Conclusion
Conclusion
This chapter has looked at the psychological and physical processes going on inside the audience during a speech. Being audience-centered and adapting to your audience involves knowing as much as is reasonably possible about them. Addressing a diverse audience is a challenge, and audiences are, in general, becoming more diverse and more aware of their diversity in the U.S. While diversity is a challenge, it is also an opportunity.
Something to Think About
- Can you think of some ways that knowing the psychographic characteristics of your audience can influence your speech preparation? What values, needs, beliefs, and attitudes of your classmates should you consider?
- Example topics: You want to give a persuasive speech to your classroom audience to encourage them to take a study abroad trip.
- You want you audience to consider buying a MacBook Pro rather than a PC as their next laptop.
- You want to persuade them that sponsoring a child in a poor country is a way to bring the child out of poverty.
- You want them to volunteer in the next Special Olympics in your community.
- Create a demographic characteristics list to analyze your audience. After completing your chart, discuss the types of topics and approaches to those topics you might consider based on this information.
