5: Audience Analysis
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- Sep 8, 2022
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This chapter is dedicated to understanding how a speaker connects with an audience through audience analysis by direct observation, analysis by inference, and data collection (Clevenger, 1966). In addition, this chapter explores the five categories of audience analysis: (1) the situational analysis, (2) the demographic analysis, (3) the psychological analysis, (4) the multicultural analysis, and (5) the topic interest and prior knowledge analysis.
- 5.1: Introduction
- In contemporary public speaking, the audience that you are addressing is the entire reason you are giving the speech; accordingly, the audience is therefore the most important component of all speechmaking. It cannot be said often or more forcefully enough: know your audience! Knowing your audience— their beliefs, attitudes, age, education level, job functions, language, and culture—is the single most important aspect of developing your speech strategy and execution plan.
- 5.2: Approches to Audience Analysis
- Whenever thinking about your speech, it is always a good idea to begin with a thorough awareness of your audience and the many factors comprising that particular audience. In speech communication, we simply call this “doing an audience analysis.” An audience analysis is when you consider all of the pertinent elements defining the makeup and demographic characteristics (also known as demographics) of your audience.
- 5.3: Categories of Audience Analysis
- No matter which of the above inquiry methods you choose to do your audience analysis, you will , at some point, need to direct your attention to the five "categories" of audience analysis. These are the five categories through which you will learn to better appreciate your audience. Let's now examine these categories and understand the variables and constraints you should use to estimate your audience's information requirements.
