Glossary G-11peer relationships: The friendships that form be-
tween colleagues at an organization as a result of
peer communication.
people-oriented listeners: Communicators who
listen with relationships in mind; they tend be
most concerned with others’ feelings.
perception: A cognitive process through which one
interprets one’s experiences and comes to one’s
own unique understandings.
performance appraisal: An interview designed to
review an individual or party’s accomplishments
and develop goals for the future; used in corpo-
rate and academic environments.
performance visualization: Spending time imagin-
ing positive scenarios and personal success in
order to reduce negative thoughts and their ac-
companying anxiety.
performing: The stage of group development in
which members combine their skills and knowl-
edge to work toward the group’s goals and over-
come hurdles.
peripheral processing: Giving little thought to a
message or even dismissing it as irrelevant, too
complex to follow, or simply unimportant; oc-
curs when listeners lack motivation to listen
critically or are unable to do so.
persuasion: The process of influencing others’ at-
titudes, beliefs, and behaviors on a given topic.
persuasive interview: An interview in which ques-
tions are designed to elicit some change in the
interviewee’s behavior or opinions.
persuasive speaking: Speech that is intended to
influence the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of
an audience.
phrase outline: A type of outline that takes parts
of sentences and uses those phrases as instant
reminders of what the point or subpoint means.
pie chart: A presentation aid that shows percentages
of a circle divided proportionately.
pitch: Variations in the voice that give prominence
to certain words or syllables.
plagiarism: The crime of presenting someone else’s
words, ideas, or intellectual property as one’s
own, intentionally or unintentionally.
planting: A technique for limiting and control-
ling body movements during speech delivery by
keeping the legs firmly set apart at a shoulder-
width distance.politically correct language: Language that replaces
exclusive or negative words with more neutral
terms.
polychronic culture: A culture whose members are
comfortable dealing with multiple people and
tasks at the same time.
posture: The position of one’s arms and legs and
how one carries the body.
power distance: The way in which a culture ac-
cepts and expects the division of power among
individuals.
pragmatics: The ability to use the symbol systems of
a culture appropriately.
prejudice: A deep-seated feeling of unkindness and
ill will toward particular groups, usually based on
negative stereotypes and feelings of superiority
over those groups.
preparation outline: A draft outline the speaker will
use, and probably revisit and revise continually,
throughout the preparation for a speech; also
known as a working outline.
primacy–recency effect: In public speaking, the
tendency for audiences to remember points
the speaker raises at the very beginning, or at the
very end, of a message.
primary group: A long-lasting group that forms
around the relationships that mean the most to
its members.
primary question: A type of interview question that
introduces new topics.
probing: Asking questions that encourage specific
and precise answers.
problem–solution pattern: A pattern of speech ar-
rangement that involves dramatizing an obstacle
and then narrowing alternative remedies down
to the one the speaker wants to recommend.
problem-solving group: A group with a specific
mission.
problem-solving interview: An interview that
is used to deal with problems, tensions, or
conflicts.
process: The methods by which an outcome is
accomplished.
productive conflict: Conflict that is managed
effectively.
profanity: Words or expressions considered insult-
ing, rude, vulgar, or disrespectful.
pronunciation: The correct formation of word sounds.2 20_OHA_45766_Gloss_G_1_16.indd G-11 0 OHA 45766 _GlossG 1 _ 16 .indd G- 11 13/10/14 5:40 PM 13 / 10 / 14 5 : 40 PM