Deck 6: Attention: Getting People to Listen

Question 1

To be a mindful listener, which of the following tips apply?

A) Accept distractions as a natural occurrence when hearing a speech
B) Keep your smartphone on during a speech in case you need to look up something while the speaker is talking
C) Prepare a rebuttal to any points of disagreement
D) Listen critically for solid reasoning and strong evidence to support claims

Answer 1

D

Question 2

"This is an ounce of cocaine, and this is an ounce of marijuana. Which would you prefer to ingest" is an example of an opening to a speech given by a student in a college speech class. This would be

A) gaining an audience's attention in an appropriate way
B) using a startling appeal appropriately
C) using the vital appeal to gain attention
D) using poor judgment for the attention strategy because the substances are illegal

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Attention

A) is inherently selective
B) is the same as listening
C) is the sole responsibility of the speaker
D) should be a planned strategy for the introduction but not the body of a speech

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Ways to gain and maintain attention during your speech include which of the following?

A) Make a novel appeal
B) Use any kind of humor that makes you laugh
C) Startle an audience in any way that you can
D) Appeal to the commonplace concerns of your audience

Question 5

Self-deprecating humor

A) makes fun of the failings and limitations of audience members
B) is likely to be more effective for low-status speakers than high-status speakers
C) works best when it is gentle humor
D) should be avoided because it is inappropriate and will reduce your likeability

Question 6

Guidelines for competent use of humor as an attention strategy include which of the following?

A) Tie the humor directly to a main point or principal theme
B) Consider what type of humor may offend certain cultures
C) Don't try to force humor, especially if you are not great at telling jokes
D) All of the above

Question 7

An example of an effective use of startling appeals is

A) using a startling fact or statistic
B) appearing naked in front of your audience of students and parents
C) using some obscenities to shake up the crowd
D) a and c

Question 8

Using novelty as an effective attention strategy includes

A) telling a familiar story
B) beginning your speech with the opening, "Today I want to talk about . . ."
C) using an unusual example relevant to a key point
D) all of the above

Question 9

Grabbing and holding the attention of your audience is important because

A) if your audience is inattentive then you're talking to yourself
B) what is not attended to is not remembered
C) a top-ranked skill desired by members of a wide range of professions is the ability to keep attention during presentations
D) all of the above

Question 10

Strategies to gain and hold the attention of your audience

A) should be planned before giving the speech
B) should be appropriate for the audience and context
C) require sensitivity and an awareness of audience expectations
D) all of the above

Question 11

Which of the following are unlikely forms of humor to appeal to Asian cultures?

A) Satire
B) Sarcasm
C) Dark Humor
D) All of the above

Question 12

Basic facts about gaining and maintaining listeners' attention include which of the following?

A) Listeners can concentrate on two competing stimuli at the same time if they work at it
B) Multitasking is relatively easy if you are carefully trained to do it
C) Selectivity of listeners' attention highlights the magnitude of the challenge
D) All of the above

Question 13

Listening is

A) A transactional process
B) A passive process
C) Effective when attention strategies are used
D) None of the above

Question 14

"If crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?" (George Carlin). This quote used in a speech is likely to capture audience attention because it is

A) novel
B) Startling
C) Self-deprecating
D) All of the above

Question 15

"Cricket is basically baseball on Valium" (Robin Williams). This quotation has attention appeal because it

A) Is humorous
B) Appeals to the vital and meaningful
C) Is self-deprecating
D) All of the above

Question 16

Attention is the act of focusing on a specific stimulus to the exclusion of competing stimuli.

Question 17

Listeners cannot attend to two competing stimuli simultaneously.

Question 18

Any kind of startling statement or behavior that grabs the attention of an audience is appropriate for a speech.

Question 19

Any humorous comment, joke, story, or quotation that grabs attention is appropriate for a speech.

Question 20

When using humor, be sure to begin with a statement, such as "I heard the most hilarious story the other day" to prepare your audience to laugh.

Question 21

It is appropriate to use humor even if the joke, story, anecdote, or quotation has nothing to do with the speech topic because at least it gains attention.

Question 22

Most people, especially students, are capable multitaskers.

Question 23

To be a mindful, active listener requires focused attention.

Question 24

Intense, unpleasant examples should never be used to gain attention of your audience.

Question 25

Self-deprecating humor is one of the most effective strategies for gaining attention.

Question 26

According to research, those who claim to be effective multitaskers are the least effective at every aspect of multitasking.

Question 27

Your retention of the information presented by a speaker is reduced when you listen mindfully.

Question 28

Being outrageous is unfailingly an effective and appropriate attention strategy for a speech.

Question 29

Attention is entirely a voluntary act of listeners.

Question 30

All cultures respond well to sarcasm and satire.

Question 31

It is easier to grab the initial attention of an audience than to maintain that attention throughout a lengthy speech.

Question 32

Mindful listening is using multitasking to maintain attention.

Question 33

Active listening should be effortless.