CHAPTER 4
DETERMINING A SPEECH GOAL THAT MEETS
AUDIENCE NEEDS
CHAPTER SUMMARY
This chapter explains each of the four sub-steps that help speakers determine a
specific speech goal. These four sub-steps are identifying topics, analyzing your
audience, understanding the speech setting, and finally, choosing a topic and
developing a specific speech goal. Although we have to discuss each task
separately, in practice they overlap and can be completed in a different order.
TRANSITION FROM THE 12TH EDITION
Chapter 4 in the 13th edition now includes the two former Chapter 5 sections of
Subject-Related Audience Data and Surveying Students to Test Predictions. The
activities and exhibits for audience analysis are more thorough with the addition
of information on predicting audience knowledge and attitude toward the specific
subject. More emphasis placed on the audience’s knowledge of the speech topic
with the addition of a step-by-step process that starts with brainstorming topics
and concludes with selecting an appropriate topic to present to the audience.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction (p. 44): This chapter describes the four sub-steps that help speakers
determine a specific speech goal that is adapted to the audience and setting.
I. Identifying Topics (p. 44-46).
A. Speech topics should come from subject areas in which we already
have some knowledge and interest.
1. Subject: a broad area of expertise, such as movies, cognitive
psychology, computer technology, or the Middle East.
2. Topic: a narrow, specific aspect of a subject.
3. In this section, you will learn how to identify subject areas in
which you have interest and knowledge and then, from those
subject areas, to identify and select potential specific topics that
you can use for the speeches you will be assigned to make in
class.
89
B. Listing subjects (p. 44).
1. You can identify potential subjects for your speeches by listing
those areas that (1) are important to you and (2) you know
something about.
2. These areas could include your area of study, hobbies and
leisure activities and special interests.
C. Brainstorming for topic ideas (p. 45-46).
1. Brainstorming: an uncritical, nonevaluative process of
generating associated ideas. (p. 45)
2. When you brainstorm, you list as many ideas as you can without
evaluating them.
3. It is easier to select a topic from a list, than to come up with one
out of the blue.
II. Analyzing the audience (p. 47-54).
A. Before you decide on the topic you need to understand who will be
in your prospective audience.
B. Audience analysis: the study of the intended audience for your
speech.
C. Audience adaptation: the process of tailoring your information to
the specific speech audience.
D. Types of audience data needed (p. 47-48).
1. Demographic Information
a. You will be able to make educated inferences about how
familiar the audience is with your subject area and their
attitudes toward it.
b. Examples of demographic information are the following:
age, education, gender, income occupation, race, ethnicity,
religion and language.
E. Subject-related audience data (p. 48-50).
1. You will want to learn about the average knowledge level your
audience members have on your subject, their interest in the
subject, their attitudes toward the subject, and their perceptions
of your credibility.
a. Audience knowledge.
i. It is important that you choose a topic geared to the
background knowledge you can expect audience
members to have.
b. Audience interest.
90
i. You will need to choose a topic that can capture their
interest or work hard as you develop your speech to
overcome their disinterest.
c. Audience attitude toward the subject.
i. You can determine the audience’s attitudes toward your
subject by surveying them, extrapolating opinion poll
results for your audience or estimating the audience’s
attitudes from the demographic information collected.
ii. Once you understand your audience’s attitude toward
your subject, you can choose a topic that will allow you
to influence rather than alienate the audience.
d. Audience attitude toward you as a speaker.
i. Credibility: the perception that you are knowledgeable,
trustworthy, and personable.
ii. You will want to choose a topic that allows the
audience to perceive you as credible and to believe that
you know what you are talking about.
F.
Methods for gathering audience data (p. 50-53).
1. You can collect data through surveys
a. The most direct way to collect audience data is to survey
the audience.
b. Survey: a questionnaire designed to gather information
directly from people.
c. Two-sided items: survey items that force the respondent to
choose between two answers, such as yes/no, for/against,
or pro/con.
d. Multiple-response items: survey items that give the
respondent several alternative answers from which to
choose.
e. Scaled items: survey items that measure the direction
and/or intensity of an audience member’s feeling or attitude
toward something.
f. Open-ended items: survey items that measure the
direction and/or intensity of an audience member’s feeling
or attitude toward something.
2. You can gather data through informal observation.
3. You can gather data by questioning the person who invited you
to speak.
a. Ask your contact person to answer the demographic
questions.
4. You can make educated guesses about audience demographics
and attitudes.
a. If you can’t get information in any other way, you will have to
make educated guesses based on such indirect information
91
as the general makeup of the people who live in a specific
community belong to a group like this, or the kinds of people
who are likely to attend the event or occasion.
III. Analyzing the setting (p. 54-57).
A. Setting: the location and occasion for a speech.
B. The answers to several questions about the setting should guide
your topic selection and other parts of your speech planning.
1. What are the special expectations for the speech?
a. Whether the speech assignment is defined by purpose or by
subject, your topic should reflect the nature of that
assignment.
2. What is the appropriate length for the speech?
a. You will want to choose a topic that is narrow enough to be
accomplished in the time allotted.
3. How large will the audience be?
4. Where will the speech be given?
a. Consider the factors that may affect your presentation.
b. Ask for specific information about seating capacity, shape,
number of rows, nature of lighting, existence of a speaking
stage or platform, distance between speaker and first row,
and so on, before you speak.
5. When will the speech be given?.
6. Where in the program does the speech occur?
7. What equipment is necessary to give the speech?
C. Selecting a topic (p. 57).
1. You will want to select a topic that is appropriate for your
audience members and the setting.
2. Compare topics to your audience profile.
3. Then consider the setting.
IV. Writing a speech goal (p. 58-60).
A. Understanding general and specific goals. (p.58-59).
1. General Goal: the overall intent of the speech.
a. Most speeches intend to entertain, to inform, or to
persuade, even though each type of speech may include
elements of other types.
b. The general goal is generally dictated by the setting,
particularly the occasion.
2. Specific Goal: a single statement that identifies the exact
response the speaker wants from the audience.
92
B. Phrasing a Specific Speech Goal
1. Write a draft of your general speech goal using a complete
sentence that specifies the type of response you want from the
audience.
2. Revise the statement (and the infinitive phrase) until it indicates
the specific audience reaction desired.
3. Make sure that the goal statement contains only one idea.
4. Revise your statement until it describes the precise focus of
your speech (the infinitive phrase articulation the complete
response you want from your audience).
C. A good specific goal statement is important because it will guide the
research you do as you prepare the speech.
D. Once you have completed your research, you will expand your
specific goal statement into a thesis statement, which will be the
foundation on which you will organize the speech.
LECTURE IDEAS
1. Ask students to think about a favorite ad or commercial and to identify the
ad’s target audience. Have them identify the information needed about the
target audience before an effective ad can be created. This discussion can
help students understand the necessity of audience analysis as it relates to
giving speeches and presentations.
2. Use the InfoTrac College Edition Student Activities Workbook for Public
Speaking to help students develop topic selection skills. Chapter 5, “Selecting
a Topic and Availability of Information,” allows students to browse for and
choose possible speech topics. This exercise also ties the skill of topic
selection with researching. The student learns that some research is
necessary before making topic selections.
3. Have students read the article located at
http://www.ljlseminars.com/audience.htm. This article shows the interaction of
public speaking skills. It describes how audience analysis is useful in
decreasing stage fright. It is important that students learn that success in
public speaking is the result of the mastery of many skills.
93
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. After the class has completed Activities #4.4 or 4.5, discuss with them the
general make up of the class. You may want to use an example subject and
talk about how you could adapt that subject to the classroom audience.
2. As you begin to formulate your first specific goal statement, are there any
topic areas which would be inappropriate for this audience and situation?
What about a speech advocating satanic cults or hate speech? What about
religious evangelism? Should there even be any limitations of freedom of
expression in a collegiate level public speaking course?
3. Talk with students about how to phrase speech goals and give them several
examples on the board. You may want them to brainstorm as a class for
subjects and/or topics (Activities #4. 1, 4.2 and 4.3). Then ask for volunteers
to suggest what the general and specific goals would be for several of the
subjects on the board. After this you could also have students work in groups
and practice a few more times (Activity #4.7)
4. Although, Chapter 4 does not discuss thesis statements and main points, you
can still preview the material that you will touch on in chapter 7. Discuss with
your students how speech goals, thesis statements and main points relate to
each other and how important they all are to an effective speech. Ask
students about presentations that they think were effective or that the
information was retained. Ask if in these presentations they had a clear
organization, or at least understood where a new topic began.
5. Develop three possible topics for your first speech. Based on assumptions
you have made about your student audience what specific area of your topic
should be the focus of your speech? How would that focus change if you had
to present your topic to a different group (e.g. all teachers, grade-schoolers,
business executives, students from other majors)?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Activity #4.1: Brainstorming
For homework or part of a class activity, ask students based on their individual
experiences from work, school, family, and personal life, to write down at least
three subject areas that they believe they know more about than most people in
the class. After students have committed themselves to their three areas of
expertise, do a "go-round" and have each student tell one of the subjects she/he
wrote down. Ask students to keep their list of three subject areas for when they
94
brainstorm for speech topics and to use as practice examples when writing
speech goals.
Activity #4.2: Brainstorming
As a class have students brainstorm several subject areas as you write them on
the board. Then divide students into groups of 3 or 4 and have each group
brainstorm 2 or 3 subjects from the board into 6-10 topics suitable for a speech
topic. You also may want to have groups compete for extra credit by giving the
groups a set time, (for example 30 seconds or 1 minute) and having them
brainstorm as many topics as they can in that time frame. The group with the
most wins. You could repeat this for several subjects.
This activity also works well if you let them choose 2 or 3 topics from the
following list:
sports
careers
food
music
majors
cars
travel
movies
animals
fashion
television
campus life
computers
advertising
healthcare
Activity #4.3: Brainstorming for Specific Speech Topics and Audience
Analysis
Give students a worksheet in which they will brainstorm for topics from prompts
that fit each speech they will give during the quarter/semester. For example, if
the first speech assignment is to give a narrative speech, then have students
brainstorm for funny things that happened to them, embarrassing moments,
serious moments and memorable moments or events in their lives. Repeat for
each speech assignment. You may want to have students complete this for all
assignments early in the quarter or before each speech round.
After students have brainstormed some topics, have the choose the best 3-5.
Divide them in groups of 3-4 and have them discuss which topics group
members liked or were interested in the most. This will help students do some
audience analysis on potential topics.
Activity #4.4: Find Someone Who
Provide students with a list of descriptors you have chosen or write the
descriptors on the board. Have students move around the room attempting to
"find someone who“ fits each descriptor. They ask others the questions and when
they "find someone who . . . ," that person signs her/his name at the appropriate
description. The goal obviously is to get all 12 descriptors signed. If classes are
rather large, it is a good idea to announce that a person cannot sign their own
sheet and that any individual cannot sign more than one place on each sheet.
95
Possible Descriptors
FIND SOMEONE WHO. . .
1. is a sophomore
2. comes from a town that begins with a "J" (or any other letter)
3. played high school football
4. was a member of student government (or council) in high school
5. played in the band in high school
6. is an education major (or any other major)
7. is from a family of 5 or more
8. is from a state other than the one where the college is located
9. drives a pickup
10. has a black and white dog (or cat)
11. has worked in a fast food restaurant
12. lives in a dorm
After students have collected the signatures, go back down the list of descriptors
and have all people who were eligible for each item put up their hands so the
class gets an overall view of the background information of class members.
This activity also works well if you turn it into a bingo game, where each question
is a square and students can compete for getting bingo on their paper. Students
enjoy this version.
Activity #4.5: Collecting Demographic Data
Using the following worksheet, have students collect demographic information
about the classroom audience. After they have collected the data have the class
record the results on the results worksheet. This activity will help students
understand the demographic makeup of the class/audience.
Activity #4.6: Writing a Speech Goal Using Speech Builder Express
For homework, direct students to the Speech Builder Express website,
accessed through the Challenge CD, and have them complete Step 1,
“Goal/Purpose.” Speech Builder Express will guide them through the process of
writing a speech goal, which should take 30 minutes at most. Have the students
export their work to a Word document (simply by clicking the “export to Word”
button onscreen) and bring the document to class to turn in.
96
WORKSHEET: CLASS DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
GENERAL BACKGROUND SURVEY
Each individual fills out this first form.
1. age______
2. gender_____
3. year in college ______
4. college/school/department __________
5. major________
6. Will you be the first family member to graduate from college? yes_____ no_____
7. Which of the following best describes the location of the home you grew up in?
city_____ suburb_____ medium-sized town_____ small town_____ rural_____
8. Which best describes your religious background? Catholic_____ Protestant_____
Jewish_____ Muslim_____ Hindu_____ Other_____ None_____
9. Which best describes your political inclinations? Democrat_____ Republican_____
Independent_____ Libertarian_____ Green Party_____ Other_____ None_____
10. Is
(state where college is located) your home state? yes_____ no_____
11. Which best describes where you live during the school year?
dorm_____ Greek house_____ scholarship house_____ apartment_____
with family_____ other_____
12.
13.
14.
15.
(12-15 are optional questions you may choose to add to the survey)
97
Activity #4.7: Predicting Audience Interests
This activity can be used in conjunction with activity #4.5.
Prior to exercise: Take a demographic survey of the class, asking questions such
as age, gender, year in school, job, hobbies, and favorites (movies, books,
music, etc.). Tabulate the responses in a spreadsheet that can be handed out to
the class.
Distribute the audience demographic spreadsheet to the class. Ask students to
form small groups and create five(+) different speech topics they believe the
audience would be interested in.
Discuss the answers aloud, allowing for responses from other groups. Be sure to
link back to the chapter, regarding the importance of audience analysis.
Activity #4.8: Writing Speech Goals In Class
This activity can be used in conjunction with activities #4.2 and #4.6.
After students have brainstormed potential speech topics, have groups choose 34 topics and write a general goal and a specific goal for each.
This activity also works well if you give groups several topics and have them
write a general and specific goal for each topic. However, it helps to have
students work on general and specific goals in class so that you can monitor how
they are grasping the material. Students need to practice writing specific goals
several times, so you may want to practice this activity in class more than once.
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
audience adaptation: the process of tailoring your information to the specific
speech audience.
audience analysis: the study of the intended audience for your speech.
brainstorming: an uncritical, nonevaluative process of generating associated
ideas.
credibility: the perception that you are knowledgable, trustworthy ,and
personable.
98
general goal: the overall intent of the speech.
multiple-response items: survey items that give the respondent several
alternative answers from which to choose.
open-ended items: survey items that encourage respondents to elaborate on
their opinions without forcing them to answer in a predetermined way.
scaled items: survey items that measure the direction and/or intensity of an
audience member’s feeling or attitude toward something.
setting: the location and occasion for a speech.
specific goal: a single statement that identifies the exact response the speaker
wants from the audience.
subject: a broad area of expertise, such as movies, cognitive psychology,
computer technology, or the Middle East.
survey: a questionnaire designed to gather information directly from people.
topic: a narrow, specific aspect of a subject
two-sided items: survey items that force the respondent to choose between two
answers, such as yes/no, for/against, or pro/con.
99
TEST QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 4
Multiple Choice
1. A broad area of expertise is a
a.
b.
c.
d.
.
topic
subject
specific goal
thesis statement
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 44
2. A narrow specific aspect of a subject is a
a.
b.
c.
d.
.
topic
subject
specific goal
thesis statement
ANS: a
SEE PAGE 44
3. Areas of expertise such as movies, travel or entertainment are examples
of
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
subjects
topics
speech goals
main points
ANS: a
SEE PAGE 44
4. You can identify potential subjects for your speech by listing those areas
that
.
a. are important to you and you know something about
b. you are interested in but know little about
c. you have little interest in because you will be less nervous when you
speak
d. are chosen at random
ANS: a
SEE PAGE 44
100
5. An uncritical, nonevaluative process of generating associated ideas
is
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
listing topics
brainstorming
audience adaptation
none of the above
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 45
6. Listing as many ideas as you can without evaluating them is
a.
b.
c.
d.
listing topics
brainstorming
audience adaptation
not possible
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 45
7. Before you can decide on a speech topic, you need to understand
a.
b.
c.
d.
.
your topic
your speech setting
your audience
your subject
ANS: c
SEE PAGE 47
8. The study of the intended audience for your speech is
a.
b.
c.
d.
.
audience analysis
audience adaptation
observation
gathering data
ANS: a
SEE PAGE 47
101
.
9. The process of tailoring your information to the specific speech audience
is
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
audience analysis
speech setting
audience adaptation
presentation
ANS: c
SEE PAGE 47
10. Age, gender, and race are examples of
a.
b.
c.
d.
information.
demographic
observed
surveyed
subject-related
ANS: a
SEE PAGE 47
11. Understanding your audience’s level of knowledge and interest about your
topic is gathering
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
demographic information
information
subject-related audience data
audience interest
ANS: c
SEE PAGE 48
12. An important factor in an audience’s attitude toward you as the speaker
is
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
the speech setting
credibility
audience analysis
audience interest
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 50
102
13. The perception that the speaker is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and
personable, means that the speaker established
a.
b.
c.
d.
.
the speech setting
credibility
audience analysis
audience interest
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 50
14. Surveying your audience to see how they feel about lowering the legal
drinking age to 18, is an example of
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
audience adaptation
credibility
audience interest
audience analysis
ANS: d
SEE PAGE 45
15. Discovering that your audience dislikes your topic choice of country music of
the 1980s, you decide to change your topic. This is an example of
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
audience analysis
audience adaptation
demographic information
subject-related information
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 45
16. One way of gathering audience data is
a.
b.
c.
d.
observation
surveying
questioning the person who invited you
all of the above
ANS: d
SEE PAGES 50-51
103
.
17. Where and when the speech will occur is
a.
b.
c.
d.
demographic information
subject-related information
the speech setting
part of audience adaptation
ANS: c
SEE PAGE 54
18. To entertain is an example of a
a.
b.
c.
d.
.
goal.
specific
general
speech
none of the above
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 58
19. A single statement that identifies the exact response a speaker wants from
the audience is
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a general goal
a thesis statement
a specific goal
an audience adaptation strategy
ANS: c
SEE PAGE 58
20. “I want my audience to learn about the life of Frank Sinatra.” This statement
is an example of
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a general goal
a specific goal
audience adaptation
audience analysis
ANS: b
SEE PAGE 58
104
True/False
21. T F A subject is a more specific aspect of a topic.
ANS: F
SEE PAGE 44
22. T F You should choose a topic that you know nothing about, in order to
learn something new.
ANS: F
SEE PAGE 45
23. T F Brainstorming involves evaluating topics as you list them.
ANS: F
SEE PAGE 45
24. T F Age, gender and ethnicity are examples of subject-related audience
data.
ANS: F
SEE PAGE 48
25. T F Two-sided, multi-sided and scaled items are methods of gather data
for audience analysis.
ANS: T
26. T F
Surveying the audience is an acceptable way to gather audience
analysis data.
ANS: T
27. T F
SEE PAGES 50-51
SEE PAGE 50
Credibility is an important factor concerning your audience’s attitude
toward the speaker.
ANS: T
SEE PAGE 50
28. T F The speech setting concerns where you will speak and how large the
audience will be.
ANS: T
SEE PAGE 55
105
29. T F A specific goal states the overall intent of the speech.
ANS: F
SEE PAGE 58
30. T F To inform, is an example of a general goal.
ANS: T
SEE PAGE 58
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Bender, P. U. (2001). Stand, deliver, and lead. The Canadian Manager, 26(2),
14-18.
Fisher, L. (2002). The art of speaking: Connecting with your audience.
Communication Arts, 44(2), 42-45.
Holcombe, M. W., & Turrentine, T. (1996). Herding cats: How to understand and
manage your audience. Competitive Intelligence Review, 7(1), S29.
Paradi, D. (2005). Speaker’s notes: What infomercials and other TV shows can
teach us about presenting. Presentations, 19(2), 42.
Terreri, A. (2005). What are they thinking? Presentations, 19(2), 36-40.
Tornabene, L. (2005). Enhancing interaction during public presentations.
American Journal of Health Education, 36(1), 58-61.
106