Page 162 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter
6

Adapting to Your Audience

Objectives www.mhhe.com/brydon6 Key Concepts

After reading this chapter and reviewing the online learning resources at attitude growth needs
www.mhhe.com/brydon6, you should be able to:
audience diversity individual diversity
• Defi ne and apply the concept of rhetorical situation. belief long-term goals
peripheral beliefs
• Identify short- and long-term goals for speaking to a particular captive audience
audience. primitive beliefs
central beliefs
• Determine whether your audience is voluntary or captive. rhetorical situation
constraint
• Analyze the cultural, demographic, and individual diversity of your short-term goals
cultural diversity
audience.
socioeconomic
defi ciency needs
• Adapt to the cultural, demographic, and individual diversity of your status
audience. demographic values
diversity
• Gather information to learn about your audience. voluntary
demographics audience
• Confront and adapt to constraints associated with the rhetorical
situation.

“ I was not planning on speaking here tonight,
but this is where my journey has taken me. . . . ”

—CAROLYN MCCARTHY
Wife and mother of victims of the Long
Island Railroad massacre, speaking to the
1996 Democratic National Convention.