When reading chapter 11, I found it fascinating to learn about the psychology of main points. Namely that less is more when it comes to main points. It was good to learn that between 2-7 main points is ideal. With this, the recency and primacy effects were another factor to keep in mind while preparing a speech. By nature of these effects, people will more likely remember what you said in the beginning of your speech (primacy effect), and at the end of your speech (recency effect). My introductions and conclusions definitely need some work, and learning this is a stark reminder to focus more attention on bolstering those two segments. Along with this, learning about the logical forms of outlines was super helpful. The examples provided in the textbook serve as really useful reference material. I found this to be very similar to general scholarly writing, in the sense that like writing, a speech needs identifiable structure in order to effectively communicate to the audience/reader.
In chapter 12 it was informative to learn about the variety of different organizational patterns for speech, and their corresponding niche. Specifically, a chronological pattern being best suited for a set of actions in a timeline. Spatial patterns being best for organizing physical arrangements (i.e., objects or places). Causal patterns being best suited for cause-and-effect relationships. The problem-solution pattern for offering reasoning and persuasion for defining and overcoming problems. The topical pattern for covering a relatively homogeneous topic. Finally, the narrative pattern which encompasses the form of storytelling. Altogether, these act as effective outlines for creating an optimal dynamic for a given topic for a presentation. Furthermore, it helps create a structure for predictability. In the sense that it flows logically and aids in smooth transitions from point to point, or point to subpoint. Like chapter 11, this will also be very useful reference material to help guide and set a solid foundation for a potential speech.
