Audience Analysis Methods

Overview

This lecture covers the primary approaches to audience analysis, explaining how demographic factors and data collection methods help speakers tailor presentations to their audience.

Importance of Audience Analysis

Audience analysis involves considering the key characteristics (demographics) of your audience before preparing a speech.
Demographics include factors like age, gender, education, occupation, language, ethnicity, background knowledge, interests, attitudes, beliefs, and values.
Understanding audience demographics helps speakers make their content relevant, effective, and engaging.

Approaches to Audience Analysis

There are three main methods of audience analysis: direct observation, inference, and data sampling.
Selecting the appropriate method depends on your situation and the information available about your audience.

Direct Observation

Direct observation is using one or more senses to gather qualitative data about the audience before speaking.
Observing audience members' age, behaviors, and reactions can help tailor your speech.
Engaging with the audience by asking questions or casual conversation provides valuable insights.
In unfamiliar settings, speaking with people who know the audience can be helpful.
Failing to understand your audience’s demographics can undermine your presentation.

Inference

Inference involves making logical assumptions based on past experiences or evidence.
This method uses inductive reasoning to draw tentative conclusions about your audience.
Be aware that inferences can sometimes be incorrect if based on limited or misleading evidence.

Data Sampling

Data sampling collects quantitative data (statistics) about the audience using surveys and questionnaires.
Variables such as age, attitudes, and values are quantified and analyzed.
Data is gathered before the speech to understand audience preferences and beliefs.

Basic Questionnaire

Questionnaires ask demographic and attitudinal questions anonymously to encourage honest responses.
These surveys provide general trends rather than individual profiles.

Ordered Categories

Ordered categories sampling asks participants to rank a list of values by importance.
This reveals common value themes within the audience.

Likert-Type Testing

Likert-type tests measure the strength of attitudes by asking respondents to rate their agreement with statements, usually on a 5-point scale.
Useful for assessing intensity and polarity of audience opinions on specific issues.
All data sampling methods require time for both collection and analysis before using the results in speech preparation.

Key Terms & Definitions

Audience Analysis — The process of identifying and evaluating the demographic characteristics of the audience.
Demographics — Audience traits such as age, gender, education, ethnicity, etc.
Direct Observation — Qualitative data gathering through sensory perception of the audience.
Inference — Reasoned assumption based on available evidence or prior experience.
Data Sampling — Collecting quantitative data about the audience using statistical methods.
Basic Questionnaire — A survey for collecting demographic and attitudinal data.
Ordered Categories — A method where participants rank values by importance.
Likert-Type Testing — A method for measuring attitudes using response scales from strong agreement to strong disagreement.

Action Items / Next Steps

Review provided demographic and attitudinal survey examples.
Practice designing a basic demographic questionnaire for a hypothetical audience.