly publication containing articles written by researchers, professors and other experts

a word or concept of great significance

to express grief or sorrow

any formal system of gestures, signs, sounds, and symbols used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, either through written, enacted, or spoken means

a small raised surface, usually with a slanted top, where a speaker can place notes during a speech

specifically states how a word is used within a specific language

a graph designed to show trends over time

a model of public speaking that includes the source, channel, and receiver

at its best, is active, focused, concentrated attention for the purpose of understanding the meanings expressed by a speaker

the fear that you might be unable to understand the message or process the information correctly or be able to adapt your thinking to include the new information coherently

compare two objects or ideas that clearly belong to the same class

language that does not use comparisons like similes and metaphors

logical and organized arguments and the credible evidence to support the arguments within a speech; arguments based on logic

the main ideas in the speech

the word-for-word iteration of a written message

the tools or behaviors we employ to achieve a desired outcome

refers to the merging of technologies that were previously developed and used separately

the domination of other countries through exported media and the values and ideologies they contain

involves our ability to critique and analyze the potential impact of the media

visual images or items to help the speaker communicate or clarify their message

the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory

an imagined conversation the speaker has with a given audience in which the speaker tries to anticipate what questions, concerns, or issues the audience may have to the subject under discussion

the verbal and/or nonverbal communication conveyed by the speaker

a figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing for rhetorical effect, thus highlighting the similarities between the two

the style scholars in the various humanities fields (e.g., English, philosophy, rhetoric) are more likely to use

a prolonged speech by a single person

too little variation in pitch

organizational pattern used for persuasive speeches involving five steps: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action

a speech designed not only to make an audience experience emotional arousal (fear, sadness, joy, excitement) but also to motivate the audience to do something with that emotional arousal

stories that help an audience understand the speaker’s message

used to illustrate what not to do

a wide range of distractions that can inhibit an audience member from accurately attending to a speaker’s speech

used to explain what something is not

the transfer of information through the use of body language including eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and more

last statement that wraps up your entire presentation and lets the audience know the speech is finished

citing data and numbers within a speech

of or relating to the sense of smell

a personal view, attitude, or belief about something

the repetition of grammatical structures that correspond in sound, meter, or meaning

to take a source’s basic idea and condense it using your own words

the use of emotions such as anger, joy, hate, desire for community, and love to persuade the audience of the rightness of a proposition; arguments based on emotion

an article that has been reviewed by a group of experts in the field, sometimes called a board of editors

interested in the speaker; listens to the message in order to learn how the speaker thinks and how they feel about their message

to convince, motivate, or otherwise persuade others to change their beliefs, take an action, or reconsider a decision

symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behavior regarding an issue through the transmission of a message, in an atmosphere of free choice

motivate an audience to think in a specific manner about the word or term

stories used to persuade people to accept or reject a specific attitude, value, belief, or behavior

the primary purpose of persuasive speaking is to convince, motivate, or otherwise persuade others to change their beliefs, take an action, or reconsider a decision

involves the real or touchable environment where communication occurs

consists of various sounds in an environment that interfere with a source’s ability to hear

consists of distractions to a speaker’s message caused by a listener’s own body

a graph using iconic symbols to dramatize differences in amounts

any drawn or visual representation of an object or process

a graph designed to show proportional relationships within sets of data

the relative highness or lowness of your voice

using someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit

(also called non-scholarly) sources inform and entertain the public or allow practitioners to share industry, practice, and production information

used to clarify or clearly illustrate a principle, method, or phenomenon

statement that is designed to provide support or evidence

used to work through the various components of your speech in an organized format

the resources beyond the speech words and delivery that a speaker uses to enhance the message conveyed to the audience

a sentence that provides a clear outline of the main points that will be discussed in the presentation

the part of the speech that literally tells the audience exactly what main points you will cover

carried out to discover or revise facts, theories, and applications and is reported by the person conducting the research

central idea statement in a persuasive speech; a statement made advancing a judgment or opinion

compiling information on the beliefs, attitudes, and values that your audience members embrace

involves the beliefs, attitudes, and values that your audience members embrace

consists of distractions to a speaker’s message caused by a receiver’s internal thoughts

one of the most commonly reported social fears

clearly states what it is you would like to achieve

a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

how quickly or slowly you say the words of your speech

the audience members listening to the speech

can refer to two things: biases with reference to the speaker and preconceived ideas and opinions about the topic or message

first stage of the listening process; the intentional focus on hearing a speaker’s message, which happens when we filter out other sources so that we can isolate the message and avoid the confusing mixture of incoming stimuli

a speech designed to incorporate religious ideals into a motivational package to inspire an audience into thinking about or changing aspects of their religious lives

third stage of the listening process; begins with listening; if you can’t remember something that was said, you might not have been listening effectively

a group or set chosen from a larger statistical population or group of factors or instances that adequately replicates the larger group according to whatever characteristic or quality is under study

scholarly investigation into a topic in order to discover, revise, or report facts, theories, and applications

step-by-step account of the process of identifying, obtaining, and evaluating sources for a specific project, similar to a lab note-book in an experimental setting

fifth and final stage of the listening process; also referred to as “feedback”; the stage at which you indicate your involvement; almost anything you do at this stage can be interpreted as feedback

tool you can use to determine the adequacy of your speech’s support by starting with your conclusion and logically working backward through your speech to determine if the support you provided is appropriate and comprehensive

a humorous speech designed to both praise and good-naturedly insult a person being honored

are written by experts in their field, usually professors in a specific discipline

anxiety resulting from being in a situation where one is being watched or observed, or where one perceives themselves as being watched

research carried out to discover or revise facts, theories, and applications—similar to primary research—but it is reported by someone not involved in conducting the actual research

the decision to expose ourselves to messages that we already agree with, rather than those that confront or challenge us

occurs when a receiver experiences confusion over the meaning of a source’s word choice

sentence or phrase in which you explain to your audience where the information you are using came from

prejudice or discrimination based on sex

transition using just a word or short phrase

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind (specifically using the terms “like” or “as”), used to make a description more emphatic or vivid

compiling information on characteristics related to the specific speaking situation

a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are specific to a subculture or group that others may not understand

claims that media portrayals influence our development of schemata or scripts, especially as children, about different groups of people

refers to “status relationships among participants, roles and games that people play, norms of the society or group, and the friendliness, formality, or gravity of the situation” (DeVito, 2009)

refers to a combination of characteristics including income, wealth, level of education, and occupational prestige

the person who is giving the speech

useful organization pattern when the main point’s importance is derived from its location or directional focus

much more succinct than the preparation outline and includes brief phrases or words that remind the speakers of the points they need to make, plus supporting material and signposts

a speech designed to address and engage the context and audience’s emotions on a specific occasion

magazines and newsletters that are published for a narrower audience

“expresses both the topic and the general speech purpose in action form and in terms of the specific objectives you hope to achieve” (O'Hair, Stewart, & Rubenstein, 2004)

a speech given by the recipient of a prize or honor

a speech designed to recognize and celebrate the achievements of a graduating class or other group of people

a speech delivered to mark the unveiling, opening, or acknowledging of some landmark or structure

a speech allowing someone to say goodbye to one part of his or her life as he or she is moving on to the next part of life

a mini-speech given by the host of a ceremony that introduces another speaker and his or her speech

a brief speech given to accompany a prize or honor

involves an array of speaking occasions ranging from introductions to wedding toasts, to presenting and accepting awards, to delivering eulogies at funerals and memorial services in addition to after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches

derived from the external situation within which individuals find themselves

mathematical subfield that gathers, analyzes, and makes inferences about collected data

taking for granted that people with a certain characteristic in common have the same likes, dislikes, values, and beliefs

assigned to a word or term by the person who coins that word or term for the first time

a heading given to a subsection of a piece of writing

a hierarchy to the order of the points of a speech

a speech given by someone who has succeeded in some aspect of life and is giving back by telling others how they too can be successful

clear sentence that restates the preview statement in past tense, outlining the main points that were addressed in the speech

involves condensing or encapsulating the entire text as a form of support

range of strategies that are used to develop the central idea and specific purpose by providing corroborating evidence

when speakers attempt to find support that says exactly what they want it to say despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of evidence says the exact opposite

a set of questions administered to several—or, preferably, many—respondents

a speech given by someone who has survived a personal tragedy or who has faced and overcame serious adversity

the members of an audience the speaker most wants to persuade and who are likely to be receptive to persuasive messages

“has to do not only with the time of day and moment in history but also with where a particular message fits into the sequence of communication events” (DeVito, 2009)

used to describe all parts related to a particular type of idea or object

single, declarative sentence that captures the essence or main point of your entire presentation

individuals who contribute new ideas; to achieve thought leader status, individuals must communicate their ideas to others through both writing and public speaking

prefer a message that gets to the point quickly

a speech designed to congratulate, appreciate, or remember

the attitude of a given artifact (humorous, serious, light-hearted, etc.)

The first sentence of each paragraph is the topic sentence, which is basically a paragraph’s thesis statement: well-written topic sentences tell the reader what the entire paragraph is about.

main points are developed according to the different aspects, subtopics or topics within an overall topic

anxiety that is aligned with, or a manifestation of, an individual’s personality

basic premise of the transactional model is that individuals are sending and receiving messages at the same time

phrases or sentences that lead from one distinct-but-connected idea to another

persuasive technique in which a speaker brings up a counter-argument to their own topic and then directly refutes the claim

second stage of the listening process; we attempt to learn the meaning of the message, which is not always easy

refers to the production of spoken language to send an intentional message to a listener

speaker’s ability to present information in a striking, exciting manner

the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace

sounds in pauses to make it appear that we haven’t actually paused. Another term for them is “fillers” or “nonfluencies”

the relative softness or loudness of your voice

gathers because they want to hear the speech, attend the event, or participate in an event

the inference that can be drawn from the claim and evidence

an interconnected system of public webpages accessible through the Internet