Deck 3: Speaking Confidently

Question 1

A misconception that comes from "folk" knowledge is a(n) _________.

Answer 1

myth

Question 2

If you memorize your speech, you are:

A) avoiding communication anxiety.
B) certain to present your speech perfectly.
C) likely to have a "canned" delivery style.
D) responsive to the audience's interest in you.
E) showing extraordinary skill at speaking.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Fear of speaking rarely shows up in lists of people's common fears.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A little nervousness helps you give a better speech because:

A) the audience will greatly admire you for surviving the assignment. b it exposes an interesting dimension of your personality.
C) it forces you to prepare, memorize, and rehearse your speech.
D) without nervousness, you won't prepare your speech well.
E) you can use the extra energy to give an animated speech.

Question 5

Humor is difficult to use because it requires a good sense of _____________.

Question 6

Audiences are generally:

A) bored and not really listening anyway.
B) hostile; they want to see you mess up.
C) interested in what you have to say.
D) judgmental; attentive to mistakes.
E) unimportant; the speaker is important.

Question 7

At its heart, communication apprehension is:

A) fictional; it's an excuse for laziness.
B) easily overcome by ignoring the audience.
C) an outcome of having a negative attitude.
D) the psychological response to evaluation.
E) a symptom of an antisocial personality.

Question 8

_________________ is a psychological response to evaluation.

Question 9

Audiences are most interested in judging a speaker's performance.

Question 10

Imagining the audience as naked:

A) diverts the speaker's attention from the task at hand.
B) helps a speaker focus on the content of the speech.
C) helps a speaker reduce communication anxiety.
D) increases the danger of an inappropriate comment.
E) is a strategy used by most professional speakers.

Question 11

Most face-to-face audiences are interested in your _______________.

Question 12

A speaker can channel _____________ into an enthusiastic speech.

Question 13

A speaker's nervousness:

A) is clearly evident to people in the audience.
B) ethically compels us to apologize to the audience.
C) is invisible to the audience most of the time.
D) makes that speaker seem insecure.
E) is a sign of emotional weakness.

Question 14

You can manage speaking anxiety by:

A) avoiding eye contact with members of the audience.
B) knowing the audience won't perceive your level of nervousness.
C) making sure your speech is sophisticated and therefore impressive.
D) pretending the audience doesn't speak English.
E) using impressive visual aids to distract the audience.

Question 15

Professional speakers have eliminated mistakes from their speeches.

Question 16

Mistakes or verbal stumbles during a speech:

A) are the most memorable part of the speech.
B) completely distract the audience from the main message.
C) distract the audience from receiving the message.
D) do not undermine the entire speech.
E) expose the speaker as ignorant or unprepared.

Question 17

Starting a speech by telling a joke:

A) gets the audience to settle down and pay attention.
B) is a reliable way to warm up an audience.
C) is risky; it might unintentionally offend your audience, or fall flat.
D) shows that you are an engaging speaker.
E) is a way of getting the right kind of audience attention.

Question 18

Communication apprehension usually produces physical symptoms.

Question 19

Memorizing a speech word-for-word is:

A) the best way to make sure you don't forget details.
B) a guarantee of a polished delivery.
C) likely to make your anxiety worse, not better.
D) the most effective strategy for reducing communication anxiety.
E) a way to be perceived as an outstanding speaker.

Question 20

You can boost your confidence by memorizing your speech.

Question 21

Explain what is meant by the term "communication apprehension" and how it impacts public speaking.

Question 22

Why should jokes be avoided?

Question 23

A context of uncertainty can produce communication anxiety because:

A) other people are likely to make a better impression.
B) sometimes we just need time to rest and recuperate.
C) taking on a new challenge can be overwhelming.
D) we prefer knowing exactly how the event will benefit us.
E) you can't predict what you'll be expected to say or do.

Question 24

Your audience will know how nervous you are.

Question 25

What are a few of the physical responses to speaking apprehension?

Question 26

Confident, experienced public speakers:

A) act and feel confident in all settings.
B) can become apprehensive in tense situations.
C) easily take all communication occurrences in stride.
D) have learned to ignore the audience and just speak.
E) never feel the nervousness they had as beginners.

Question 27

Audiences that generally produce anxiety are:

A) audiences with cameras.
B) low income audiences.
C) paying audiences.
D) political audiences.
E) unfamiliar audiences.

Question 28

Why is memorization a bad idea?

Question 29

Almost everyone has trait anxiety.

Question 30

People with trait anxiety:

A) are usually eager to develop public speaking skills.
B) can learn to be good speakers even if still uncomfortable.
C) need private tutoring in order to develop speaking skills.
D) should avoid situations in which they might be asked to speak.
E) should just "man up" and get over it.

Question 31

Should you imagine your audience naked? Explain your answer.

Question 32

Situational anxiety refers to:

A) anything that goes wrong before and during the speech.
B) locations that are uncomfortable or difficult to find.
C) the reaction to finding presentation aids that don't work.
D) a speaker's anxiety when the speech is poorly attended.
E) unique combinations of factors that produce anxiety.

Question 33

Practice and experience help a speaker:

A) avoid situations that will make him/her look bad.
B) develop skills in distracting a hostile audience.
C) learn ways to cope with the unexpected.
D) reprimand a disrespectful audience.
E) surprise and delight the audience.

Question 34

What do mistakes in a speech mean?

Question 35

An example of a communication setting that often produces context anxiety is:

A) baseball practice.
B) field trips.
C) formal occasions.
D) high school reunions.
E) study groups.

Question 36

How do many professional speakers manage their speaking anxiety?

Question 37

Audience anxiety refers to:

A) anxiety the audience experiences right before a speech.
B) anxiety prompted by specific audience characteristics.
C) hoping the audience will not want to ask questions.
D) waiting for the audience to settle down and pay attention.
E) wanting an audience to admire you.

Question 38

Almost everyone experiences speaking anxiety sometimes.

Question 39

Publicly presenting an award to a heroic airline pilot is an example of:

A) a formal context.
B) novelty.
C) situational anxiety.
D) a trigger for trait anxiety.
E) uncertainty.

Question 40

Trait anxiety refers to a speaker who:

A) dislikes speaking when there is little time to prepare.
B) finds it difficult to speak in a formal setting.
C) generally fears communication more than the average person.
D) has a fear of facing an audience that includes high status listeners.
E) is fearful only until he or she gains experience.

Question 41

If you found out that a good friend of yours had high trait anxiety regarding public speaking, what advice would you give this individual?

Question 42

You should adapt your language to the oral mode because:

A) it's easier to inject more vivid, spur-of-the-moment ideas into the speech.
B) spoken language is more audience-friendly than written language.
C) you avoid challenging your audience with unwelcome new concepts.
D) you can use extremely informal language familiar to you and your friends.
E) you relax more if you're unconstrained by an outline.

Question 43

The unique combination of physical, cultural, and social-psychological factors produces ____________ anxiety.

Question 44

People who experience anxiety anytime that they are communicating, no matter the circumstances, have ____________ anxiety.

Question 45

The four stages of speech delivery in which anxiety varies are:

A) anticipation, confrontation, adaptation, and release.
B) anxiety, motivation, confrontation, and success.
C) audience analysis, imagination, preparation, and presentation.
D) avoidance, positive self-talk, imagination, and presentation.
E) management, organization, preparation, and execution.

Question 46

Cognitive restructuring is:

A) acquiring a few language skills that will impress audience members.
B) changing how you label the physiological responses you experience.
C) convincing yourself that others will be too preoccupied to listen.
D) pretending that public speaking skills will make you rich and famous.
E) psychological counseling specifically to address public speaking anxiety.

Question 47

Describe the kind of audience that could produce anxiety for you.

Question 48

__________________ can help you cope with most kinds of speaking anxiety.

Question 49

How can time be a situational factor?

Question 50

Addressing a large crowd of high-status listeners can produce ___________ anxiety.

Question 51

Analyzing your audience helps to ease anxiety because:

A) it directs your attention away from thinking about your presentation.
B) it's easier for you to relax once you know some of their personal secrets.
C) the more you know about them, the better you can create an effective message.
D) the process helps you come up with good topic ideas.
E) you can then impress them with how much you know about them.

Question 52

What kinds of communication settings tend to be adversarial?

Question 53

Describe a hypothetical setting that could produce situational anxiety.

Question 54

Organizing your ideas eases anxiety because:

A) if your thoughts are organized, you don't need an outline.
B) it makes it easier to commit your speech to memory.
C) you can fill in the details while you're presenting your speech.
D) your audience will be impressed, and that will ease your level of anxiety.
E) your main points are easier to remember if they are in a coherent order.

Question 55

When you practice your speech, you should:

A) practice aloud while standing, the way you will actually present the speech.
B) practice over and over until you know your whole speech by heart.
C) practice the speech so you can get through the words and ideas very quickly.
D) stop yourself whenever you make a mistake so you can correct the flaws.
E) time yourself to make sure you have enough content to fill the time slot.

Question 56

Heightened formality is likely to produce __________________ anxiety.

Question 57

We are more likely to be anxious in a new environment than in a familiar one.

Question 58

Differentiate among the different types of anxiety and explain how they can impact public speakers.
Answers should include descriptions of the four types of communication apprehension described by McCro

Question 59

A controversial topic can exacerbate situational anxiety.

Question 60

What is trait anxiety?

Question 61

What part does the preparation of a speech play in reducing anxiety?

Question 62

The language you use in your speech should be formal and impersonal.

Question 63

What is cognitive restructuring?

Question 64

Why should you focus on the audience rather than on yourself?

Question 65

How should you practice your speech?

Question 66

We are likely to be most anxious right before our speech.

Question 67

Analyzing your _______________ makes it seem less threatening.

Question 68

Create a plan for managing your speaking anxiety.

Question 69

Deep breathing can be used before a speech to:

A) be fully alert and get your brain oxygenated so you can speak well.
B) center your thoughts on yourself instead of thinking about the audience.
C) counteract the effects of excess adrenaline in your system.
D) generate the energy you will need to give an animated presentation.
E) keep from yawning while you organize your notes on the lectern.

Question 70

Realistically, it is best not to get our hopes up for a successful speech.

Question 71

Systematic desensitization is:

A) being sure to eat breakfast and dress comfortably so you can focus on the speech.
B) diverting your attention away from a fear until you are able to ignore it entirely.
C) getting a good night's sleep and being well rested before your speech.
D) the gradual, repeated exposure to the object of fear until the fear can be tolerated.
E) slowly scanning the audience before your speech so they will not intimidate you.

Question 72

What is positive visualization?

Question 73

It is normal to experience some nervousness before a speech.

Question 74

__________________ exercises involve tensing and then relaxing the muscles of the shoulders and neck.

Question 75

Positive visualization is:

A) the creative process of developing a speech.
B) creating dynamic visual aids for a speech.
C) imagining the members of the audience naked.
D) imagining a standing ovation at the end of your speech.
E) using the imagination to create images of success.

Question 76

___________ ____________ will help you counteract the effects of excess adrenalin.

Question 77

Systematic _____________________ is useful in helping us learn to tolerate objects and situations that cause us to be anxious.

Question 78

One strategy for managing anxiety is the use of ____________ self-talk.

Question 79

Nervousness can make a speaker speak too fast.

Question 80

Isometric exercises can be used to:

A) divert your attention away from your upcoming speech.
B) improve your personal appearance for a speech.
C) increase the strength of your lungs and larynx.
D) make your gestures more graceful and fluid.
E) relax your muscles and reduce physical stiffness.