Overview
This lecture introduces the importance and methods of audience analysis in public speaking, outlining the types and goals of analyzing your target audience to enhance speech effectiveness.
Chapter Objectives
- List techniques for analyzing a specific target audience.
- Explain direct observation as a method of audience analysis.
- Describe inference-based audience analysis.
- Identify the purpose of using basic questionnaires.
- Recognize and apply data sampling.
- Determine when to use a Likert-type test.
- Define the five categories of audience analysis.
- Summarize the purpose of situational analysis.
- Explain audience analysis by demography.
- Distinguish between beliefs, attitudes, and values.
- Identify reasons for analyzing a multicultural audience.
- Apply chapter concepts in final questions and activities.
The Importance of Audience Analysis
- The audience is the most important component of speechmaking.
- Knowing your audience’s beliefs, attitudes, age, education, job, language, and culture is crucial for speech success.
- Analyzing your audience helps avoid mismatched topics and poor reception.
- Audience members have real reasons to listen and expect relevant information.
- Building identification or finding common ground is essential for speaker-audience connection.
Methods and Categories of Audience Analysis
- Audience analysis methods include direct observation, inference, and data collection.
- The five categories of audience analysis are situational, demographic, psychological, multicultural, and topic interest/prior knowledge.
The Speaker-Audience Relationship
- Audience analysis creates a bond (identification) between speaker and audience.
- The process is a two-way transaction: both speaker and audience meet each other partway.
- Understanding your audience reduces speaker anxiety and increases speech effectiveness.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Audience Analysis — The systematic process of learning about audience members’ attributes to improve communication.
- Identification — Creating a bond or common ground between speaker and audience.
- Situational Analysis — Examining the context and environment for the speech.
- Demographic Analysis — Studying audience characteristics such as age, gender, and education.
- Psychological Analysis — Understanding audience beliefs, attitudes, and values.
- Multicultural Analysis — Assessing the audience’s cultural backgrounds.
- Topic Interest/Prior Knowledge Analysis — Determining what the audience already knows or cares about the topic.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Study approaches and categories of audience analysis in preparation for upcoming lessons and activities.
- Review definitions and objectives for comprehension.
- Prepare to apply audience analysis concepts in final questions and activities.