Unit 1 Terms Flashcards
Rhetoric
The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade.
Sophist
One of a class of teachers of rhetoric, philosophy, and politics in ancient Greece, especially one who
used fallacious but plausible reasoning.
Orator
A skilled and eloquent public speaker
Aristotle
(384-322 BCE), the most famous Greek scholar, defined rhetoric as the “faculty of discovering the
possible means of persuasion in reference to any subject whatever.”
Cicero
(106–43 BCE), one of the most significant rhetoricians of all time, from Romans, developed the five canons of rhetoric
Quintilian
(c. 35–95 CE) argued that public speaking was
inherently moral.
the Renaissance
helped launch a new intellectual movement.
the Medieval Period
did not see much growth in the study of public speaking
the Enlightenment,
rhetorical studies of
ancient Greece and Rome were resurrected as speakers and teachers looked to Cicero and others to
inspire defense of the new republic
Critical Thinking
The application of logical principles, rigorous standards of evidence, and careful reasoning to the
analysis and discussion of claims, beliefs, and issues.
New School
20th century, rhetoric developed as a concentrated field of study with the establishment of public speaking courses in high schools and universities.
Networking
The act of meeting new people in a business or social context.
Publicity
Advertising or other activities designed to rouse public interest in something
Leadership
A process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the
accomplishment of a common task.
Orator
A skilled and eloquent public speaker
Every prospective speaker should ask:
Is there a particular cause that has personal significance for me?
If I could change something about the world, what would I choose?
If studying the art of public speaking will give me the tools to influence the world around me, how will
I use them?
Ethics
The study of principles relating to right and wrong conduct.
Active Listening
The process of attending carefully to what a speaker is saying, involves such techniques as
accurately paraphrasing the speaker’s remarks.
Open-Mindedness
Willingness to consider new and different ideas or opinions
Informative
An informative presentation enhances the knowledge or understanding of the material you present,
be it information, concepts, or ideas. The presenter assumes the role of a teacher.
Persuasive
A persuasive presentation has a clear beginning, middle, and end; uses interesting supporting
material; and changes or reinforces listeners’ feelings, ideas, or behavior.
Conflict of Interest
A situation in which someone in a position of trust, such as a lawyer, insurance adjuster, or corporate
executive, has competing professional or personal interests.
Recuse
To declare oneself disqualified to act.
Ethical
Of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or
profession.
Sender
Someone who encodes and sends a message to a receiver through a particular channel. The sender
is the initiator of communication.
Message
A communication, or what is communicated; any concept or information conveyed.
Channel
The method a sender uses to send a message to a receiver. The most common channels humans use
are auditory and visual.
Co-Located
To locate or be located at the same site, for two things or groups at the same space.
Synchronous
Existing or happening at the same time; the opposite of asynchronous.
Mediated
Acting or brought about through an intervening agency.
Synchronous
Existing or happening at the same time; the opposite of asynchronous
Asynchronous
Not existing or happening at the same time; the opposite of synchronous
Audience
A group of people attending a performance, speech, event, etc.
Demographic
A demographic criterion; a characteristic used to classify people for statistical purposes, such as age,
race, or gender.
Feedback
The receivers’ verbal and nonverbal responses to a message, such as a nod for understanding
(nonverbal), a raised eyebrow for being confused (nonverbal), or asking a question to clarify the
message (verbal).
Noise
Various sounds, usually unwanted.
Nonverbal Communication
The process of communication through sending and receiving wordless (primarily visual) cues
between people. Messages can be communicated through gestures and touch, body language or
posture, facial expressions, and eye contact.
Context
The surroundings, circumstances, environment, background, or settings that determine, specify, or
clarify the meaning of an event or other occurrence.
Culture
The beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life; the art,
customs, and habits that characterize a particular group of people.
Situational Awareness
The perception of environmental elements with respect to time or space, the comprehension of their
meaning, and the projection of their status after some variable has changed, such as time, or some
other variable, such as a predetermined event.
Bias
An inclination towards something; predisposition, partiality, prejudice, preference, predilection
Listening
The active process by which we make sense of, assess, and respond to what we hear.
Active Listening
A particular communication technique that requires the listener to provide feedback on what he or
she hears to the speaker.
Critical Thinking
The process by which people qualitatively and quantitatively assess the information they have
accumulated.
Metacognition
The process by which people qualitatively and quantitatively assess the information they have
accumulated.
Receiving Stage
The first stage of the listening process, which involves hearing and attending.
Hearing
The physiological process of registering sound waves as they hit the eardrum.
Attending
The process of accurately identifying particular sounds as words.
Understanding Stage
The stage of listening during which the listener determines the context and meanings of the words
that are heard.
Comprehension
A person’s ability to understand something.
Assess
To determine, estimate, or judge the value of; to evaluate.
Evaluating Stage
The stage of the listening process during which the listener critically assesses the information she’s
received from the speaker.
Tangential
Merely touching; referring to a tangent; only indirectly related.
Responding Stage
The listening stage wherein the listener provides verbal or nonverbal reactions to what she hears
Remembering Stage
The stage of listening wherein the listener categorizes and retains the information she’s gathering
from the speaker.
Memory
The ability of an organism to record information about things or events with the facility of recalling
them later at will.
Recall
Memory; the ability to remember
Confirmation Bias
The tendency to pick out aspects of a conversation that support one’s own preexisting beliefs and
values.
Vividness Effect
The phenomenon of how vivid or highly graphic and dramatic events affect an individual’s perception
of a situation.
