understanding

(noun)

The mental (sometimes emotional) process of comprehension, or the assimilation of knowledge, which is subjective by its nature.

Related Terms

  • comparison
  • classification

Examples of understanding in the following topics:

  • The Understanding Stage

    • The second stage in the listening process is the understanding stage.
    • This, in turn, is essential to understanding a speaker's message.
    • You may immediately understand the words and sentences that you are hearing, but not immediately understand what the lecturer is proving or whether what you're hearing in the moment is a main point, side note, or digression.
    • One tactic for better understanding a speaker's meaning is to ask questions.
    • After receiving information via listening, the next step is understanding what we've heard.
  • Maximize Understanding

    • In essence, you want the audience to comprehend and share the same understanding.
    • Ask yourself, "What does my audience already understand or know?
    • " You can apply the knowledge to maximize understanding.
    • Different audience members may not understand one idea but may understand another that relates more directly to their prior knowledge.
    • Give examples of ways to help your audience understand your ideas
  • Utilizing Devices to Enhance Audience Understanding

    • Visual aids, microphones, video screens, and/or a podium can help enhance audience understanding.
    • Many people need the assistance of visual material to understand complicated topics.
    • A podium can help an audience understand a speech.
    • With the addition of visual aids, podiums, microphones, and video screens, a presenter can ensure that the audience is able to see, hear, and understand the material properly.
    • When determining the type of visual aids needed for a speech, the speaker needs to consider the subject matter, audience, and venue so that the right materials are used to enhance audience understanding.
  • Communicating Statistics

    • Statistics can be difficult to understand on their own, though.
    • As a result, consider using visual tools such as tables, graphs, and maps to make statistics more understandable for your audience.
    • These visuals are often easier to understand than raw data.
    • Visual representations of quantitative information such as this map, which illustrates the prevalence of self-reported obesity among U.S. adults by state and territory, can make data more understandable for your audience.
  • Communicating Examples

    • Examples help the audience understand the key points; they should be to the point and complement the topic.
    • Examples are essential to a presentation that is backed up with evidence, and it helps the audience effectively understand the message being presented.
    • Examples are essential to help an audience better understand a topic.
    • Concise examples should have a big impact on audience engagement and understanding in a small amount of time.
    • Use examples to help your audience understand the message being presented
  • Choosing Clear Words and Phrasing

    • Choose clear words and phrasing in your speech by fully understanding your topic through delimiting the question and defining key terms.
    • Hold on there–take a step back for a moment and ask yourself: how well do you fully understand your topic?
    • You want to make sure that your speech is easy to understand and follow, so it's imperative to choose clear words and phrasing.
    • In doing so, you indicate to your audience that not only do you fully understand the ways in which to approach your argument, but that you understand your topic.
    • Analyze your speech topic until you fully understand the question and key terms
  • The Evaluating Stage

    • For example, a listener may determine that a co-worker's vehement condemnation of another for jamming the copier is factually correct, but may also understand that the co-worker's child is sick and that may be putting him on edge.
    • A voter who listens to and understands the points made in a political candidate's stump speech can decide whether or not those points were convincing enough to earn her vote.
    • The evaluating stage occurs most effectively once the listener fully understands what the speaker is trying to say.
    • While we can, and sometimes do, form opinions of information and ideas that we don't fully understand--or even that we misunderstand--doing so is not often ideal in the long run.
    • Once we understand what we hear, we can focus in on the relevant information.
  • The Importance of Preparation

    • Preparing and understanding your visual aids is essential to improving the engagement, understanding, and memory of your audience.
    • For example, you may not want to use examples and images that one generation or age group may not understand.
    • Are your visual aids easy to understand and easy to read or view?
    • If your audience can't understand your visuals, you'll find it much harder to accomplish your objective.
    • Are your visual aids easy to understand and easy to read or view?
  • The Benefits of Understanding Your Audience

    • The more you know and understand about the background of your audience and their needs, the better you can prepare your speech.
    • When you are speaking you want the listeners to understand and respond favorably to what you are saying.
    • But it does help you obtain a general understanding of the methods for learning about your audience.
    • Finally, understanding who makes up your target audience will allow you to carefully plan your message and adapt what you say to the level of understanding and background of the listeners.
    • Explain why it is important to understand your audience prior to delivering a speech.
  • Understanding Statistics

    • Before a set of statistics can be used, however, it must be made understandable by people who are not familiar with statistics.
    • Many people understand what an average is but not many people will know more complex ideas such as variation and standard deviation.
    • Statistics can be used persuasively in all manners of arguments and public speaking scenarios—the key is understanding and interpreting the given data and molding that interpretation towards a convincing statement.
    • Use appropriate statistics in your speech in a way that is easy for your audience to understand
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.