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Credibility Self Assessment
The questions below will help you determine how credible your audience perceives
you to be. You can also reflect on how to adapt your speech so that your credibility
will be enhanced.
You earn credibility when you are viewed as possessing competence and confidence
to speak on the subject; when your audience respects your moral character and
trustworthiness; and if your listeners see you as relating to them by creating
goodwill.
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Your Name:
Your E-mail Address:
Your Professor's Name:
Your Professor's E-mail Address:
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I. Audience
perception of competence and confidence to speak on the subject
Competence is the perception that you know what you are talking about in light
of your education, professional experience and the research you've done on the
topic. You create that perception by explicitly identifying how you developed
your knowledge to speak on the subject. Competence may also be affected by the
topic and how much the audience is predisposed to agree or disagree with you.
The perception that you are confident in your knowledge is further communicated
through dynamic and smooth delivery.
1. What is the
topic for your persuasive speech?
2. What is your specific persuasive goal?
3. To what degree do you think your audience agrees with that goal?
I think the members of my audience:
very much agree
with my persuasive goal
somewhat agree with my persuasive goal
are divided evenly between those who agree and those who disagree
are largely undecided in their opinions about my persuasive goal
somewhat disagree with my persuasive goal
very much disagree with my persuasive goal
4. In general the greater the degree of resistance for most members of the audience, the more will you need to provide a significant amount of credible evidence. In light of the audience position on my topic, I intend to do the following to enhance the audience perception of my competence:
describe my personal experience and background relevant to the topic
Explain:
describe my professional training or academic work related to the topic
Explain:
use a significant amount of evidence from highly credible sources and build the credibility of my evidence by explaining the credentials of the sources that I will cite in my speech
Explain:
5. In my upcoming speech, I want to work on the following elements of delivery to enhance the perception of confidence by:
(Check the items that apply.)
using more eye
contact and direct communication with my audience
enhancing my vocal variety by using natural modifications of rate, pitch and
loudness
using silent pauses rather than vocalized pauses such as "uhm," "ah,"
and "uh."
maintaining a more stable posture and home base.
using movement and gestures selectively, purposefully and naturally to reinforce
main ideas
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II. Audience
Perception of Character and Trustworthiness
Perceptions of character and trust are value judgments of you and your topic.
You create the sense of character by stressing personal values that you share
with your listeners. Trust is also earned by demonstrating that you have acted
and spoken in a reliable and consistent manner.
1. Are there
any significant moral reservations that your listeners may have about your topic
that might affect their perception of your character and trustworthiness? Explain.
2. Which of the following values do you think you share with the audience? Check
as many as apply.
(The following list of values related to personal character is based on research
conducted by Milton Rokeach.)
My Values My
Audience's
Values
honesty
taking responsibility
ambitious and hard working
willing to forgive others
open minded and tolerant
courageous in stnding up for others
helpful and showing concern for the welfare of others
loving and affectionate
capable and effective
3. On which values do you have the greatest convergence with your audience?
4. Explain how you can stress in your speech that you and your audience share
the same values.
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III. Audience
Perception of Goodwill and Confidence
Goodwill and rapport are achieved by stressing that you share common experiences,
interests and concerns with your audience. Your listeners may also feel a greater
sense of rapport with you on the basis of demographic factors.
1. What are
some of the shared experiences that you can allude to in your speech?
2. How does your speech address the interests, needs and concerns of your audience?
3. Which of the following demographic factors create common ground between you
and your audience? Check all that apply.
age
sex
educational level
social class
race or ethnic identification
sexual orientation
family background
4. Explain how you will create identification with your audience on the basis of shared demographics.
5. Insofar as there are differences, how will you stress common ground with
your audience in order to create goodwill?
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