Final Exam Study Guide
True-False Questions
1. T F Your textbook discusses four kinds of informative speeches—speeches about
objects, speeches about concepts, speeches about processes, and speeches about
events.
2. T F Informative speeches are seldom organized in topical order.
3. T F “To inform my audience how to create their own Web pages” is a specific purpose
statement for an informative speech about a process.
4. T F If the specific purpose of your informative speech is to recount the history of an
event, you will usually arrange the speech in chronological order.
5. T F An informative speech about a process that has as many as ten or twelve steps is
one of the few times it is acceptable to have more than five main points.
6. T F Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in spatial order.
7. T F Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in causal order.
8. T F Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in topical order.
9. T F Research suggests that connectives are less important in speeches to inform than in
speeches to persuade.
10. T F Clear organization is less important in speeches about processes than in other kinds
of informative speeches.
,2 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
11. T F Informative speakers need to work as hard as persuasive speakers at relating the
topic directly to the audience.
12. T F When giving an informative speech, you should think about ways to relate your
topic to the audience in the body of the speech as well as in the introduction.
13. T F A public speaker should avoid direct references to the audience in the body of an
informative speech.
14. T F One of the biggest barriers to effective informative speaking is using language that
is too simple for the audience.
15. T F As your textbook explains, technical language is especially helpful for explaining
ideas in informative speeches.
16. T F Abstractions are especially helpful for clarifying ideas in informative speeches.
17. T F Your textbook recommends comparison and contrast as ways to avoid abstractions
in an informative speech.
18. T F Your textbook recommends using description as a way to personalize ideas in an
informative speech.
19. T F One reason to use clear and straightforward language even when talking about
complex ideas is that listeners must understand your message in the time it takes
you to say it.
20. T F Using jargon in an informative speech is useful since it demonstrates your
expertise on the topic.
21. T F Persuasion is the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing people’s beliefs or
actions.
22. T F Because everyone knows that a persuasive speaker’s goal is to influence the
audience’s beliefs or actions, questions of ethics are less important in persuasive
speaking than in other kinds of speaking.
23. T F Persuasion is a psychological process in which listeners engage in a mental
dialogue with the speaker.
24. T F Research indicates that audiences often engage in a mental give-and-take with the
speaker as they listen to a persuasive speech.
25. T F Audience analysis and adaptation are less challenging in persuasive speaking than
in speaking to inform.
26. T F When trying to persuade a hostile audience, you should usually be wary of even
mentioning the audience’s objections to your point of view.
,27. T F The target audience is that portion of the whole audience that the speaker most
wants to persuade.
28. T F Concentrating on a target audience means that a persuasive speaker can ignore the
rest of her or his listeners.
29. T F Moving listeners from being strongly opposed to a speaker’s position to being only
moderately opposed would be a sign of a successful persuasive speech.
30. T F As your textbook explains, persuasion takes place only if the audience is strongly
in favor of the speaker’s position by the end of the speech.
31. T F When faced with an audience that strongly opposes your point of view, you can
consider your persuasive speech a success if it leads even a few listeners to
reexamine their views.
32. T F A persuasive speech on a question of fact is essentially the same as an informative
speech.
33. T F Questions of fact are easy subjects for persuasive speeches because they almost
always have clear-cut answers.
34. T F Persuasive speeches on questions of fact are usually organized in problem-solution
order.
35. T F “To persuade my audience that genetically altered crops pose serious hazards to
human health” is a specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech on a
question of fact.
36. T F “To persuade my audience to support the construction of a new convention center”
is a specific purpose statement for a question of fact.
37. T F When dealing with a question of value, a public speaker needs to justify his or her
value judgment on the basis of some set of standards or criteria.
38. T F Persuasive speeches on questions of value usually argue directly for or against
particular courses of action.
39. T F “To persuade my audience that Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all time” is a
specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech on a question of value.
40. T F Questions of policy inevitably incorporate questions of fact.
41. T F Study of the methods of persuasion began with communication researchers early in
the twentieth century.
42. T F What many teachers refer to as source credibility was called ethos by Aristotle.
, 4 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
43. T F Competence and character are the most important factors affecting a speaker’s
credibility.
44. T F Education and status are the most important factors affecting a speaker’s
credibility.
45. T F The more favorably listeners view a speaker’s competence and character, the more
likely they are to accept what the speaker says.
46. T F The credibility of a speaker before she or he starts to speak is called derived
credibility.
47. T F The credibility of a speaker before she or he starts to speak is called initial
credibility.
48. T F Derived credibility refers to the credibility of the speaker produced by everything
she or he says and does during the speech itself.
49. T F Speakers who explain their expertise on the speech topic are likely to reduce their
credibility with the audience.
50. T F A speaker can have high credibility for one audience and low credibility for
another audience.
51. T F Establishing common ground with an audience is especially important in the
introduction of a persuasive speech.
52. T F Research has shown that speakers with high initial credibility need to use more
evidence than speakers with low initial credibility.
53. T F Studies have shown that speakers with low initial credibility need to use more
evidence than speakers with high initial credibility.
54. T F Research shows that skeptical listeners are more likely to be persuaded by
evidence they are already familiar with than by evidence that is new to them.
55. T F Research indicates that listeners are more likely to be persuaded by evidence that is
new to them than by facts and figures they already know.
56. T F When reasoning from specific instances in a persuasive speech, you need to make
sure your sample of specific instances is large enough to justify your conclusion.
57. T F A persuasive speaker who argues that capital punishment should be outlawed
because it violates the constitutional principle banning cruel and unusual
punishment is reasoning from specific instances.
58. T F A persuasive speaker who contends that America’s older bridges are becoming
unsafe because several bridges have collapsed in recent years is reasoning from
specific instances.
True-False Questions
1. T F Your textbook discusses four kinds of informative speeches—speeches about
objects, speeches about concepts, speeches about processes, and speeches about
events.
2. T F Informative speeches are seldom organized in topical order.
3. T F “To inform my audience how to create their own Web pages” is a specific purpose
statement for an informative speech about a process.
4. T F If the specific purpose of your informative speech is to recount the history of an
event, you will usually arrange the speech in chronological order.
5. T F An informative speech about a process that has as many as ten or twelve steps is
one of the few times it is acceptable to have more than five main points.
6. T F Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in spatial order.
7. T F Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in causal order.
8. T F Informative speeches about concepts are usually arranged in topical order.
9. T F Research suggests that connectives are less important in speeches to inform than in
speeches to persuade.
10. T F Clear organization is less important in speeches about processes than in other kinds
of informative speeches.
,2 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
11. T F Informative speakers need to work as hard as persuasive speakers at relating the
topic directly to the audience.
12. T F When giving an informative speech, you should think about ways to relate your
topic to the audience in the body of the speech as well as in the introduction.
13. T F A public speaker should avoid direct references to the audience in the body of an
informative speech.
14. T F One of the biggest barriers to effective informative speaking is using language that
is too simple for the audience.
15. T F As your textbook explains, technical language is especially helpful for explaining
ideas in informative speeches.
16. T F Abstractions are especially helpful for clarifying ideas in informative speeches.
17. T F Your textbook recommends comparison and contrast as ways to avoid abstractions
in an informative speech.
18. T F Your textbook recommends using description as a way to personalize ideas in an
informative speech.
19. T F One reason to use clear and straightforward language even when talking about
complex ideas is that listeners must understand your message in the time it takes
you to say it.
20. T F Using jargon in an informative speech is useful since it demonstrates your
expertise on the topic.
21. T F Persuasion is the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing people’s beliefs or
actions.
22. T F Because everyone knows that a persuasive speaker’s goal is to influence the
audience’s beliefs or actions, questions of ethics are less important in persuasive
speaking than in other kinds of speaking.
23. T F Persuasion is a psychological process in which listeners engage in a mental
dialogue with the speaker.
24. T F Research indicates that audiences often engage in a mental give-and-take with the
speaker as they listen to a persuasive speech.
25. T F Audience analysis and adaptation are less challenging in persuasive speaking than
in speaking to inform.
26. T F When trying to persuade a hostile audience, you should usually be wary of even
mentioning the audience’s objections to your point of view.
,27. T F The target audience is that portion of the whole audience that the speaker most
wants to persuade.
28. T F Concentrating on a target audience means that a persuasive speaker can ignore the
rest of her or his listeners.
29. T F Moving listeners from being strongly opposed to a speaker’s position to being only
moderately opposed would be a sign of a successful persuasive speech.
30. T F As your textbook explains, persuasion takes place only if the audience is strongly
in favor of the speaker’s position by the end of the speech.
31. T F When faced with an audience that strongly opposes your point of view, you can
consider your persuasive speech a success if it leads even a few listeners to
reexamine their views.
32. T F A persuasive speech on a question of fact is essentially the same as an informative
speech.
33. T F Questions of fact are easy subjects for persuasive speeches because they almost
always have clear-cut answers.
34. T F Persuasive speeches on questions of fact are usually organized in problem-solution
order.
35. T F “To persuade my audience that genetically altered crops pose serious hazards to
human health” is a specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech on a
question of fact.
36. T F “To persuade my audience to support the construction of a new convention center”
is a specific purpose statement for a question of fact.
37. T F When dealing with a question of value, a public speaker needs to justify his or her
value judgment on the basis of some set of standards or criteria.
38. T F Persuasive speeches on questions of value usually argue directly for or against
particular courses of action.
39. T F “To persuade my audience that Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all time” is a
specific purpose statement for a persuasive speech on a question of value.
40. T F Questions of policy inevitably incorporate questions of fact.
41. T F Study of the methods of persuasion began with communication researchers early in
the twentieth century.
42. T F What many teachers refer to as source credibility was called ethos by Aristotle.
, 4 TEST BANK FOR THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
43. T F Competence and character are the most important factors affecting a speaker’s
credibility.
44. T F Education and status are the most important factors affecting a speaker’s
credibility.
45. T F The more favorably listeners view a speaker’s competence and character, the more
likely they are to accept what the speaker says.
46. T F The credibility of a speaker before she or he starts to speak is called derived
credibility.
47. T F The credibility of a speaker before she or he starts to speak is called initial
credibility.
48. T F Derived credibility refers to the credibility of the speaker produced by everything
she or he says and does during the speech itself.
49. T F Speakers who explain their expertise on the speech topic are likely to reduce their
credibility with the audience.
50. T F A speaker can have high credibility for one audience and low credibility for
another audience.
51. T F Establishing common ground with an audience is especially important in the
introduction of a persuasive speech.
52. T F Research has shown that speakers with high initial credibility need to use more
evidence than speakers with low initial credibility.
53. T F Studies have shown that speakers with low initial credibility need to use more
evidence than speakers with high initial credibility.
54. T F Research shows that skeptical listeners are more likely to be persuaded by
evidence they are already familiar with than by evidence that is new to them.
55. T F Research indicates that listeners are more likely to be persuaded by evidence that is
new to them than by facts and figures they already know.
56. T F When reasoning from specific instances in a persuasive speech, you need to make
sure your sample of specific instances is large enough to justify your conclusion.
57. T F A persuasive speaker who argues that capital punishment should be outlawed
because it violates the constitutional principle banning cruel and unusual
punishment is reasoning from specific instances.
58. T F A persuasive speaker who contends that America’s older bridges are becoming
unsafe because several bridges have collapsed in recent years is reasoning from
specific instances.
