5. Audience AnalysisLecture by Dr. Mohammed Ibahrine

based on Clella Jaffe’s Public Speaking

AL AKHAWAYN UNIVERSITYSCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES

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Effective listening

For of the three elements in speechmaking:

Speaker Subject, and Person addressed

it is the last one, the hearerthe hearer, that determines the speech’s end and object

Aristotle

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Consider audience motivations

Analyze your audience

Adapt to your audience

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Pedestrian audiences:

• Randomly and temporarily come together because something grabs their attention

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Passive audiences

• Listen to speeches to accomplish other goals• (classes consist of passive listeners)

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Selected audiences:

• Voluntary and intentionally gather to hear about a topic or to hear a particular speaker

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Concerted audiences:

• Voluntary listen because they more-or-less agree that the subject is important, but they don’t know what they can do about it

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Organized audiences:

• Already know about the topic and are motivated and committed to act, but they need specific, “how-to” instructions

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1. Analyze who is listening

• Absent audiences:

• Are separated from the speaker; they listen through radio, telephone conferencing, television, videotapes, videoconferencing live or days later

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Ethnicity:

• Refers to a group’s common heritage and cultural traditions usually having national and religious origins

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Race:

• Racial categories are generally based on physical characteristics such as skin color or facial features

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Religion:

• It is necessary in every speech to be sensitive to the possible range and intensity of religious beliefs within your audience

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Sex and Gender:

• Do not assume that a man or a women will think or act in a certain way because of his or her sex

• If you assume, so you are being sexist

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Marital status/Sexual Expression:

• Take into account the interests and perspectives of • both

the married people the singles

in your audience

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Age:

• Age influences an audience’s motivations and concerns

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Group Affiliation:

• People form groups to share interests, experiences, or hobbies

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Occupation/Socioeconomic Status:

• Differences in educational level, income, occupational choice, and social class status can be salient in particular situations

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1.2 Analyze Audience Demographics

• Regions:

• Audiences require different speaking strategies based on their regions

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Core cultural resources

• Belief, values, attitudes and behaviors that provide a logical basis for a culture to define what is necessary, right, doubtful or forbidden

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Belief:

• Mental acceptance that something is true or false, valid or invalid

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Value:

• Ideal by which we judge what is important and moral

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Attitude:

• Predisposition to evaluate, either positively or negatively, persons, objects, symbols, and the like

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Assess the Situation

• Predisposition to evaluate, either positively or negatively, persons, objects, symbols, and the like

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Assess the Situation

• Many aspects of the situation can affect your audience:

Time

The environment/setting/context/place•

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Assess the Situation

• Time: • Two aspects of time affect public speaking:

What time of day is your speech held

The cultural time system

• Time is segmented, so the date and length of your speech are important

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Assess the Situation

• Environment:• Is the specific situation in which you will speak

FloorsCeilingChairsSmall/large Windowless spacesTemperature Noise

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• While you are forming impressions of your listeners, they are assessing your credibilitycredibility

CharacterIntentionsAbilities

• Is this order ok, please let us reflect on it

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• Your audience begins its evaluation process of you before your speech

Modify it while you speak

Carry away a lasting impression after your delivery

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• We distinguish between two types of credibility

Prior or extrinsic credibility

Demonstrated or intrinsic credibility

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• Prior or extrinsic credibility

• Is the reputation or expertise of speakers that makes them believable even before they say a word

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• Regardless of your reputation, you should demonstrate your credibility as you speak

• This is called demonstrated or intrinsic credibility

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• There are some techniques which may help you to evidence that your are knowledgeable about the subject

Do careful researchCite your resourcesDefine unfamiliar terminologyGive examplestell personal experiences

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• Your audience begins its evaluation process of you before your speech

Modify it while you speak

Carry away a lasting impression after your delivery

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The Audience’s Perception of you

• Take terminal credibility into account

• The overall impression you leave is a balance between the reputation you brought to your speech and he expertise you demonstrated as you spoke

• Terminal credibility is not permanently fixed, it may change