Public Speaking Final Flashcards
What are the four theories that have been used to explain speech anxiety?
Heredity Theory, Social Learning Theory, Skills Deficit Theory, and Expectancy Theory
Which theories do we currently feel are pretty good explanations of why speakers experience speech anxiety?
Skills Deficit Theory and Expectancy Theory
How does the concept of self-presentation relate to speech anxiety?
Speech anxiety is basically when you’re nervous about talking in front of people. Self-presentation is when you try to make yourself look good in front of others. When people feel anxious about speaking in public, they often try extra hard to present themselves well. So, they might rehearse a lot, watch their body language, or try to say things that will make them look good to the audience. It’s like trying to impress people even more because you’re worried about how they’ll see you when you speak.
What are the various ways to reduce speech anxiety (i.e. the 8 recommendations
discussed in the online lecture and the additional recommendation discussed in
class)?
Don’t think of a speech as a speech, Don’t worry about exact wording, Start with an easy introduction, don’t let the audience know that you are having trouble, don’t think of anxiety (nervousness) as a bad thing, Don’t strive for perfection, don’t forget about the audience, practice, and keep speech content simple.
What is a “performance orientation” and what is a “communication orientation”
when it comes to giving a public speech? How do these two orientations relate to
controlling speech anxiety?
Grand elaborate performance.
Extension of communications with others on a daily basis.
A public speech is not different from the daily communication with others.
The speech part is not scary, more effective, aspect of normal conversations. Adjust thinking
Less if a performance orientation and more of a communication orientation.
When do speakers (at what point in the speech) experience the highest level of
speech anxiety?
Speakers usually feel the most nervous right at the start of their speech when they first begin talking to the audience. That’s because they’re focused on making a good impression and might worry about forgetting what to say. As the speech goes on, they often start feeling more comfortable.
What is the relationship between arousal and performance?
If you’re too relaxed or not excited enough, you might not do well because you’re not motivated.
But if you’re too anxious or stressed, it can also hurt your performance because you’re overwhelmed.
What is the relationship between speech anxiety and audience-centeredness?
When people feel nervous about speaking in public (speech anxiety), they often get too focused on themselves and their worries. But if they shift their focus to think more about the audience (audience-centeredness), it can help them feel less nervous. By paying attention to what the audience needs and wants, speakers can feel more confident and do a better job. So, being audience-centered can actually help reduce speech anxiety.
What is the relationship between cognitive load and speech anxiety?
When people are anxious about speaking in public, it can make it harder for them to think clearly and remember what they want to say (that’s cognitive load). At the same time, when they’re struggling to think clearly, it can make them even more anxious. So, anxiety and cognitive load can feed off each other, making it tough to give a good speech.
Why is speech delivery important?
engages your audience, establishes credibility, makes an impact, and builds connections with listener
According to recent nonverbal research (from Levasseur & Munz), which is more
important: speech content or speech delivery (be certain that you are able to use
the Elaboration Likelihood Model to explain the answer to this question)?
speech delivery
According to Levasseur & Munz’s recent research, what aspects of speech
delivery are most important to an audience’s evaluation of a public speech?
eye contact, and delivery
What are the two “guiding principles of speech delivery” (know both terms and
what they mean)?
Conversationality: Public speaking delivery exhibits the nonverbal characteristics of a normal conservation.
Immediacy: Quality conveyed by a set of verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors that contribute to reducing the perceived physical or psychological distance between communicators.
What is proxemics?
The study of distances between communicators.
What are Hall’s four proxemics distances and what do those distance
categories tell us about effective public speaking today?
Intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, and public distance. Different distances convey different relationships and situations. More space to strangers, superior formal relationships, power/authority far away.
What is the big “delivery rule” when it comes to proxemics and effective
speech delivery?
Speakers want to get close to their audience as they can without violating their audience member’s personal space.
How do podiums affect speech delivery?
Reading text, losing the quality of conservational and losing eye contact with the audience. Use it if you have to.
How does movement benefit a speaker?
Relaxes speakers, reinforces verbal message, enhances audience attention, diversifies eye contact, can enhance speaker credibility
What are the qualities of “credible movement” (from Psychologist Michael
Korda’s work)?
Confident, ambitious, purpose, has strong credibility. Milton: Nervous, no credibility wonders around, unsure. Movement, credible movement, dynamic, purposeful, on a mission, and credibility.
What are the rules for movement when it comes to effective speech delivery?
Take at least 3 steps. Pick up your feet, let your movement be motivated, move during transitions. Point A to Point B. Walk to the person eye contact being natural. Stationary most of the time
What did Amy Cuddy find in her research comparing power positions against non-power positions? What does Cuddy’s research tell us about effective speech delivery?
Confidence. Power position: Testosterone levels goes up.
What stances should you avoid as a speaker?
Fig Lead stance, hitler stance, loose chance, form stance, mini-podium stance.
What are the rules for gesturing effectively as a speaker?
Use your whole arm: Avoid flipper gestures and avoid chicken-arm gestures: Elbows in, keep it away from body. Combine gestures. Don’t let hands come together-posture.
What are the three key vocal qualities for effective speech delivery?
Conversationality, Enthusiasm, Articulateness.
What are the “four modes of speech delivery”? Which mode is generally
recommended today when it comes to effective speech delivery?
Manuscript Speech Delivery, memorized speech delivery, impromptu speech delivery, and Extemporaneous speech delivery.
Extemporaneous speech delivery is recommended today.
What is the difference between linear models of communication and
transactional models of communication? What does this difference tell
us about effective speech delivery?
Linear: The speaker sends the message directly to the audience.
Transactional: The audience is doing things that affect the speaker as well. Continuous feedback affects the speaker and audience’s atmosphere.
What are vocal fillers and how do they relate to effective speech delivery?
um, like, so
Using them repeatedly though will probably reduce our audience’s perception and credibility.
When do speakers need to stop work on “writing” their speech?
Speech writing must stop at least 24 hours before speech delivery.
Why is Eye Contact important to a speaker (and how important is it)?
Engaging at an interpersonal level. Very strong eye contact got the audience’s attention.
What are the nonverbal functions of eye contact?
Building interpersonal relationships-cue indicating a desire for more intimacy.
How important is eye contact as an immediacy cue?
Eye contact-high immediacy cue, most important. To an individual for a closer relationship.
What contrasting messages do we send to an audience when we
have a high level of eye contact vs. a low level of eye contact?
High-level: more confident, more intelligent, friendly, more sincere. Low-level: cold, pessimistic, immature, defensive
What is speaker credibility?
The extent to which an audience accepts what a speaker says due to their perceptions of that speaker.
How does eye contact relate to speaker credibility?
Anxiety leads to lower level of eye contact in social situations. Speakers struggle with the most, Comes with a lot of confidence building. When an individual is experiencing speech anxiety, they lower their level of eye contact
What are bad forms of eye contact?
Focus on dot in back of room, look at top of people’s heads, windshield wiper, shotgun blast approach
What is the big rule for holding effective eye contact as a speaker?
Hold your eye contact longer than you think you need to
How long should a speaker hold eye contact.
For a complete thought, 3 seconds
How difficult is it for speakers to master effective eye contact (i.e. in
comparison to other delivery skills)?
Anxiety leads to lower level of eye contact in social situations. Speakers struggle with the most, Comes with a lot of confidence building. When an individual is experiencing speech anxiety, they lower their level of eye contact
How does eye contact relate to speech anxiety?
Anxiety leads to lower level of eye contact in social situations. Speakers struggle with the most, Comes with a lot of confidence building. When an individual is experiencing speech anxiety, they lower their level of eye contact
How does Generation Z compare to previous generations when it comes to
eye contact?
horribly
What is the relationship between speech anxiety and speech rehearsal?
The speaker spends too much time writing and not enough time rehearsing
What are the two phases of speech rehearsal? What are speakers supposed
to do during each phase?
Oral phase- going over outline out loud and talking through it.
Simulation phase- attempt to replicate speaking experience, must replicate speaking environment as much as possible, must practice proper delivery techniques
Does “Live Audience” rehearsal matter? If so, does the size of the live
audience matter?
yes, it should replicate the same room size
Is it helpful for speakers to practice in front or a mirror?
yes, but you also need to practice in a room
What does Paul Fitts’ Perceptual Motor Skills Acquisition Model tell us
about acquiring effective speech delivery skills (as part of this answer be certain that you know the two stages in Fitts’ model)?
As long as you continue to work on a nonverbal skill you will become very good at it.
Cognitive stage- thinking about everything you’re doing; body motion is mediated by cognitive effort.
Autonomous stage - doing the action simultaneously (becomes second nature), body becomes unconscious and automatic (smooth and good)
What are the “three key battles” of public speaking (if you don’t know the answer
to this one, don’t bother coming to the final)?
attention, retention, comprehension
Which battle is the most important battle in giving an effective speech?
attention
What does cognitive load theory tell us about an audience’s ability to process a
public speech?
The human mind at any given point in time has a very limited ability to process the information that is coming into it. When spoken words are coming rapidly at an audience it is very difficult to process all that information, in fact, lots of the words never get processed at all
