Question 1

Your textbook recommends all of the following strategies for telling a story except
A) use a simple story line.
B) use numerous characters to make the story interesting.
C) exaggerate both content and delivery.
D) provide a link to audience experiences and interests.
E) practice your story until you can tell it without notes.

Accepted Answer

Using numerous characters can complicate the story and make it harder for the audience to follow, which is not recommended for effective storytelling.

Question 2

In two national surveys-one administered to working professionals and the other to college students taking a communication course-Organizing your Presentation was identified by both groups as the most important skill for effective presentations.

Accepted Answer

There is no specific evidence or data provided to confirm that both groups identified "Organizing your Presentation" as the most important skill for effective presentations.

Question 3

If audience members strongly disagree with you, your textbook recommends using all of the following persuasive strategies except
A) set a reasonable goal.
B) find common ground.
C) accept differences of opinion.
D) only use evidence that supports your point of view.
E) build personal credibility.

Accepted Answer

Using only evidence that supports your point of view can make your argument seem biased and less credible. It's important to acknowledge opposing viewpoints to build trust and credibility with your audience.

Question 4

According to Walter Fisher's Narrative Theory, there are two essential qualities to a good story: probability and fidelity. All of the following answers describe story probability except
A) whether the facts and incidents in the story seem realistic and logical.
B) whether the characters behave in a consistent way.
C) whether the plot and actions are plausible.
D) whether the elements of the story "hang together."
E) All of the above are elements of story probability.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Walter Fisher's Narrative Theory, there...

Question 5

Which of the following purposes would be appropriate for an informative presentation?
A) I want my audience to oppose the death penalty because it does not deter crime.
B) I want my audience to support the death penalty because it deters crime.
C) I want my audience to support the death penalty for carjacking and drive-by killings.
D) I want my audience to understand the research on the death penalty's relationship to the increase or decrease in crime.
E) I want my audience to understand how unjustly the death penalty is administered and how it should be changed.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of an informative presentation is to provide information and increase understanding about a specific topic or issue. Choice D is the only option that aligns with this purpose, as it seeks to inform the audience about the research on the death penalty's relationship to crime. The other choices are all focused on persuading the audience to hold a specific viewpoint on the death penalty, which would be more appropriate for a persuasive presentation.

Question 6

All of the following recommendations will help you place your key ideas in the best strategic order except
A) place your strongest points first.
B) place your weakest or least familiar idea in the last position.
C) if your audience needs current information, satisfy that need early in the presentation.
D) if you anticipate that your audience may not be very interested in your topic, do not begin with your most technical, detailed point.
E) if you are speaking about a controversial topic, begin with a point that focuses on the background of an issue or on the reasons for a change.

Accepted Answer

Placing your weakest or least familiar idea in the last position is not a recommended strategy as it may leave a weak impression on the audience.

Question 7

According to Aristotle, "a speaker's ________ may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses."
A) logos
B) pathos
C) ethos
D) mythos
E) telos

Accepted Answer

Ethos refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of the speaker, and Aristotle believed that it was the most important tool for persuasion. If the audience believes that the speaker is ethical, knowledgeable, and has their best interests in mind, they are more likely to be persuaded by their argument.

Question 8

All of the following statements describe a common heuristic believed by many people except
A) longer messages are stronger messages.
B) the quality of an item correlates with its price-the more expensive it is, the better it is.
C) we should trust people we like.
D) confident speakers know what they are talking about.
E) all of the above are examples of common heuristics.

Accepted Answer

All the statements A, B, C, and D are examples of common heuristics that people often use to make quick judgments or decisions.

Question 9

In two national surveys-one administered to working professionals and the other to college students taking a communication course-only the working professionals ranked "enhancing your credibility" as one of the top-ten speaking skills.

Accepted Answer

The statement says that only the working professionals ranked "enhancing your credibility" as one of the top-ten speaking skills, indicating that it was not among the top-ten for college students. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 10

Psychological Reactance Theory recommends all of the following strategies as ways to avoid a negative reaction to a persuasive presentation except
A) avoid direct commands.
B) avoid extreme statements that depict terrible consequence if audience members continue to behave in certain ways.
C) create a climate conducive to change.
D) avoid a middle ground that preserves the audience's freedom to decide on their own.
E) respect your audience's perspectives, needs, and lifestyles.

Accepted Answer

Psychological Reactance Theory suggests avoiding strategies that limit the audience's freedom of choice, so avoiding a middle ground that preserves freedom would not be recommended.

Question 11

The power of the first impression is described as the ________ effect.
A) recency
B) primacy
C) secondary
D) impression
E) final

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect refers to the tendency for the first information we receive about someone to have a greater impact on our impression of them than information we receive later.

Question 12

In order to make sure that you use humor appropriately in a presentation, avoid all of the following except
A) rehearsing because you will lose spontaneity.
B) talking about body functions.
C) teasing anyone in your audience.
D) ethnic or religious humor.
E) telling numerous jokes to keep your audience distracted.

Accepted Answer

Rehearsing your humor can help ensure it is appropriate and well-timed, rather than losing spontaneity.

Question 13

Which of the following strategies should be avoided when asking audience members to actively participate in a presentation?
A) Ask questions even if your listeners do nothing more than nod their heads.
B) Encourage interaction among audience members.
C) Do an exercise or simple game to break up your presentation.
D) Tease or badger someone in the audience to alert others that they may be next.
E) Invite feedback from your audience during or after your presentation.

Accepted Answer

Teasing or badgering someone in the audience can be uncomfortable for both the individual being targeted and for the rest of the audience. It can create a negative atmosphere and discourage participation. It is important to create a safe and respectful environment for audience participation.

Question 14

Aristotle's term for emotional proof is
A) logos.
B) pathos.
C) ethos.
D) mythos.
E) telos.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle's term for emotional proof is pathos.

Question 15

According to your textbook, when audience members agree with you, which of the following persuasive strategies should you use?
A) build up your personal credibility
B) find common ground
C) set reasonable goals
D) acknowledge the legitimacy of different viewpoints
E) advocate a course of action-

Accepted Answer

When audience members already agree with you, advocating a course of action is effective because it encourages them to act on their agreement.

Question 16

An important first step when choosing persuasive strategies is to
A) decide whether to use ethos, pathos, or logos as proof.
B) classify audience attitudes.
C) find common ground.
D) choose persuasive arguments.
E) reject fallacies.

Accepted Answer

Before choosing persuasive strategies, it is important to understand the attitudes and beliefs of the audience. This helps the speaker to tailor their arguments in a way that resonates with the audience and increases the chances of persuading them. Therefore, classifying audience attitudes is an important first step in choosing persuasive strategies.

Question 17

Most good stories follow an effective organizational pattern as illustrated in the textbook's story-building chart. Which phase of the story-building chart answers the question "Is there a sentence or section that communicates the climax of the story?"
A) background information
B) character development
C) action or conflict
D) high point
E) punch line

Accepted Answer

The high point is the climax of the story.

Question 18

A speaker has been given 24 hours to prepare a presentation to long-term coworkers on the features of a new database. Which of the following approaches would be the most effective way to begin her presentation?
A) "My presentation is going to be about the new database."
B) "I'm sorry for not being fully prepared. I just found out yesterday I had to do this."
C) "Ladies and Gentlemen."
D) I heard a joke on TV last night about why women are smarter than men."
E) None of the above introductions is advisable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A speaker has been given 24 hours...

Question 19

Which method of concluding a presentation is used in the following example? "I've identified some of the enduring causes of gender inequality in collegiate athletics. I've also described the personal and long-range effects of this discrimination. And finally, I proposed several solutions to help break the remaining barriers of sports prejudice."
A) summarize
B) quote someone
C) tell a story
D) use poetic language
E) call for action

Accepted Answer

The example concludes by summarizing the main points covered in the presentation.

Question 20

Social psychologist William McGuire suggests that when an audience agrees with you about a persuasive issue, you should inoculate them by increasing their resistance to counter-persuasion. You can do this by
A) giving the audience more reasons to support the position you share with them.
B) making jokes that demonstrates the absurdity of the opposition's arguments.
C) presenting the arguments of the opposition and showing audience members how to refute them.
D) attacking the opposition's credibility.
E) coming up with clever, demeaning slogans to characterize the opposition.

Accepted Answer

Presenting the arguments of the opposition and showing audience members how to refute them helps to inoculate them against counter-persuasion by preparing them to defend their position.

Quiz 13: Creating Captivating Presentations

Your textbook recommends all of the following strategies for telling a story except

In two national surveys-one administered to working professionals and the other to college students taking a communication course-Organizing your Presentation was identified by both groups as the most important skill for effective presentations.

If audience members strongly disagree with you, your textbook recommends using all of the following persuasive strategies except

According to Walter Fisher's Narrative Theory, there are two essential qualities to a good story: probability and fidelity. All of the following answers describe story probability except

Which of the following purposes would be appropriate for an informative presentation?

All of the following recommendations will help you place your key ideas in the best strategic order except

According to Aristotle, "a speaker's ________ may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses."

All of the following statements describe a common heuristic believed by many people except

In two national surveys-one administered to working professionals and the other to college students taking a communication course-only the working professionals ranked "enhancing your credibility" as one of the top-ten speaking skills.

Psychological Reactance Theory recommends all of the following strategies as ways to avoid a negative reaction to a persuasive presentation except

The power of the first impression is described as the ________ effect.

In order to make sure that you use humor appropriately in a presentation, avoid all of the following except

Which of the following strategies should be avoided when asking audience members to actively participate in a presentation?

Aristotle's term for emotional proof is

According to your textbook, when audience members agree with you, which of the following persuasive strategies should you use?

An important first step when choosing persuasive strategies is to

Most good stories follow an effective organizational pattern as illustrated in the textbook's story-building chart. Which phase of the story-building chart answers the question "Is there a sentence or section that communicates the climax of the story?"

A speaker has been given 24 hours to prepare a presentation to long-term coworkers on the features of a new database. Which of the following approaches would be the most effective way to begin her presentation?

Social psychologist William McGuire suggests that when an audience agrees with you about a persuasive issue, you should inoculate them by increasing their resistance to counter-persuasion. You can do this by