Patterns of organization are a structure for ordering the main points in your speech. An effective pattern of organization will help your audience connect your supporting evidence and content to your original topic. There are 7 different patterns of organization
The chronological pattern is the organization of ideas in a time sequence. This particular pattern is most useful when organizing a speech on the history of a subject, a sequence of events, or a step-by-step process. This helps the audience see how your topic unfolds over time. The chronological pattern is used in informational speeches.
The spatial pattern links points together based on their physical or geographical relationships. This pattern is best used when describing a place or object. This is helps the audience to visually understand the relationship between all parts of the topic. The spatial pattern is used in informational speeches.
A topical pattern arranges your speech by subtopics which are all equally important. This is useful in explaining the different elements involved in a topic and helps the audience to get an image of the subpoints within a topic. The topical pattern is used in informational speeches.
A narrative is a dramatic retelling of events (like a story). This pattern encourages audience participation and involvement. It provides the audience an opportunity to share the speaker's point of view.
The cause-and-effect pattern illustrates how an action produces a particular result, demonstrating a link between two events. This pattern helps the audience recognize relationships between conditions or events. The narrative it used in speeches meant for entertainment. The cause-and-effect pattern is used in persuasive speeches.
A problem-solution pattern describes a problem and comes up with possible solutions. The purpose of this pattern is to convince the audience to agree with a course of action. This provides the audience with a rationale for considering a particular solution to a problem. The problem-solution pattern is used in persuasive speeches.
The Monroe's motivated sequence is a five-step pattern that requires speakers to find out what will motivate an audience to pay attention, and then to respond to that. This is useful in keeping your audience interested in your topic. This pattern makes the audience want to listen and possibly take action. The Monroe's motivated sequence is used in persuasive speeches.
The text discusses these patterns in great detail and gives examples of each. It is very helpful to understand each of these patterns because they are great tools when preparing for a speech.
Hi, I like your post about patterns of organization. In my practice I used a problem-solution pattern, but after reading the book and your post I wanted to know more about the Monroe's motivated sequence because I think that it can be a great tool for preparing the speech. So Monroe’s Motivated Sequence:
ReplyDeletedeveloped in the 1930s by Alan Monroe, a professor of speech at Purdue University, the motivated sequence is tailor-made for policy speeches that seek immediate action. The sequence has five steps that follow the psychology of persuasion.
1 Attention – first you gain the attention of your audience by using one or more of the attention gaining methods such as relating to the audience, showing the importance of the topic, making a startling statement, arousing curiosity or suspense, posing a question, telling a dramatic story, or using visual aids.
2 Need – next, you make the audience feel a need for change. You show there is a serious problem with the existing situation. It is important to state the need clearly and to illustrate it with strong supporting materials. By the end of this step, listeners should be so concerned about the problem that they are psychologically prepared to hear your solution.
3 Satisfaction – having aroused a sense of need, you satisfy it by providing a solution to the problem. You present your plan and show how it will work. Be sure to offer enough details about the plan to give listeners a clear understanding of it.
4 Visualization – having given your plan, you intensify desire for it by visualizing its benefits. The key to this step is using vivid imagery to show your listeners how they will profit from your speech. Make them see how much better conditions will be once your plan is adopted.
5 Action – once the audience is convinced your speech is beneficial, you are ready to call for action. Say exactly what you want the audience to do—and how to do it. Then conclude with a final stirring appeal that reinforces their commitment to act.
I think I prefer the motivated sequence because it is more detailed than Problem-Solution order. It follows the process of human thinking and leads the listener step by step to the desired action. One indication of its effectiveness is that it is widely used by people who make their living by persuasion—especially advertisers. The next time you watch television, pay close attention to the commercials. You will find that many of them follow the Motivated Sequence.
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is perfectly compatible with the standard method of outlining.
I never knew there were so many different patterns of organization. I really like that you went through and talked about all the different ones. It makes sense to have the different patterns, because different speeches are meant for different purposes. A persuasive speech should have a different pattern than a narrative speech. A narrative speech tells a story and has a different layout than a speech that is meant to persuade someone.
ReplyDeleteMonroe’s motivated sequence sounds a little scary. It just seems like a lot. I think it is important though for the audience to be interested in the topic so they will pay attention. This is definitely necessary in a persuasive speech because the audience needs to be swayed to a certain side or to take action about an issue.
I'm not a very good at organization but this blog would be good to refer to on my next speech. I often use more than one method of organization in my speeches depending on what I'm talking about. I might use a narrative when I'm trying to get the audience to connect with me more or a problem-solution concept when I'm talking about something going on out there that people might not be aware about. I think they are all equally valuable in speeches and should all be used depending on speech your giving or what you would like to imply to the audience.
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