example of problem solution speech

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Problem-Solution Speech [Topics, Outline, Examples]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

In this article:

Problem-Solution Outline

Problem-solution examples, criminal justice, environment, relationships, teen issues.

What to include in your problem-solution speech or essay?

Problem-solution papers employ a nonfiction text structure, and typically contain the following elements:

Introduction: Introduce the problem and explain why the audience should be concerned about it.

Cause/Effect : Inform the audience on what causes the problem. In some cases, you may also need to take time to dispel common misconceptions people have about the real cause.

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Thesis Statement: The thesis typically lays out the problem and solution in the form of a question and answer. See examples below.

Solution : Explain the solution clearly and in detail, your problem-solving strategy, and reasons why your solution will work. In this section, be sure to answer common objections, such as “there is a better solution,” “your solution is too costly,” and “there are more important problems to solve.”

Call to Action: Summarize the problem and solution, and paint a picture of what will happen if your final solution is adopted. Also, let the reader know what steps they should take to help solve the problem.

These are the most used methods of developing and arranging:

Problem Solution Method Recommended if you have to argue that there is a social and current issue at stake and you have convince the listeners that you have the best solution. Introduce and provide background information to show what is wrong now.

List the best and ideal conditions and situations. Show the options. Analyze the proper criteria. And present your plan to solve the not wanted situation.

Problem Cause Solution Method Use this pattern for developing and identifying the source and its causes.

Analyze the causes and propose elucidations to the causes.

Problem Cause-Effect Method Use this method to outline the effects of the quandary and what causes it all. Prove the connection between financial, political, social causes and their effects.

Comparative Advantage Method Use this organizational public speaking pattern as recommendation in case everyone knows of the impasse and the different fixes and agrees that something has to be done.

Here are some examples of problems you could write about, with a couple of potential solutions for each one:

Marriage Problem: How do we reduce the divorce rate?

Solution 1: Change the laws to make it more difficult for couples to divorce.

Solution 2: Impose a mandatory waiting period on couples before they can get married.

Environmental Problem: What should we do to reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Solution 1: Use renewable energy to fuel your home and vehicles.

Solution 2: Make recycling within local communities mandatory.

Technical Problem: How do we reduce Windows error reporting issues on PCs?

Solution 1: Learn to use dialogue boxes and other command prompt functions to keep your computer system clean.

Solution 2: Disable error reporting by making changes to the registry.

Some of the best problems to write about are those you have personal experience with. Think about your own world; the town you live in, schools you’ve attended, sports you’ve played, places you’ve worked, etc. You may find that you love problem-solution papers if you write them on a topic you identify with. To get your creativity flowing, feel free to browse our comprehensive list of problem-solution essay and paper topics and see if you can find one that interests you.

Problem-Solution Topics for Essays and Papers

How do we reduce murder rates in the inner cities?
How do we stop police brutality?
How do we prevent those who are innocent from receiving the death penalty?
How do we deal with the problem of gun violence?
How do we stop people from driving while intoxicated?
How do we prevent people from texting while driving?
How do we stop the growing child trafficking problem?
What is the best way to deal with domestic violence?
What is the best way to rehabilitate ex-cons?
How do we deal with the problem of overcrowded prisons?
How do we reduce binge drinking on college campuses?
How do we prevent sexual assaults on college campuses?
How do we make college tuition affordable?
What can students do to get better grades in college?
What is the best way for students to effectively balance their classes, studies, work, and social life?
What is the best way for college students to deal with a problem roommate?
How can college students overcome the problem of being homesick?
How can college students manage their finances more effectively?
What is the best way for college students to decide on a major?
What should be done about the problem of massive student loan debts?
How do we solve the global debt crisis?
How do we keep countries from employing child labor?
How do we reduce long-term unemployment?
How do we stop businesses from exploiting consumers?
How do we reduce inflation and bring down the cost of living?
How do we reduce the home foreclosure rate?
What should we do to discourage consumer debt?
What is the best way to stimulate economic growth?
How do we lower the prime cost of manufacturing raw materials?
How can book retailers deal with rising bookseller inventory costs and stay competitive with online sellers?
How do we prevent kids from cheating on exams?
How do we reduce the illiteracy rate?
How do we successfully integrate English as a Second Language (ESL) students into public schools?
How do we put an end to the problem of bullying in schools?
How do we effectively teach students life management skills?
How do we give everyone access to a quality education?
How do we develop a system to increase pay for good teachers and get rid of bad ones?
How do we teach kids to problem solve?
How should schools deal with the problem of disruptive students?
What can schools do to improve reading comprehension on standardized test scores?
What is the best way to teach sex education in public schools?
How do we teach students to recognize a noun clause?
How do we teach students the difference between average speed and average velocity?
How do we teach math students to use sign charts?
How can we make public education more like the Webspiration Classroom?
How do we stop pollution in major population centers?
How do we reduce the negative effects of climate change?
How do we encourage homeowners to lower their room temperature in the winter to reduce energy consumption?
What is the best way to preserve our precious natural resources?
How do we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels?
What is the best way to preserve the endangered wildlife?
What is the best way to ensure environmental justice?
How can we reduce the use of plastic?
How do we make alternative energy affordable?
How do we develop a sustainable transportation system?
How can we provide quality health care to all our citizens?
How do we incentivize people to stop smoking?
How do we address the growing doctor shortage?
How do we curb the growing obesity epidemic?
How do we reduce dependence on prescription drugs?
How do we reduce consumption of harmful substances like phosphoric acid and acetic acid?
How can we reduce the number of fatal hospital errors?
How do we handle the health costs of people living longer?
How can we encourage people to live healthier lifestyles?
How do we educate consumers on the risk of laxatives like magnesium hydroxide?
How do we end political corruption?
How do we address the problem of election fraud?
What is the best way to deal with rogue nations that threaten our survival?
What can our leaders do to bring about world peace?
How do we encourage students to become more active in the political process?
What can be done to encourage bipartisanship?
How can we prevent terrorism?
How do we protect individual privacy while keeping the country safe?
How can we encourage better candidates to run for office?
How do we force politicians to live by the rules they impose on everyone else?
What is the best way to get out of a bad relationship?
How do we prevent cyberbullying?
What is the best solution for depression?
How do you find out where you stand in a relationship?
What is the best way to help people who make bad life choices?
How can we learn to relate to people of different races and cultures?
How do we discourage humans from using robots as a substitute for relationships?
What is the best way to deal with a long-distance relationship?
How do we eliminate stereotypical thinking in relationships?
How do you successfully navigate the situation of dating a co-worker?
How do we deal with America’s growing drug problem?
How do we reduce food waste in restaurants?
How do we stop race and gender discrimination?
How do we stop animal cruelty?
How do we ensure that all citizens earn a livable wage?
How do we end sexual harassment in the workplace?
How do we deal with the water scarcity problem?
How do we effectively control the world’s population?
How can we put an end to homelessness?
How do we solve the world hunger crisis?
How do we address the shortage of parking spaces in downtown areas?
How can our cities be made more bike- and pedestrian-friendly?
How do we balance the right of free speech and the right not to be abused?
How can we encourage people to use public transportation?
How do we bring neighborhoods closer together?
How can we eliminate steroid use in sports?
How do we protect players from serious injuries?
What is the best way to motivate young athletes?
What can be done to drive interest in local sports?
How do players successfully prepare for a big game or match?
How should the revenue from professional sports be divided between owners and players?
What can be done to improve local sports venues?
What can be done to ensure parents and coaches are not pushing kids too hard in sports?
How can student athletes maintain high academic standards while playing sports?
What can athletes do to stay in shape during the off-season?
How do we reduce teen pregnancy?
How do we deal with the problem of teen suicide?
How do we keep teens from dropping out of high school?
How do we train teens to be safer drivers?
How do we prevent teens from accessing pornography on the Internet?
What is the best way to help teens with divorced parents?
How do we discourage teens from playing violent video games?
How should parents handle their teens’ cell phone and social media use?
How do we prepare teens to be better workers?
How do we provide a rational decision-making model for teens?
How do we keep companies from mining our private data online and selling it for profit?
How do we prevent artificial intelligence robots from taking over society?
How do we make high-speed internet accessible in rural areas?
How do we stop hackers from breaking into our systems and networks?
How do we make digital payments more secure?
How do we make self-driving vehicles safer?
What is the best way to improve the battery life of mobile devices?
How can we store energy gleaned from solar and wind power?
What is the best way to deal with information overload?
How do we stop computer makers from pre-installing Internet Explorer?

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80+ Problem Solution Speech Topics

A problem/solution speech takes the approach of highlighting an issue with the intent to provide solutions. It is a two-phase approach where first the speaker lays out the problem and explains the importance. Secondly, a variety of solutions are provided to tackle the said issue. The best solutions are those that can be actively applied.

The first problem to tackle is picking a topic. It is a good idea to pick something topical but then again, the world just supplies so many options that it can be overwhelming.

When you are assigned to write a problem-solution essay or research paper, choosing a good topic is the first dilemma you need to work out.

The world is full of issues that need to be resolved. However, it is not sufficient to simply pick a subject because it is topical. Ideally, you should pick a subject that is important to you on some level as well. Speaking about an issue you care about brings out an irreplicable passion that people are sure to respond to. If you’re still confused, we have included a wide variety of topics so that you can pick one that calls out to you.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Introduction:
Thesis Statement:
Cause/Effect:
Call to Action:

Problem Solution Method

Comparative advantage method, social issues, environment, relationships, wrapping up, problem/solution speech outline.

Before we jump into the topics, it can be handy to understand the speech structure of a problem-solution speech. Understanding how to approach a speech script can have an effect on the topic you pick. Oftentimes, we are confident we can speak about a subject but once we begin the draft, we realize we don’t actually have that much to say.

So take a good look at what elements you need to include in your problem/solution speech:

Introduction:

The introduction is a key part of any speech. This is where you will try to grab the audience’s attention, establish the problem statement, and highlight your key points. It is in your introduction that you will need to explain why the presented issue is an issue. The objective is to convince the audience that the problem at hand is one that requires attention.

If you need help with effective attention-grabbers, you can browse our article on 12 Effective Attention-Grabbers for your speech .

Thesis Statement:

The thesis statement is where you will present the problem you are about to tackle. Typically the problem is laid out in the form of a question. You will also be talking about your stance on the presented problem.

Cause/Effect:

Before you launch into giving solutions after highlighting the problem, you need to explain the gravity of the problem at hand. You can do so by explaining what negative consequences occur due to said problem. The more you personalize the effects, the more likely you are to capture their attention.

Solution:

Once you talk about all the negative impacts of the presented problem, it is time to give the audience the solutions. Explain all the solutions step-by-step and talk about the evidence why the said solution will work. Make sure not to give solutions that are too vague. If there are common misconceptions about the solutions, address them as well. Discuss both pros and cons of the proposed solutions and explain why the pros outweigh the cons.

Call to Action:

The most important part of a problem/solution type speech is the call to action. This is when you encourage the audience to take the necessary steps to solve the problem. You can do so by painting a picture of the expected results of your proposed solutions. Don’t end on a vague note that sounds like “Together, we can.” Instead, give actionable steps, such as “I encourage each and every one of you to go home and separate your recycling trash.”

Problem/Solution Presentation Techniques

There is more than one way to present a problem/solution model. You might want to look into these techniques to switch up your speaking style.

The classic take is best used for taking a stance against a social or current issue. In such a case, you will highlight a known issue and suggest probable solutions for it. You can approach this method by informing the audience about the issue, a brief history, all geared to explain why the topic is a problem in the first place.

Follow that up by describing an ideal condition without the said issue. Once you create a tempting picture, offer up more than one solution that is applicable to the situation. Explain the hurdles and how they can be overcome. Make sure it is clear that you’ve thought about the problem from both sides of the issue.

Comparative advantage models are useful when tackling a problem that seems to be at an impasse. It is when an issue is well known and has multiple fixes with their own group of supporters. Here, you can take a comparative approach to show the pros and cons of all the different solutions. The key difference is that the general consensus is already there about the importance of tackling the problem, but only the correct solution needs to be selected.

Problem-Solution Speech Topics

Here is our extensive list of problem/solution speech topics:

Adopting dogs is more ethical than getting a new puppy.
How education can solve generational poverty.
Tackling anxiety by adopting a pet.
Ebooks over books to save the environment.
One-child policy: unethical but effective.
Donating as a solution to fight global poverty.
Do your part, go vegan to fight world hunger.
Keep wikipedia alive for free information with donations.
Kindness can begin with a compliment.
What can we do to ensure government sanctions against companies using child labor?
Sorting out your waste and what it can do for the environment.
The necessary switch to bicycles to tackle pollution.
Why encouraging volunteering at an early age can produce better citizens.
High time to make the switch to solar and wind energy.
Self-driving cars are the future of road safety.
Bike lanes and bike laws enhance traffic safety.
Effective gun sales management can help reduce reckless deaths.
Normalize selling colored dolls in all shapes and sizes to promote confidence in children.
How data became the new oil?
How to stay private in an increasingly social world?
Why is high-speed internet still not considered a basic need for rural areas?
Ethical hacking and why is there a draw to it?
Digital payments and how to guarantee security.
Change your passwords. Why your data is in danger!
Self-driving vehicles, should we handover 100% of the control?
Have lithium batteries on mobile phones already reached their peak?
How can technology promote the use of renewable energy?
How to keep up with the overwhelming news cycle?
How can we destigmatize video game addiction?
How can we shift education to a virtual platform?
How to smoothen the transition from home-schooling to college.
What are some new methods to tackle the rampant cheating on exams?
How can we reduce the illiteracy rate?
It’s high time to end bullying in schools.
How to normalize homesickness as a problem and tackle it?
Education is not enough, students need life management skills.
Is accessibility to quality education sufficient currently?
How can we guarantee sufficient pay for quality teachers?
How can problem-solving be taught in schools?
Is detention an effective solution for disruptive students?
How you can help your suicidal friend.
Are we doing enough to improve standardized test score results?
Effective ways to increase attention in class.
How can we make sex education mandatory in public schools?
Creative ways to get students to love maths.
Does looking at the stars stimulate brain activity?
How can we tackle the growing obesity epidemic?
How spending time outdoors can boost your mood.
The Pomodoro Technique and why it works for productivity.
Can meditation be the answer to growing stress?
Can we incentivize smokers to give up smoking?
How to increase responsibility for fatal hospital errors?
Fitness apps and how it can benefit health.
How augmented reality glasses can be a gamechanger for people with disabilities.
How does taking baths reduce stress and anxiety?
Burnout: the need to go offline.
Better posture to tackle back pain.
Does reading out loud help improve critical thinking?
Child obesity: a preventable evil.
Encouraging more greens to help children improve their memory.
How global pollution can be tackled locally.
Climate change. Why it is too late and what can still be done.
Does lower room temperature really help reduce energy consumption?
How to do our part in preserving natural resources?
Is it time to stop depending on fossil fuels?
How to preserve wildlife from going extinct?
Are current environmental laws sufficient to keep it protected?
Improving public transport to reduce the number of private cars.
How can we upgrade our transportation to be more sustainable?
Why hunting should be illegal in any circumstances.
It is high time to replace plastic. What are our options?
Is it enough to make alternative energy affordable?
Signs of a toxic relationship.
How to pull yourself out of an emotionally abusive relationship.
Should parents be allowed to control teens’ social media accounts?
How to manage expectations in a relationship?
Recognize negative people and take active steps to avoid them.
How to help domestic violence victims?
Why it is pointless to try changing someone.
How to say “no” in a way that they listen?
How to maintain a work-life balance in today’s world.
Why couples counseling needs to stop being taboo.
Is it possible to bridge the gap across different races and cultures?
How technology is capitalizing on the growing need for human contact.
Long-distance relationships. Can you make it work?
Modern-day relationships and how expectations have changed.

A problem/solution speech is a great topic as it falls under the informational category. As such, it is much easier to capture the audience’s attention. In terms of delivery, make sure you sell the problem before handing out the solution. Following the above outline and tips paired with your amazing content, we are sure you will be able to win over any audience with ease. Make sure you do your research well and triple-check your sources. All that is left to do is practice. See you on the stage!

Problem Solution Speech Topics, Outline & Examples

The problem solution speech is a type of informative speech that enumerates various problems and provides possible solutions to those problems.

If you have been asked to give such a speech, your goal should be to explain the problem and provide realistic and achievable suggestions to address it. In most cases, problem solution speeches are given with the hope that the audience will be inspired to do something about the problems that they are facing.

There are many pressing issues in society today that could be considered ripe material for a problem solution speech. For example, racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and ageism are all major social problems that need to be addressed.

Of course, you can’t just pick any old problem and start talking about it – you need to make sure that your topic is something that your audience will actually care about and be interested in hearing.

Problem-Solution Speech Outline

The key to delivering an effective problem-solution speech is to develop an outline and a step-by-step plan that will help focus on different parts of your speech.

Here is a basic outline that you can use for your problem-solution speech:

Introduction

Introduce yourself and give a brief overview of the problem that you will be discussing. This is also where you will need to state your thesis – that is, what solution you think is best for the problem.

Make sure that you are concise and to the point – you don’t want to give your audience too much information, as they will likely tune out if you do.

Thesis/Statement of the problem

Explain what the problem is that you will be discussing. This is where you will need to do your research and really dig into the details of the issue so it is interesting and your speech has gravity.

Also, make sure that your problem is something that can actually be solved – there is no point in discussing a problem if there is no possible solution.

Cause/Effect

Discuss the causes of the problem and the effects that it has on different people or groups. This is where you will really start to get into the nitty-gritty of your topic and show your audience that you understand the issue at hand.

Make sure to back up any claims that you make with research or data so that your speech is credible. Use attention getters to hook your audience and keep them interested.

Potential solutions

This is the meat of your problem-solution speech. Discuss different potential solutions to the problem and explain why you think they would be effective.

Again, make sure to back up your claims with research or data so that your audience knows that you have thoughtfully considered the issue and possible solutions. Keep it realistic – don’t propose a solution that is impossible to achieve.

Call to action

You have now armed your audience with the knowledge of the problem and potential solutions – now what? You will need to challenge your audience to actually do something about the issue.

This could be something as simple as signing a petition or donating to a cause, or it could be something more ambitious like starting a new organization or campaign. Whatever you choose, make sure it is achievable and that your audience knows how they can take action.

Use the outline above to tailor the specifics of your speech to fit your particular audience and situation and deliver an effective problem-solution speech.

Problem-Solution Presentation Techniques

Once you have your outline ready, it’s time to start working on your delivery. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you prepare your problem-solution speech:

Be passionate : This is not the time for a dry, academic approach. You need to be enthusiastic about the issue at hand and really sell your audience on why they should care.
Be clear : Make sure that your audience understands the problem and potential solutions. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon.
Be concise : Remember, you only have a limited amount of time to make your case. Get to the point and don’t ramble.
Use stories : A personal story or anecdote can be a powerful way to connect with your audience and make your speech more relatable.
Use visuals : Visual aids can be a great way to engage your audience and break up your speech. Just make sure that they are clear and easy to understand.
Practice, practice, practice : The only way to get comfortable with delivering a problem-solution speech is to practice it as much as you can. So get in front of a mirror, or even better, ask a friend or family member to listen to you and give feedback. The more you practice, the more confident you will be and overcome your fear of public speaking .

Problem-Solution Speech Topics

1. How can we make sure that all animals are treated humanely?

2. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to animal welfare?

3. How can we make sure that all animals have access to proper care and shelter?

4. Why should we care about animal rights?

5. Why is wildlife conservation important?

6. Why animal testing is cruel?

7. Why should the exotic pet trade be stopped?

9. What can we do about the food industry and mass animal killing?

1. How can we make sure that our technology is accessible to everyone?

2. What are the most important things to keep in mind when using social media?

3. How can we make sure that our online information is safe and secure?

4. What should we do about cyberbullying?

6. How can we make sure that our technology is sustainable?

7. What are the most important things to keep in mind when using new technology?

8. How can we make sure that our technology is user-friendly?

9. What should we do about outdated technology?

10. How can we make sure that our technology is accessible to people with disabilities?

11. What are the most important things to keep in mind when using technology in the classroom?

12. How can we make sure that our technology is used for good and not for evil?

13. What should we do about the digital divide?

14. How can we make sure that our technology is used responsibly?

15. What should we do about the growing problem of e-waste?

16. What are the most important things to keep in mind when using technology in the workplace?

17. What should we do about the increasing dependence on technology?

Relationships

1. How can we improve communication in relationships?

2. What are the biggest problems faced by long-distance relationships?

3. How can we make sure that our relationships are built on trust?

4. What causes jealousy in relationships and how can it be overcome?

5. When is it time to end a relationship?

6. How can we deal with infidelity in a relationship?

7. How can we make sure that our relationships are healthy and balanced?

8. What causes arguments in relationships and how can they be resolved?

9. What are the most important things to keep in mind when raising a family?

10. How can single parents make sure that their children are getting the attention they need?

11. What effect does social media have on relationships?

12. How can we make sure that our relationship with our parents is healthy and supportive?

13. What should we do when our friends or family get into a toxic relationship?

14. How can we deal with envy or jealousy within our friendships?

15. How can we deal with a friend or family member who is going through a tough break-up?

16. How can new relationships be started off on the right foot?

17. What are the most important things to keep in mind when moving in with a partner?

18. What should we do when our relationship starts to fizzle out?

19. How can we deal with the death of a loved one?

20. How can therapy help us improve our relationships?

Social Issues

1. How can we make sure that everyone has access to clean water?

2. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to food security?

3. How can we make sure that all children have access to education?

4. What are the most effective ways of helping people who are homeless?

5. How can we make sure that everyone has access to healthcare?

6. What are the most effective ways of combating climate change?

7. How can we make sure that our cities are sustainable?

8. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to transportation?

9. How can we make sure that our economy is fair and just?

10. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to social inequality?

11. How can we make sure that our government is effective and efficient?

12. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to voting?

13. How can we make sure that our media is responsible and ethical?

14. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to privacy?

15. How can we make sure that our technology is used responsibly?

16. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to security?

17. How can we make sure that our world is peaceful?

18. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to human rights?

19. How can we make sure that our world is sustainable?

20. What are the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to the environment?

Problem Solution Speech Topics Ideas

Problem solution speech topics ideas should be aimed at fulfilling two aims of problem-solving:

To convey a specific problem you have chosen to reflect on;
To provide persuasive solutions to it.

How to Choose a Problem and Make the Essay Interesting

The matter of selecting a problem for discussion and critical analysis directly depends on the type of target audience you will present a paper. For instance, if the audience consists of people belonging to a specific profession or research area, then, before designing a problem-solution speech outline, it would be logical to come up with a topic connected with their area of research or the scope of their interest. There are also cases when the audience selects the topic of presentation or speech for you beforehand. If it is a general audience, then it is prudent to select topics that are controversial, appealing to the general public, or that are rather challenging, such as environmental concerns and threats, ethical dilemmas, financial aspects, crime rates in the community, international problems and challenges, and so on. With these tips in mind, you will definitely provide the best proposal speech ever.

Another method to come up with the right entertainment speech ideas is to ask the event organizer to gather ideas from the audience regarding what topics they would love to hear about and further discuss.

On the whole, whatever method of topic selection you choose, the most important thing is to make sure you have sufficient evidence and clear illustrative examples to reflect on the topic in-depth and provide convincing arguments. In any case, if you are lost among the ideas for the topic discussion, opt for one of your personal experience speech ideas.

Whatever method you use to select your problem topic, ensure that you have clear examples, convincing facts, or credible data that supports your position on the matter.

How to Find Solutions

The solutions and recommendations that you put forward should be practical and resourceful. Besides, it should be clear how exactly they can be applied to the real case you are discussing. As you are contemplating how the solution will be effective, keep in mind that your audience will be involved in their own reflection on the topic as well. So, make sure you are persuasive enough.

How to Provide Proper Support for Your Argument

Supporting examples can be related to your personal experience with the help of which you can make the argument stronger and more convincing. When critically analyzing the topic, make sure you know how much the audience knows about it. If much information is left to be explained, interpreted, and so on, make sure you do it. If there is a need to provide background information to make everything clear, then do it as well.

On the contrary, if the audience comprises experts in the scope of research you have focused on, they will surely expect more originality and novelty from you. Therefore, make sure you provide adequate problem-solving examples for your proposal paper. Generally known standard information won’t be the best option.

If the listeners are complete novices to the topic, then try to introduce them to the topic gradually. When it comes to solutions, make sure they are more related to tried and tested principles and approaches. If you are delivering a speech to an audience that is not well-versed in the topic of your proposal essay, then it is recommended to provide a detailed and clear discussion wherein you provide a solution right after each problem you mention.

Problem-solution articles can also have such a structure where you provide the causes of the issue prior to the discussion of solutions. This strategy comes in handy as concentrating on the underlying cause assists in providing more solid support for the explanations, thus providing more reliability and credibility to the solutions.

Moreover, your personal viewpoint on the central issue should be presented in the process of proposing a solution. This way, your speech will be more convincing in that you will share your experience with the people who listen to you.

Concluding your problem/solution speech, make sure you provide a brief synopsis of the core issues, particularly solutions as your audience should remember them particularly well.

The Best Problem Solution Speech Topics for College Students

Professors frequently assign problem-solution speech topics for college students either for written assignments or oral presentations. Regardless of the type of speech topics for college that you have been assigned, you need to select a topic that is of particular interest to you and your target audience. Only when you demonstrate originality in the choice of your topic will you stand out as an original speaker/ writer and will thus be more appreciated by your professor and the audience. When you want just to provide an overview of the problem, then you have to search among the list of good informative speech topics for college students. Still, when you need to demonstrate your skills in critical and analytical writing, it is recommended to organize the essay as a persuasive one.

From the persuasive writing prompts enlisted below, try to select the one that you are well versed in and that aroused the greatest deal of interest in you. Only with these two basic criteria kept in mind will you be able to provide a successfully written problem-solution persuasive paper.

A List of Problem Cause Solution Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students

The list of problem-cause solution persuasive speech topics provided below will help you come up with interesting research ideas for your speech. Take a look at the numerous options for social issues and other problems in society to write about.

The problem of spying and media leaks in international and domestic communications.
How to ensure local food movement support? Will it have a positive impact on the local entrepreneurship?
The restrictions on the exploitation of the Antarctic resources should be maintained and the Antarctic should be viewed as a preserved place merely devoted to science.
Media marketed for youths and teens convey immoral and unethical ideas.
The FBI should keep the self-proclaimed militia under scrutiny.
Tax incentives should be introduced for adopting children internationally.
Foreign help to dictatorships should be eradicated by the government.
Online learning can be equaled to classroom education in terms of its effectiveness and accessibility.
In-vitro fertilization should be prohibited.
The issue of minors getting tattoos should be more controlled by legal institutions: minors should either be accompanied by their guardians or be given written consent from them.
Dependence on ACT and SAT scores during admissions should be abolished.
Surveillance cameras should record all trials in court.
Student-athletes representing their educational establishment in competitions should be given scholarships to cover at least partial college expenses.
All students should be encouraged to enroll in foreign language courses and speaking clubs.
Usage of technological advancement in teaching.
Beauty contests in schools and colleges should be banned.
Staffed flights into space are far more expensive than unstaffed research missions.
Students should not be harshly encouraged or pushed to participate in sports competitions.
The federal government should adopt a law that standardizes trunk release systems in new transport.
Race, ethnicity, and gender equality should be supported in politics.
Mobile phone usage, texting, and Internet use in the classroom prevent students from being involved in the studying process and lower their attention span.
The usage of paperback textbooks should be eradicated and changed into e-book usage.
College students should be more cautious and prudent when posting controversial or personal information online.
The acute immigration problem will hardly ever be solved by constructing the border fence.
Cyber-attacks pose threats internationally.
Recycling should be encouraged worldwide.
The contemporary taxation system does not fairly treat lower-income and middle-income population groups.
Media advertisements targeted at children population should be banned by the government.
Oil companies should get disaster control before engaging in offshore drilling.
Feminists’ standpoint devalues family and motherhood.
The problem of identity theft is extremely aggravated and the community should pay attention to it.
Girls should be prohibited from participating in football and wrestling competitions.
Social networks do not interfere with school education.
Networks in educational establishments should have special filters to prevent students from accessing inappropriate material.
The pressing need for school system reform.
Advertisements engaging children should be restricted at the government level.
Fast food restaurants should initiate the campaign of publicly displaying calories next to each meal.
The government should release churches from tax incentives.
Patients suffering from chronic mental diseases should be preserved in “halfway houses” instead of mental hospitals.
The government should not allow the allocation of billboards on interstate highways.
Weapons should not be sold internationally across the countries.
Marriage should not be allowed before school graduation.
The role of the United Nations internationally.
The role of art and music therapy in patients’ rehabilitation.
Educated people should work as tutors of literacy on a voluntary basis in third-world countries.
People molesting children should be restricted from the right to adopt.
Psychologists and psychiatrists should witness and testify in the court of law representing the non-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity.
Security should be increased in motels and hotels as a means to guarantee security for all its residents regardless of their income.
The National Health Insurance Program is supposed to provide basic health care for all US citizens independent of their income.
The construction and building of venues before the Olympic Games should be banned by UNESCO as it harms a lot.

Evidently, the argument topics list entails current issues that are taking place in the contemporary world. To submit a successful paper, make sure to conduct in-depth research on your selected topic and create an impressive paper that will last in memory for a long.

Problem Solution Speech on the Topic of Policy Advocacy

The question of policy persuasive speech topics remains extremely acute for students because frequently they do not know where to start after they have read numerous essay samples. Particularly, students may be confused about the way of organizing information for a speech. To ease the task of writing a properly structured speech paper, check out the following recommended way of paper organization for a policy advocacy speech.

I. Introduction

Attention-grabber: you might provide some controversial fact, relate to personal experience, provide shocking/ impressive statistics, use a rhetorical question or a dramatic quote, etc. (all these devices are used for capturing attention from the target audience);

Relation to the audience: Pinpoint to how the issue under discussion relates to the target audience. Do it either implicitly or explicitly, but regardless of the option you choose, make sure the listeners understand their relation to the topic. If you have chosen to focus on a problem seriously affecting people, express your point of view on how exactly the problem influences the audience.

Credibility of the problem: Emphasize the problem’s significance and why it is worth others’ attention. Provide one or more reasons to make the audience understand why you have decided to speak on this subject area.

Preview: Provide a brief synopsis (overview) of the paper. You need to provide sufficient background information on the topic, especially if the audience is not well-versed in it. For example, you might briefly describe the problem in a few words and then switch over to focusing on the possible solutions.

II. Body: The Problem Identification and Solution Proposal

Identify the problem: Develop a paragraph where you provide an overview of the central problem. Appeal to ratio and emotion, as it is preferable to engage the reader both on an intellectual and emotional level. There are two recommended ways of problem identification and development – qualitative and quantitative.

According to the qualitative approach, you have to present argumentation for the claims that answer the following questions:

What makes me indifferent about the problem? Or why should I actually care?
How am I affected by the problem?
How serious is the issue under discussion?

To help readers understand the problem in depth, make sure to provide examples from your personal experience or provide real-life examples related to other people. This data will not make the statistics too narrow but will add more appealing details to demonstrate how serious the issue is.

According to the quantitative approach, the arguments and support you provide should be related to such questions:

How large is the problem?
How much is it widespread and what is the problem scope?

When a writer investigates the scope of the problem, the larger it is – the less detailed evidence is required.

Focus on the causes: The causes of the problem should be closely examined: provide ample evidence, examples, and recent study results. Keep in mind that not every topic requires developing the problem’s causes. Still, if you think that the causes you provide will make the audience more susceptible to trusting your viewpoint. Such an approach is used when there exist multiple opinions on causes.

Put forward the solution: When investigating the possible solution(s), make sure to organize the information in the following way:

Provide a plan: First and foremost, pinpoint the exact change in policy, law, or campaign you are suggesting. Briefly describe the step (the introduction of the new law, implementation of the new program, short synopsis of the program, etc.). The main aim at this point is to make the audience understand the kind of change you are suggesting.
Provide supporting argumentation and evidence for the suggested solutions: You should clearly pinpoint how the solution will eliminate the ongoing risks or threats caused by the pending problem. Make sure that you link supporting evidence to the plan.

Provide credible expert evidence that clearly highlights the ways the solution would reduce the burning issue: When citing outside sources and specific examples/ materials researched by scholars, make sure you tell the audience about the credentials of the researchers. Your target audience should be sure that the information you rely on can be trusted and that is it believable overall. If you provide information that even you don’t know by whom it was put forward, then your paper will have no expert value.

Results of the study: If the research included some experimental study that aimed at supporting your solution, make sure you discuss the results and interpret them properly. Provide a brief synopsis of how many people took part in the experiment/ interview/ sociological study and what the results indicate.

Empirical evidence and pilot studies: With the help of such supporting evidence, you will emphasize that the problem has solutions related to real-life events and experiences. You might also pinpoint how small changes in the localities might affect the problem in a large-scale area. Such supporting evidence is really beneficial as it indicates that the effects happened in real surroundings with real people rather than in a laboratory environment.

Personal or peer testimony: It is not recommended to use this evidence as a priority as it is rather weak on its own. Still, if you add this evidence together with the other aforementioned types, it can significantly add up to the paper’s credibility.

Address general disadvantages: When coming up with a policy change, keep in mind that it can solve the existing problem as well as create a new one. Therefore, it is advisable to outline the potential disadvantages of the problem after you have discussed its benefits and positive effects. To make your position strong, make sure to refute the counter-arguments because when you just ignore the negative aspects, the audience will not accept or perceive your solution.

III. Conclusion

Provide a short review of the persisting problem and suggested ways out. Make sure you provide a call for action at the end of the conclusive paragraph, where you provide encouraging information that will make the audience remember your paper.

Review of the problem and solution
Closing thought to encourage the audience to remember the speech.

Problem Solution Topics for Your Perfect Speech

The problem solution speech topics that you will find below will help you choose, identify, and organize the way of presenting your essay. As you select the topic, you will research it properly in order to persuade the audience that a particular problem exists and that it is possible to come up with solutions to it. Moreover, you will learn how to convince the audience and make them accept your viewpoint and maybe even change their previously existing biases regarding the issue. Before you start the topic selection process, make sure you are well aware of the core elements that are necessary in such a type of writing. Check them out:

Indicate the problem and mention specifically what factors make it an actual problem. Provide sufficient background information, pinpoint to the problem’s significance, and let the audience understand the scope of the problem and its overall effect. Make sure you appeal to reasoning and emotion: let the audience understand the needs so that it is convinced by the information you provide.
Advocate for a solution and provide a detailed plan on how it can be applied in practice.
Visualize the practical aspect of your solution. Demonstrate how the solutions will come in handy in improving the situation. Emphasize on their practical aspect and general effectiveness. Pay attention to a brief discussion of alternatives with which you do not agree. State how they are impractical and problematic. To put it briefly, you need to highlight the counterarguments and refute them.
Call to action. Convince the audience to accept your position on the change implementation of the proposed policy or campaign. Or provide an implicit call to action, wherein you make a hint on the policy change.

How to Choose a Proper Problem Solution Speech Topic

If you have been invited to deliver a speech to the public, first of all, find out who your target audience comprises in terms of professional and personal interests. Despite the solid experience you might have about the research area, the audience may not find interest in your topic if it is not adjacent to their scope of interest. Therefore, be cautious when coming up with the topic of your speech or presentation. If the type of your speech has to be structured in the form of a problem-solution paper, then make sure to identify the burning issue, investigate questions and opinions concerning it, and also identify the controversy behind the issue.

When thinking of which topic might be interested in writing about, ask yourself the following questions:

What would you like to talk about (here choose more than one option).
How do you think – will your potential audience like the topic of your choice? Explain your viewpoint.
How long do you plan to talk? Is your chosen topic sufficient for this type of presentation?
What are your personal opinions and biases regarding the problem?
Which topic are you most interested in? Which topic would be easy to talk about?
After you have explored the professional realms of your listeners, think of the most topical problems pertaining to the topic.
Think of whether you can provide personal experience examples or share your personal goals.

List of Speech Topics for Problem-Solution Presentation

Business area: work surroundings; career goals; bankruptcy; corporate ethics; abuse in marketing.

Teaching and education: peer pressure at school; cheating during exams; online learning versus classroom learning; education at home; sex education at school; internship opportunities.

Environmental aspects: climate change; global warming; alternative sources of energy; depletion of natural resources.

Nourishment and health: food labeling; diets and how to maintain healthy eating; problems of mentally ill people; health care in third-world countries; being vegetarian.

Politics and global issues: spying; international threats; problems with overpopulation.

Legislation and issues in the court of law: punishment for child molesters; drunk driving; frequency of juvenile aggression and delinquency; immigration and fence borders; tax incentives on church property.

Social problems: dealing with the homeless; sexual abuse; domestic violence; the effect of divorce on families; peer pressure; bullying; self-esteem; wage levels; teen drinking; gambling; discrimination on racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds.

So far, you have a brief list of possible problem-solving essay topics. You may choose some of them for discussion or maybe they will inspire you to choose some other topic to reflect on. To properly develop the topics, make sure to examine them more closely and find some adjacent areas to them. Also thoroughly examine the dimensions of each topic investigation.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What aspects of the problem have already been researched? Why have some been omitted?
How could one describe the existing obstacles to solving the problem?
How long does the problem persist?
What are the costs needed for problem-solving?
Will the problem aggravate if no measures are taken?
Should the problem be immediately addressed?
Has your target audience in particular been affected by your selected problem? In what way?
What supporting evidence could you provide to emphasize the importance of the problem?
What argumentation can you provide to demonstrate that your solutions are right and worth attention?
What facts/ figures/ supporting evidence could help the target audience understand the issue more comprehensively?

Working on the Solution

Write down all potential and alternative solutions. Keep in mind various aspects, merits, and features that could convince the audience to accept your standpoint. Investigate figures and facts; provide illustrations and real-life examples as support for your solutions. Do it consistently, step-by-step for each of the proposed solutions.
Choose the most important and effective solution to the existing problem. Pinpoint to how your solution plan can be applied in practice. Refer to outside sources; cite credible sources; consult sources written by experts in their field of study.
Devise a step-by-step implementation plan for each of the suggested solutions. Recommend specific procedures. Investigate the cost, effect, and necessary actions.
Call to action; time and place.
Other required constituents for the implementation of the plan.

If your listeners comprise people from different educational backgrounds or various professional spheres, then the decisive factor for choosing the topic should lie in choosing the topic that is most topical for the majority. Another option is to come up with a topic that presumably meets the needs of the bulk of the audience. If all of your listeners are well aware of the problem, then pay more attention to the fact of how much the topic is workable and reasonable. If you want to provide counter-arguments for the change policy campaign, then focus on the probable limitations and drawbacks of the policy.

How to Provide an Outline for a Problem Solution Speech

Below you will find the most appropriate methods for developing problem-solution topics:

Problem Solution Method

This strategy is advisable if you have chosen a contemporary social problem and have to convince the audience that your solution is the best one among those that have been previously provided. As such, provide a proper introduction where you entail sufficient background information in order to pinpoint the problem’s significance. Afterward, list the most appropriate situations and conditions that might serve as supporting evidence for justifying your position. Present a clearly defined plan for solving the problem.

Problem Cause Solution Method

This strategy is the most appropriate for solution topics. Here you need to single out the problem and investigate its causes. Further, you have to provide a critical analysis of the causes and put forward adequate solutions.

Problem Cause-Effect Method

This strategy comes in handy when outlining the aftermath of your problem-cause topic.

Comparative Advantage Method

You need to compare and contrast the identified solutions to the problem outlined.

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Problem Solution Speech Topics

When working with problem solution speech topics there are two main objectives to consider:

to articulate clearly a particular problem, and
to present convincing solutions.

The requirement to fix the problem defines the problem-solution speech as a persuasive presentation. You may consider any of the persuasive speech topics that you have a proposal or a plan as a question for a problem-solution speech.

Selecting Problems

Deciding on what problem or issue you want to discuss may depend on the type of audience you'll be addressing.

If they comprise people from a particular profession, industry or social group, then it's quite natural to select an issue from their field. The audience might even have selected your topic for you beforehand.

For a generic audience, matters of public interest are a good place to pick subjects, such as national challenges, community crime, environmental concerns or personal finances.

Another method is to ask the event facilitator ahead of time to get ideas from the audience as to issues they might want you to discuss. This way you'll be addressing concerns specific to the audience.

A slightly more complex approach is taking a generally accepted issue, proposing a contrary view and presenting alternative viewpoints.

For example, 'beer is healthy for you' or that 'animal-derived clothing textiles are better for the environment than synthetics'. This can only be pulled off if you are very well versed in the matter, have strong supporting evidence and fairly good speaking skills because you'll be a minority in the face of a majority audience with opposing opinions.

Whatever method you use to select your problem topic ensure that you have clear examples, convincing facts or credible data that supports your position on the matter.

Finding Solutions

The alternatives that you offer should be practical and applicable. Remember that as you are explaining the solution, your listeners will be thinking to themselves how possible it is to apply what you are saying.

Therefore, relating real life solutions, using various props and incorporating valid statistics can be really useful in supporting your argument.

Keep in mind how acquainted the audience is with the topic. If they are experts in the field, they will be expecting you to present novel ideas or innovative solutions that are over and above the standard procedures.

Handling Multiple-Aspect Problem Solution Speech Topics

When discussing several problems in one speech, organize your speech such that you present a solution after each problem you mention. This way the audience follows your argument well and doesn't get muddled about which answer is for what problem.

Problem solution speech topics can also include the causes of the problem before you give the solutions. Identifying the underlying causes help support your explanation and gives your solution more credibility.

Additionally, your personal opinion on the matter should be in line with the solutions you are presenting because your passion for the topic will come through in the delivery.

If you have bought into the solution, then your speech will be more persuasive and you will be in a better position to swing the audience to your viewpoint.

At the conclusion of the speech, summarize the issues, especially the solutions, as this is what you want your audience to remember best.

If you are having to work on problem solution speech topics in a classroom environment then you were probably given the subject you are to talk on. Keep everything above in mind when you write your speech up and you'll do great!

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10.10: Persuasive Speech Examples

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Lisa Coleman, Thomas King, & William Turner

Lisa Coleman, Thomas King, & William Turner
Southwest Tennessee Community College

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Example Outlines

Sample cause/effect persuasive speech.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classmates to eliminate their Facebook use.

Introduction

Attention-Getter: There she was late into the night still wide awake staring at her phone’s screen. In fact, she had to be at work early in the morning but scrolling through her Facebook account kept her awake.

Reveal Topic: That girl was me before I deactivated my Facebook account. I honestly could not tell you how many hours I spent on Facebook. In the survey that I presented to you all, one person admitted to spending “too much” time on Facebook.

Credibility: That was me in the past, I spent too much time on Facebook. Time is precious and once it is gone it does not return. So why do you spend precious time on Facebook? The time that could be spent with family, resting, or just being more productive.

Thesis/Preview: Facebook users should eliminate their usage because Facebook can negatively affect their relationships with others, their sleeping patterns and health, and their ability to focus on schoolwork.

I. Family relationships can be affected by your Facebook usage.

A. In the survey conducted in class, 11 of 15 students confessed to having ignored someone while they were speaking.

1. I found myself ignoring my children while they spoke.

2. Noticed other people doing the same thing, especially in parks and restaurants.

B. According to Lynn Postell-Zimmerman on hg.org, Facebook has become a leading cause of divorce.

C. In the United States, 1 in 5 couples mentioned Facebook as a reason for divorce in 2009.

Transition: We have discussed how Facebook usage can lead to poor relationships with people, next we will discuss how Facebook can affect your sleep patterns and health.

II. Facebook usage can negatively affect your sleep patterns and health.

A. Checking Facebook before bed.

1. In my survey 11 students said they checked their Facebook account before bed.

2. Staying on Facebook for long hours before bed.

B. Research has shown that Facebook can cause depression, anxiety, and addiction.

1. According to researchers Steels, Wickham, and Acitelli in an article in the Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology titled “Seeing everyone else’s highlight reels: How Facebook usage is linked to depressive symptoms,” because Facebook users only view the positive of their friend’s life, they become unhappy with their life, and it can lead to becoming depressed and unhappy.

2. Marissa Maldonado on psychcentral.com, concluded from recent studies that, “Facebook increases people’s anxiety levels by making them feel inadequate and generating excess worry and stress.”

3. Facebook addiction is a serious issue, according to the article “Too much Facebook leads to anger and depression” found on cnn.com and written by Cara Reedy.

a. Checking Facebook everywhere we go is a sign of addiction

b. Not being able to deactivate your Facebook account.

Transitions: Many of you have probably never thought of Facebook as a threat to your health, but we will now review how it can affect you as a college student.

III. Facebook negatively affects students.

A. I often found myself on Facebook instead of doing schoolwork.

B. I was constantly checking Facebook which takes away from study time.

C. I also found myself checking Facebook while in class, which can lead to poor grades and getting in trouble with the professor.

D. A study of over 1,800 college students showed a negative relationship between the amount of Facebook time and GPA, as reported by Junco in a 2012 article titled, “Too much face and not enough books” from the journal Computers and Human Behavior.

I. In conclusion, next time you log on to Facebook try deactivating your account for a few days and see the difference. You will soon see how it can bring positive changes in your family relationships, will avoid future health problems, will help you sleep better, and will improve your school performance.

II. Instead of communicating through Facebook try visiting or calling your close friends. Deactivating my account truly helped me, and I can assure you we all can survive without Facebook.

Works Cited

Junco, R. (2012). Too much face and not enough books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(1), 187-198.

Maldonado, M. (2014). The anxiety of Facebook. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-anxiety-of-facebook/

Postell-Zimmerman, L. (1995-2015). Facebook has become a leading cause in divorce cases. HG.org. Retrieved from http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=27803

Reedy, C. (2015, March 2). Too much Facebook leads to envy and depression. CNNMoney. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/02/ technology/facebook-envy/

Steers, M. L. N., Wickham, R. E., & Acitelli, L. K. (2014). Seeing everyone else’s highlight reels: How Facebook usage is linked to depressive symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 33(8), 701-731. DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2014.33.8.701

Sample Problem/Solution Persuasive Speech

Topic: Antibacterial Chemicals

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the use of antibacterial chemicals in household products is creating health and environmental problems.

Central Idea or Thesis: After looking at the problems created by antibacterial products, we’ll explore some solutions.

I. (Attention Grabber) In the film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble , a boy born with a deficient immune system is forced to live in a germ-free environment to prevent him from contracting infections. His room is sealed against bacteria and viruses, his food is specially prepared, and his only human contact comes in the form of gloved hands.

II. (Reveal Topic) Today millions of Americans are trying to build a bubble around themselves and their families to keep out germs. The bubble is not made of plastic, however, but millions of dollars' worth of antibacterial hand wipes, soaps, and sponges.

III. (Credibility) Before I studied antibacterial products in my public health class, I always used antibacterial hand soaps and antibacterial all-surface cleaner for my apartment. I also know from my class survey that 70 percent of you use antibacterial soaps, cleaners, and other products. But after learning about the subject in class and reading research studies for this speech, I’m here to tell you that, try as we might, we cannot build a bubble between ourselves and germs with antibacterial products and that these products actually create more problems than they solve.

IV. (Thesis) After looking at the problems created by antibacterial products, we’ll explore some solutions.

I. The use of antibacterial chemicals in household products is a serious problem.

A. The place to begin is by noting that antibacterial products are popping up just about everywhere.

1. The next time you go to the store, try to find a liquid soap that is not antibacterial.

a. According to the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, 75 percent of all liquid soaps and 33 percent of all bar soaps are antibacterial.

b. In fact, there are more than 1,000 antibacterial household products on the market.

2. In addition to all the soaps and cleaning products, there are also antibacterial cotton swabs, tons of antibacterial shampoos, and this antibacterial cutting board from Williams Sonoma.

a. You can even get antibacterial socks, mouthwash, toothpaste, and, to protect you while away from home, this travel toothbrush with antibacterial bristles.

3. The Boston Globe reports that larger items such as mattresses, countertops, high chairs, and even children’s toys have been coated with antibacterial chemicals.

4. The New York Times calls the antibacterial craze, “the biggest marketing coup since bottled water.”

B. There’s no doubt that antibacterial products are popular with consumers, but there is a great deal of doubt about whether they’re effective in stopping the spread of germs.

1. Elaine Larson, associate dean of the Columbia University School of Nursing, studied 238 families who used antibacterial products and found that they were just as likely to get fevers, sore throats, coughs, rashes, and stomach problems as families who used regular products.

2. Larson’s findings are echoed by Eric Kupferberg, associate director of the Harvard School for Public Health, who states: “Antimicrobial products don’t significantly eliminate the number of germs you encounter on a daily basis.”

3. Nor do antibacterial products prevent the transmission of diseases such as colds and flus.

a. Why? Because these illnesses come from viruses, not from bacteria. Antibacterial products don’t kill viruses.

b. As Dr. Larson explains, “Most of the infections healthy people get are colds, flu, and diarrhea caused by viruses”—none of which can be prevented by the use of antibacterial products.

4. Not only do antibacterial products fail to deliver what they promise, but they actually increase your chances of getting sick.

a. According to Stuart Levy, a professor of microbiology and medicine at Tufts University, excessive use of antibacterial products in the home can make children more likely to develop allergies and asthma.

b. In addition, people who use antibacterial products may become more susceptible to infections.

5. Dr. James Chin, a research scientist in New South Wales, Australia, says: “The way we stay healthy is by low-dose exposure to bacteria and viruses.

a. You need to exercise your immune system in the same way you need to exercise your muscles to be fit.

b. If you don’t do that, your immune system doesn’t have a chance to do battle when it engages with an infection.”

6. The problems caused by antibacterial products are so serious that Dr. Myron Genel, chairman of the American Medical Association’s council on scientific affairs, fears one result may be the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria “that are largely untreatable because they are resistant to existing drugs.”

C. And that’s not all. Besides being ineffective at preventing diseases and being potentially dangerous to our health, antibacterial household products also appear to harm the environment.

1. Rolf Halden of Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health reports that each year the United States releases into the water supply more than 2 million pounds of the active chemicals in antibacterial soaps.

a. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that chemicals from antibacterial products are winding up in streams and groundwater from the Denver area to remote locations in the Rocky Mountains.

b. These chemicals are known to pollute the water supply, disrupt fish reproduction and growth, and because they do not decompose quickly, remain active for years and years.

Transition: Now that we’ve seen the seriousness of the problem, let’s look at some solutions.

II. Solving these problems requires a combination of government and consumer action.

A. First, we need federal legislation regulating the use of household antibacterial products.

1. Just as the Food and Drug Administration has regulations controlling the use of antibiotics, so, too, should it institute regulations controlling the use of antibacterial products.

2. We don’t let people purchase antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, and there’s no reason we should allow makers of soap, tissues, hand wipes, toothbrushes, and other products to add powerful antibacterial agents without oversight from the Food and Drug Administration.

3. Given the problems being caused by these products, it is time for the federal government to take action.

B. Second, we all need to take action as consumers.

1. Most obviously, we need to stop buying these products.

2. The best way to avoid germs, says the Centers for Disease Control, is to wash your hands for 10 to 15 seconds with plain soap and water.

a. In fact, a study at the University of North Carolina found that washing your hands with soap and water is more effective at getting rid of germs than using antibacterial hand wipes.

b. Emily Sickbert-Bennett, a public epidemiologist and co-author of the study, explains that when you use soap and water, the germs go down the drain, but with waterless antibacterial hand wipes, “you never rinse your hands. You are just rubbing a chemical into your hand and letting it dry.”

I. In conclusion, Americans spend millions of dollars every year on products that promise to “kill germs on contact.” But as we have seen today, the antibacterial craze is a marketing coup rather than a proven way of stopping either the spread of germs or the incidence of colds, flu, and other virus-borne illnesses. Worse, these products appear to contribute to health problems, and they are creating environmental problems in the U.S. water supply. The federal government should start regulating these products and we, as consumers, should stop throwing our money away on them.

II. We need to resist the false notion that we can use these products to create a bubble around ourselves to keep out germs and diseases. Instead, we can burst the bubble of marketers who are selling us a false bill of goods, and then we can thoroughly wash our hands of the whole mess.

Nelson, Kathleen. “To Kill Germs, It’s Simple: Wash Your Hands.” The Boston Globe 4

Nov. 2003, 3 rd Ed.: C3.

Roach, Mary. “Germs, Germs Everywhere. Are You Worried? Get Over It.” The New

York Times 9 Nov. 2004, Final Ed.: F1, pg. 6

Sickbert-Bennett, Emily, David J. Weber, Maria F. Gergen-Teague, Mark D. Sobsey,

Gregory P. Samsa, and William A. Rutala. “Comparative efficacy of hand hygiene agents in the reduction of bacteria and viruses.” American Journal of Infection Control 33(2) (2005):67-77.

Underwood, Anne. “The Real Dirt on Antibacterial Soaps.” Newsweek v. 140 no. 19

(November 4 2002): 53.

Sample Monroe's Motivated Sequence Persuasive Speech

Topic: Sponsoring a Child in Poverty

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to sponsor a child through an agency such as Compassion International.

Introduction (Attention Step)

I. Attention-Grabber: How much is $38? That answer depends on what you make, what you are spending it for, and what you get back for it.

II. Reveal Topic: $38 per month breaks down to a little more than $1.25 per day, which is probably what you spend on a snack or soda in the break room. For us, it’s not very much.

III. Credibility: I found out that I can provide better health care, nutrition, and even education for a child in Africa, South America, or Asia for $38 per month by sponsoring a child through Compassion International. If I can do it, maybe you can too.

IV. Thesis/Preview: Through a minimal donation each month, you can make the life of a child in the developing world much better. In the next few minutes, I would like to discuss the problem, the work of organizations that offer child sponsorships, how research shows they really do alleviate poverty, and what you can do to change the life of a child. Body

I. (Need Step) The problem is the continued existence and effects of poverty.

A. Poverty is real and rampant in much of the world.

1. According to a 2018 report by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, 9.2% of the world lives on less than $1.90 per day.

a. That is 600 million people on the planet.

2. This number is supported by the World Poverty Clock of the World Data Lab, which states that 8% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty.

a. The good news is that this number is one-third of what it was in 1990, mostly due to the rising middle class in Asia.

b. The bad news is that 70% of the poor will live in Africa, with Nigeria labeled the “Poverty Capital of the World,” according to the Brookings Institute.

B. Poverty means children do not get adequate health care.

1. One prevalent but avoidable disease is malaria, which takes the lives of three thousand children every day, according to UNICEF.

2. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal diseases claimed 2.46 million lives in 2012 and is the second leading cause of death of children under 5.

C. Poverty means children do not get adequate nutrition, as stated in a report from UNICEF.

1. Inadequate nutrition leads to stunted growth.

2. Undernutrition contributes to more than one-third of all deaths in children under the age of five.

D. Poverty means children are unlikely to reach adult age, according to the CIA World Fact Book quoted on the Infoplease website.

1. Child mortality rate in Africa is 8.04% (percentage dying before age 5), while in North America, it is .64%

2. Life expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa is almost 30 years less than in the U.S.

E. Poverty also means children are unlikely to receive education and be trained for profitable work.

1. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names, states the Global Issues website on Poverty Facts.

2. UNESCO, a part of the United Nations, reports that less than a third of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa have completed primary education.

Transition: Although in all respects poverty is better in 2019 than it has been in the past, poverty is still pervasive and needs to be addressed. Fortunately, some great organizations have been addressing this for many years.

II. (Satisfaction Step) Some humanitarian organizations address poverty directly through child sponsorships.

A. These organizations vary in background, but not in purpose. The following information is gleaned from each organization’s website.

1. Compassion International is faith-based, evangelical.

a. Around since the early 1950's, started in Korea.

b. Budget of $887 Million.

c. Serves 1.92 million babies, children, and young adults.

d. Works through local community centers and established churches.

2. World Vision is faith-based, and evangelical.

a. Around since the 1950's.

b. Budget of far over $1 Billion.

c. 60% goes to local community programs but more goes to global networks, so that 86% goes to services.

d. World Vision has more extensive services than child sponsorship, such as water purification and disaster relief.

e. Sponsors three million children across six continents

3. Children International is secular.

a. Around since 1936.

b. Budget of $125 Million.

c. 88% of income goes directly to programs and children.

d. Sponsors children in ten countries on four continents

e. Sponsors X across X continents

4. Save the Children is secular, through…

a. One hundred years of history, began in post WWI Europe.

b. Budget of $880 Million.

c. 87% goes to services.

d. Sponsors 134 million children in 120 countries, including 450,000 in U.S.

5. There are other similar organizations, such as ChildFund and PlanUSA.

B. These organizations work directly with local community, on-site organizations.

1. The children are involved in a program, such as after school.

2. The children live with their parents and siblings.

3. The sponsor’s donation goes for medicine, extra healthy, nutritious food, shoes for school, and other items.

4. Sponsors can also help donate for birthdays and holidays to the whole family to buy food or farm animals.

Transition: Of course, any time we are donating money to an organization, we want to be sure our money is being effectively and ethnically used.

III. (Visualization Step) This concern should be addressed in two ways: Is the money really helping, and are the organizations honest?

A. The organizations’ honesty can be investigated.

1. You can check through Charity Navigator.

2. You can check through the Better Business Bureau-Charity.

3. You can check through Charity Watch.

4. You can check through the organizations’ websites.

B. Secondly, is sponsoring a child effective? Yes.

1. According to Bruce Wydick, Professor of Economics at the University of San Francisco, child sponsorship is the fourth most effective strategy for addressing poverty, behind water purification, mosquito nets, and deworming treatments.

2. Dr. Wydick and colleagues’ work has been published in the prestigious Journal of Political Economy from the University of Chicago.

3. He states, “Two researchers and I recently carried out a study (sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development) on the long-term impacts of Compassion International’s child sponsorship program. The study, gathering data from over 10,000 individuals in six countries, found substantial impact on adult life outcomes for children who were sponsored through Compassion’s program during the 1980s and ’90s…In adulthood, formerly sponsored children were far more likely to complete secondary school and had a much higher chance of having a white-collar job. They married and had children later in life, were more likely to be church and community leaders, were less likely to live in a home with a dirt floor and more likely to live in a home with electricity.”

C. To this point I have spoke of global problems and big solutions. Now I want to bring it down to real life with one example. I’d like to use my sponsored child, Ukwishaka in Rwanda, as an example of how you can.

1. I have sponsored her for five years.

2. She is now ten years old.

3. She lives with two siblings and both parents.

4. She writes me, I write her back, and we share photos at least every two months.

5. The organization gives me reports on her project.

6. I hope one day to go visit her.

7. I believe Ukwishaka now knows her life can be more, can be successful.

Transition: We have looked at the problem of childhood poverty and how reliable, stable nongovernmental organizations are addressing it through child sponsorships. Where does that leave you?

IV. (Action Step) I challenge you to sponsor a child like Ukwishaka.

A. Although I sponsor her through Compassion International, there are other organizations.

B. First, do research.

C. Second, look at your budget and be sure you can do this.

1. You don’t want to start and have to stop.

2. Look for places you “waste” money during the month and could use it this way.

3. Fewer snacks from the break room, fewer movies at the Cineplex, brown bag instead of eating out.

D. Talk to a representative at the organization you like.

E. Discuss it with your family.

F. Take the plunge. If you do.

1. Write your child regularly.

2. Consider helping the family, or getting friends to help with extra gifts.

I. In this speech, we have taken a look at the state of poverty for children on this planet, at organizations that are addressing it through child sponsorships, at the effectiveness of these programs, and what you can do. My goal today was not to get an emotional response, but a realistically compassionate one.

II. You have probably heard this story before but it bears repeating. A little girl was walking with her mother on the beach, and the sand was covered with starfish. The little girl wanted to rescue them and send them back to the ocean and kept throwing them in. “It won’t matter, Honey,” said her mother. “You can’t get all of them back in the ocean.” “But it will matter to the ones that I do throw back,” the little girl answered. We can’t sponsor every child, but we can one, maybe even two. As Forest Witcraft said, “What will matter in 100 years is that I made a difference in the life of a child.” Will you make a difference?

AGScientific. (2019). Top ten deadly diseases in the world. Retrieved from http://agscientific.com/blog/2016/04/top-10-deadly-diseases/

Compassion International. (2019). Financial integrity: The impact of our compassion. Retrieved from https://www.compassion.com/about/financial.htm

Children’s International. (2019). Accountability. Retrieved from https://www.children.org/learn-more/accountability

Global Issues. (2013, January 7 ). Poverty facts and stats. Retrieved from https://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stat s

Infoplease. (2019). What life expectancy really means. Retrieved form https://www.infoplease.com/world/health-and-social-statistics/life-expectancy-countries-0

Kharas, H., Hamel, K., & Hofer, M. (2018, Dec. 13). Rethinking global poverty reduction in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/12/13/rethinking-global-poverty-reduction-in-2019/

Roser, M. (2019). Child and infant mortality rates. Retrieved from https:// ourworldindata.org/child-mortality

Save the Children. (2019). Financial information. Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/a...al-information UNICEF.(2008).

Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition: A survival and development priority. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/media/files/Tracking_Progress_on_Child_and_Maternal_Nutrition_EN_110309.pdf UNICEF 2019.

The reality of Malaria. Retrieved from https://www.unicef . org/health/files/health_africamalaria.pdf United Nations. (2019). Poverty eradication. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/povertyeradication

World Vision. (2019). Financial accountability. Retrieved from https:// www.worldvision.org/about-us/financial-accountability-2 Wydick, B., Glewwe, P., & Rutledge, L. (2013).

Does international child sponsorship work? A six-country study of impacts on adult life outcomes. Journal of Political Economy, 121(2), 393–436. https://doi . org/10.1086/670138 Wydick, B. (2012, Feb.).

Cost-effective compassion. Christianity Today, 56(2), 24-29. Wydick, B. (2013). Want to change the world? Sponsor a child. Christianity Today, 57(5), 20–27.

253 Easy Problem Solution Speech Topics for 2024

Well, here’s the good news: those pesky problem and solution essays can be way better. All you need is an easy topic.

Here’s even better news: we’ve already compiled a list of 253 simple problem solution speech and essay topics for you.

🎓 Topics for College Students
🗣 Speech Topics
📝 Essay Topics
💊 Solutions

✅ Problem Solution Speech Examples

📍 problem-solution speech topics 2024.

How to deal with school bullying?
Air pollution: sources, effects, and prevention measures.
What are the efficient ways of dealing with cyberbullying?
Google’s corporate strategy, problems, and solutions.
Better education for special needs children.
What measures can be implemented to tame the problem of homelessness?
How to incorporate healthy eating habits into your daily routine?
How to improve teacher’s performance and development?
Steps to improve healthcare organizations.
Best methods to educate the public about the most common health issues.
Ways to improve communication between schools and the community.
How can child obesity in the United States be solved?
How can lean project management improve developmental activities?
Climate change: impact and possible solutions .
How to reduce drunk driving incidents to a minimum.

🔧 Problem-Solution Speech. Manual

You might be wondering what a problem-solution is?

If you have never heard of such a term before, it should still be pretty straightforward that it deals with solving problems.

This article is created specifically for people who need a little extra inspiration and guidance in creating a problem solution speech or essay.

We will start with an overview of several vital aspects. 👇

Challenges of Problem Solution Speech Topics

What do we have to deal with when talking about problem solution topics in the first place?

Problem-solution scenario appears to play an essential role in the modern world. It finds application in various areas of our lives, especially in business, education, and government-related fields.
It is more than just sharing the view. The main aim of any problem-solution speech is to encourage the audience to take some action or support a particular idea.

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth!

Defining the problem clearly. You should gather enough evidence to prove that the issue is quite severe and needs attendance immediately.
Everyone should be able to understand the details. Your speech needs to be comprehensive, and its central idea – easy to grasp.
Are people aware of your problem? Do they all realize its seriousness? There should be a short introduction if your target audience doesn’t understand the relevance of the topic.
Research your listeners. Your main goal is to gain audience support – be aware of all the biases they are susceptible to. Find counterarguments to their opposing arguments.
Creating convincing arguments. However, this issue should be discussed separately since every topic needs a personalized approach.
Don’t forget to use a reasonable tone and respect your audience. Being polite and open to criticism is essential for your reputation as a serious author.

Strategies for Creative Problem Solving

You already picked a problem?

Here are helpful solution options you need to know.

The most important thing is to make the solution practical and effective.

Suggest adding something to the existing problem . For example, many social and cultural issues would be resolved if they received additional funding or staff. The opposite approach might be as practical – removing the source of the problem. So, it’s not an issue anymore.
Creating and enforcing specific rules or laws. It might be applied in various areas, especially in the governmental field of work and education.
Educate and motivate people. Some of the main reasons for existing social and health problems are that people are not aware of what they should do or simply lack motivation. It appears to be the focus of campaigns against drugs, smoking, and alcohol.
Offer to make some changes in the method . It sometimes happens that a specific instrument does not work for everyone, so it should be changed. Another example is implementing successful marketing campaigns for various products.
Probably the current leadership and strategy do not work. In human resources, education, and any area that needs a problem solution, this strategy might be the most effective.

Problem and Solution Text Structure

The structure of any problem-solution speech or presentation is relatively universal. Even though there are two main types of outline used, the components tend to stay the same.

You should always introduce the situation , helping your listeners understand the problem’s background. Then, you should define the issue itself , explaining its urgency and significance. After that, it is time to present your solution . In the end, there is usually a quick overview of the speech and a call for action .

The methods for outlining your problem solution speech are known for those who have experience in writing essays:

The block method divides your speech into sections according to the categories. That is, first, you state all problems you have to address. Then make a short transition paragraph. Only then explain the solutions for the issues you discussed previously.

Block Method structure of a problem-solution speech.

The chain method has the same main components but is different in structure. Each time you talk about a problem, you need to discuss a solution. Therefore, if you want to address three issues, there should be three parts of the main body solving each problem at a time.

Chain Method structure of a problem-solution speech.

🎓 Problem Solution Speech Topics for College Students

Now, let’s get to the examples of the most relevant issues of today:

How to prevent the increase in temperatures predicted to reach a dangerous point by the year 2100?
How poverty causes crime, and is there a way to deal with it?
What are the causes and possible solutions to India’s increasing death toll related to low air quality?
How to take China out of the risk of losing the economy’s growth in the next several decades?
How can the problem of posing education be solved?
Total factor productivity: the issues with evaluating India’s output that shows productivity growth.
Stagnating productivity as the cause of the unequal distribution of the world’s wealth. What are the solutions?
Green Construction as an answer to environmental challenges.
How to prevent the unemployment rates from increasing due to artificial intelligence development?
How to achieve team cohesion?
Technology as a threat to privacy and ways to deal with the problem?
Best ways to address the health needs of an aging population.
Webster University’s problems and solutions.
How to protect societies from health issues related to overeating and low physical activity?
The causes of air pollution and possible solutions.
Practical solutions for the rising demand for talented employees in the STEM areas and lack of candidates.
Is the driverless vehicle a solution to the high rates of death in the crushes on the roadways?
Architecture and urbanism: how can more ecological and equitable cities be built with the latest technologies?
How to improve your teamwork performance?
What are the ways to reduce the cases of domestic violence in our society?
Human genomes : how to avoid mistakes made while implementing any intelligence and lifespan enhancement tools?
What are the most effective strategies suitable for diagnosing, treating, and preventing drug-resistant infections from becoming a threat?
A step towards resolving financial issues facing U.S. higher education.
Global development: how should the latest technologies in health, education, and nutrition be distributed among societies?
Which strategies for dealing with epidemics and preparation methods can help prevent future global outbreaks?
Technical urban planning : how should it be improved so that developing cities can find better solutions to increased global carbon emissions?

🎤 Easy Problem Solution Speech Topics

Someone may find these issues trifling, but try to solve them 😊

How the lack of self-confidence affects your life and ways to deal with it.
The problem of fast fashion and ways to deal with it.
The problem of sexual assault and possible solutions.
Mental health problems: how can an open discussion be encouraged in our society?
The challenges of consumerism culture and ways to solve them.
Why do so many people face an existential crisis , and are there any ways to deal with the issue?
What are the right ways to resolve the ethical issue of advertising a harmful product?
How has texting affected face-to-face communication, and what are the possible solutions to the problem?
How can music prevent insomnia and improve your sleeping habits?
How informal organization creates problems for managers, and how can these issues be redressed?
Is including sex education in the program as a complete course can help to prevent early pregnancy?
Can becoming a volunteer solve the self-confidence problem?
Gender-specific bathrooms: what is a better way to prevent sexual assaults?
Excluding all the personal information details from the CV to reduce job market discrimination.
How does donating and recycling clothes help with the world poverty issue?
Student parking problem and ways to deal with it.
What are the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety?
Open discussions and effective communication at the workplace as the ultimate problem-solving approach .
Some universities are not as diverse as others. How can a college attract students from various backgrounds?
Social fatigue: how can spending some time alone help fight it?
Best ways to address various academic and learning challenges.
Educating couples about proper budgeting as the way to prevent money-related conflicts.
Reducing stress from social activity by planning daily routine.
Legalizing medical marijuana : issues and solutions.
The effect of social media on adolescents and possible interventions to limit the negative outcomes .
Why is implementing a vegetarian diet one of the best ways to fight obesity?
Psychological and physiological reasons why chewing gum helps with smoking addiction .
Risks of medical tourism and some possible solutions .
Consumption of a specific amount of red wine as a way to help with stomach ulcers.
Contradictory but effective solution: taking selfies to boost self-confidence .
How well does online video chatting help sustain an excellent long-distance relationship ?
How can online fundraising campaigns help even more people in need?
Do newspapers switching to online bases helps to reduce waste?
Paper and reusable bags as an easy way to help reduce plastic waste.
How strict should be water filtration rules to reduce water pollution?
Planting trees as a way to deal with deforestation.
Walking as the means of solving both pollution and health issues.
How to better prepare students for adult life in the USA.
How does setting up more drinking fountains help with reducing plastic pollution ?
What are the ways to increase attendance at sports events?

🍭 Problem Solution Persuasive Speech Topics

The persuasive approach is mainly different from the other with the tone of your speech. It needs to be encouraging and trustworthy enough so that your audience accepts your idea. In case you wonder what are the best problem solution persuasive speech topics, here are some examples:

How to get at least eight hours of sleep every day, and why is it an issue?
The strategies to stop the increased consumption of sugar that leads to obesity.
The problem of school counseling: why do Professional School Counselors Need to Pay Attention to Ethics?
The ways to avoid the negative influence of hate towards religions on societies.
How to introduce more gender-neutral concepts to the job market.
Teaching gender and equal rights at schools to help decrease gender-related social issues .
Paper recycling as a way to deal with environmental issues.
Internships for all college students as the solution to high unemployment rates.
More frequent evaluation of teachers as the way to fix educational issues.
Social media regulated by university administration: putting an end to suicides .
Resistance to change in organizations: problems and solutions.
Introducing intercultural studies and foreign language classes at school to fight biases.
New technologies: the ways to encourage people to start reading books .
The problem of expensive education: why should community colleges be free?
The necessity to implement cyber courts to help with the issue of cyberbullying.
The ways that science and religion can co-exist to reduce worldwide conflicts.
Allowing students to make jokes in class as a way to make education more engaging.
Can going online improve the existing education system?
Saving endangered species: can the government’s involvement help to solve the problem?
Having a pet as a way to deal with emotional stress and anxiety for college students.
How can cultural diversity benefit the business?
How do we prevent job discrimination related to race and religion?
Free professional help for divorced people as a means to prevent serious psychological issues .
How can listening to sad songs help people release their emotions when they are upset?
The difficulties of learning: how can music improve your academic performance?
Radical solutions: legalizing marijuana as a way of preventing crimes related to drugs.
Allowing people with tattoos to get any job helps increase tolerance and empathy.
Psychology: the art of being happy as a mandatory class in colleges for increasing mental health.
Learning a second language as a way toward self-improvement.
Strict policy regarding dating at the workplace as the means to prevent conflicts.
Practical strategies for fighting and elevating poverty around the globe.

✨ Problem Cause Solution Speech Topics

Problem-cause-solution speech is a very effective way to persuade your audience that you are a reliable expert. It requires you to analyze the causes of the issue in detail and come up with the best solution!

The leading causes of binge drinking on college campuses and the ways to eliminate it.
What are the decisive reasons for the high car accident rate, and how do we decrease it?
Causes of global warming and possible ways of solving the problem .
Why are so many prisons getting overcrowded , and what is the most humane solution?
Inflation and high cost of living : how to find the solution to those problems?
The evaluation system for teachers as the means of improving the quality of school education.
The problem of school dropouts and possible interventions.
What are the leading causes of sex education failure in school, and how to fix it?
Why are we so dependent on fossil fuels, and how do we solve this issue?
What causes truancy, and how to deal with it?
Reducing the use of plastic as a way to solve some of the environmental problems.
What is contributing to the current obesity epidemic , and how do we stop it?
The reasons some people are dependent on prescription drugs and ways to solve them.
Why did London’s new ambulance service fail, and how can the issue be resolved?
Engage college students to become more politically active as a way to raise political consciousness.
The problem of personal vs. private privacy and ways to solve it.
The problem of toxic relationships and ways to solve it.
What causes violence on social media, and what are the best ways to deal with it?
Why are many long-distance relationships unsuccessful, and what are the ways to change that?
Communities: why have we stopped getting along with neighbors, and what are the solutions?
Kodak company’s strategic issue and solution.
What causes so many teenagers to fall into depression, and how can family and teachers help to solve this issue?
The leading causes of athletes using steroids in sports, and how can we stop it?
What causes air pollution, and how to deal with it?
Why do some teens keep dropping out of school , and how can it be prevented?
How should we educate parents about controlling their child’s social media use, and why is that a problem at all?
How do parents shape children’s understanding of relationships and ways to avoid bad influences and scenarios?
Amazon Local Company’s failure: reasons and ways to fix it.
Hackers can attack digital transactions. What are the ways to keep them safe?
The main reasons for information overload and how should people avoid it?

📝 Problem Solution Essay Topics for Business

Marketing ROI: the problem of ROI assessment and the potential solutions.
How to avoid labor exploitation.
What are the responsible management challenges and solutions for the B.P. company?
The issue of youth unemployment and possible solutions.
How should companies audit their policies to ensure they discourage, rather than encourage, discrimination among workers ?
H.R. portfolio of evidence: project management and problem-solving techniques.
How to effectively avoid social problems in a workplace.
How do you deal with the problem of alcoholism at work?
How to avoid sexual harassment in the workplace?
Ways to deal with the company’s global communication problems.
How to deal with the food prices increase?
How can a company maintain a good conflict-resolution strategy?
Ways to avoid bankruptcy.
Classic Airlines marketing problems and possible solutions.
The problem of monopolization in America : can a small business survive?
Ways to improve employees’ satisfaction.
How to incorporate problem-solving into marketing.
How can Amazon Company’s ethical problems and challenges be resolved?
Gender pay-gap issue in the U.S. and possible solutions.
Ways to solve management problems in the tourism and hospitality industry

💭 Problem Solution Essay Topics 2024

Let’s see which 2024 problems are the most relevant so that you can use them as a problem solution essay topic:

Is relying on COVID-19 vaccines the right strategy to fight the world pandemic?
University education: problems and possible ways to improve?
Accepting the new normal or fighting for the old normal: which is more effective for stopping the outbreak?
Employing a diverse workforce: challenges and solutions.
How do we help the most vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 outbreak?
How to cultivate respect for other cultures?
Learning issues in the public school system and ways to improve the condition.
Climate change : is being prepared for the effects a better solution than trying to prevent it?
What are the ways in which digital giants can improve to avoid information breaches and exposure?
Innovative strategies to make big cities more equal and less divided for their citizens.
How using renewable resources can help deal with climate change?
How do migrants affect public health systems, and what should we do about it?
How can we help small-scale farmers with adaptation to climate change?
What are the best leadership styles that can contribute to the business’s success during COVID-19?
The new ways to fact-check information online and prevent dangerous rumors.
Restation of local economies by helping small businesses and encouraging young talents.
Interdisciplinary studying: benefits, challenges, and solutions.
Right and effective leadership as a way of achieving sustainable development goals.
How can international collaboration for every country help to achieve carbon neutrality?
Cloud services for businesses: issues, benefits, and possible solutions .
What are the ways to reduce the number of tobacco consumption?
The U.N. and multilateralism : how can we achieve more by working together as humanity?
How can market analysis benefit the company?
How can we help cultural cohesion and stop fragmentation by avoiding multiculturalism ?
How are social issues such as violence and racism addressed in gangsta rap and rock music?
Making cyberbullying a criminal offense as one of the most effective ways to fight it.
Restore humanities: teaching children how to be humans as the way to solve the global crisis.
Way to make an advertising campaign successful?
Promoting values and cognitive behavioral therapy to fight mental health issues.
How can promoting open debates on essential topics help fight herd mentality?

📚 Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Students

There is a variety of disciplines in this list, so any college student can find something suitable for them here:

One random act of kindness as a way to create happier societies.
Funding volunteering promotion as a way to boost people’s awareness.
Social media and its effect on the younger generation: problems and solutions.
Can everyone having personal solar panels help to save the environment?
How do augmented reality glasses help people with disabilities see the world?
Can strict gun control laws reduce the number of homicide cases committed in the USA?
The problem with dolls: why should we promote the production of dolls of different shapes and colors for children ?
What rules should be introduced to fight market monopolization and increase competition?
What can society do to prevent people from getting an eating disorder?
Can students’ active involvement in the learning process improve their academic results?
Implementing A.I. and machine learning methods to help companies build a relationship with their customers.
Promoting a specific level of individualism in a business setting to help problem-solving.
How can total transparency boost the customer’s trust and increase sales?
Time management problem and possible solutions.
How can athletes prevent injuries that take them out of competitive sports?
Setting some responsibilities and duties for children as the way to help them become more successful in life.
Studying abroad and graduate employability: challenges and recommendations.
Why does developing family traditions help the more substantial relationship and reduce conflicts?
What is the main problem with current meal plans at schools, and what is the solution?
Educating people about herbal remedies as a way to promote over-the-counter medicines .
The challenges and solutions of introducing a new performance management system for a multicultural team.
What policies should be implemented to eliminate the problem of child labor?
Is raising the prices of tobacco an effective way to make humanity healthier?
Switching to online learning platforms as the new approach to available and affordable education.
Can the implementation of electric cars bring some positive environmental changes and a decrease in air pollution?
Do kids prefer to read eBooks , and how can we use them to encourage book reading?
Setting fair prices for streaming services as the way to fight online piracy .
How can organizational goals help the company succeed?
Should we all use adblocking software to avoid online fraud and malware?
Creating more natural habitats such as national parks as a way to protect endangered species.
How do you effectively manage organizational behavior?
Small steps: how does local buying help reduce soil pollution from big companies?
Kids and sports: how the lack of professional sports guides can be addressed?
Should we pay more attention to cleaning trees from invasive vegetation?
How to stop animal poaching by promoting the use of ethical materials?

The major U.S motion picture studios lost $6.1 billion in 2005 to piracy worldwide.

🐻 Problem Solution Essay Topics for Middle School

Here are some great examples of topics that may interest or be discussed by middle school students:

Can a college degree be one of the solutions for reducing the risks of divorce?
Learning to smile through pain as the way to make you feel better.
Online learning vs. face-to-face learning: problems and solutions.
Small changes in life as a way to treat depression .
Listening to audiobooks as a way to improve your literacy?
Tourism industry: why should it be supported, what challenges does it faces, and what are the solutions?
Switching chairs in classrooms to more comfortable ones as the way to improve attendance.
If most of the world’s population turns vegetarians, will it help climate change?
The issues with high school uniforms and possible solutions.
The effectiveness of placing more speed bumps to reduce the rates of accidents.
Implementing mandatory student exchange programs in colleges to fight cultural biases.
The danger of popular diets and ways to deal with it.
Fixing pollution issues as the only way to secure healthy nations in the Future.
How does a fair division of house chores help prevent family conflicts?
Homeschooling: issues and possible solutions.
Owning and petting a cat regularly as the best way to reduce stress ?
What are the best ways to prevent deaths due to drunk driving?
How to keep a workplace safe, and why is it important?
How does playing team sports help with communication skills in teenagers?
How to deal with challenges at work as a team leader?
Can people using eBooks contribute to solving environmental issues ?
How do handwritten letters help share emotions within the family during the conflict?
How can we use online communication to learn languages more effectively?
Dealing with conflict: strategies for responses.
How does the cultural trend of “going green” help with environmental changes?
Should we focus on inventing more renewable energy sources to help pollution?

💊 Problem Solution Topics. Solutions

Here are some great examples of problem solution speech topics to get an idea of what it should look like:

Limit the time kids spend on the internet.
Make sure that kids use only appropriate for their age websites.
Place the computer in an open common area to easily monitor kids’ activity.
Educate teenagers on the unprecedented danger of using the internet.
Parents should support their kids to make sure they can resist the influence of drug abuse.
Schools should create programs that spread awareness of the consequence of drug use.
The community should be more involved in drug prevention activities.
The government should implement policies that address drug use among school-age youth.
Enforce strong laws against child abusers.
Spread awareness regarding the problem of child abuse.
Take matters of child abuse seriously and lead comprehensive investigations.
Implement behavior therapy that helps patients plan and deal with their strong food cravings.
Use a cognitive approach that helps patients to channel and be in control of their negative thoughts.
Expose patients to interpersonal psychotherapy, which focuses on “family-based” treatment.
Parents should talk to their kids about their future career plans and encourage their developing interests and beginnings.
Schools should facilitate tutoring, mentoring, and out-of-school programs.
The government should provide more social and financial support to the students and their families.
Avoid opening suspicious messages and e-mail attachments, especially from unknown users.
Avoid Executing any Executable Programs in the attachments.
Avoid downloading cracked software on websites.
Block Scripts by Default in Internet Browsers.
Install anti-virus software ad security patches.
Disable Autorun for C.D.s, Flash Drives, and other Removable Media.
Switch to biodegradable materials for packaging.
Reduce the consumption of goods that use non-biodegradable plastic. Check out this link for more perspective solutions: 10 Measures that Must Be Taken to Prevent More Flooding in the Future
Learn to identify barriers and problems.
Build your own self-concept.
Try to strengthen your emotional intelligence.
Work on your self-disclosure and be open with your partner or family members.
Learn to handle the conflicts.
Parents should make sure that their kids feel loved and accepted.
Praise children when they achieve their accomplishments, and don’t criticize them in front of their peers.
Teach children to have positive self-statements and give them a chance to evaluate themselves. Let the children see how their good actions positively affect others.

By addressing real-world problems through our speeches, we can develop a sense of responsibility toward creating positive change. For your inspiration, we have prepared a short problem-solving speech example on obesity.

Obesity Problem Solution Speech

Good morning, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here with you today! I want to direct your attention to an issue that has been steadily growing in significance and deserves our immediate concern – childhood obesity. Did you know that in 2021-2022, 17.0% of young people aged 10 to 17 had obesity? This rise in childhood obesity is a multifaceted issue with diverse causative factors, including sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits, limited access to healthy foods, and societal influences. The consequences of childhood obesity are profound and alarming. It increases the risk of numerous health issues, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, obese children often face social and emotional challenges, including stigmatization and low self-esteem, which can have long-lasting effects on their mental health and overall quality of life. So, what can we do to tackle childhood obesity effectively? The solution lies in a comprehensive and concerted effort involving various stakeholders, parents, educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the community. Firstly, promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviors among children is paramount. This can be achieved by increasing access to sports facilities, integrating physical education into school curricula, and encouraging outdoor and recreational activities. Additionally, addressing dietary habits is crucial. Providing access to nutritious meals in schools, educating children and their parents about healthy eating practices, and limiting the availability of unhealthy food options can contribute to positive changes in children’s diets. In conclusion, combating childhood obesity requires a multifaceted approach encompassing education, environmental changes, and supportive policies. Thank you!

More Problem Solution Persuasive Speech Examples

Here are some bonus problem-solution speech examples given by TED Talk speakers.

“The Simple Solution to Fast Fashion” — Josephine Philips In her TED Talk, Josephine Philips presents a simple solution to fast fashion. She advocates for a shift toward sustainable and ethical clothing consumption. By embracing timeless styles, supporting eco-friendly brands, and practicing mindful shopping, she believes individuals can significantly lessen the harmful effects of fast fashion on the environment.
“A Close-to-Home Solution for Accessible Childcare” — Chris Bennett In his brilliant speech, Chris Bennett proposes a community-based approach to accessible childcare. He advocates for creating local co-op childcare centers where parents take turns supervising children. By leveraging existing resources and building a supportive network, he believes this model can provide affordable and reliable childcare for families in need.
“The Real Solution to Global Warming” — Supratim Kundu In his TED Talk, Supratim Kundu argues that the real solution to global warming lies in harnessing the power of capitalism and private industry. He believes incentivizing the private sector to address environmental issues is more effective and efficient than relying solely on government intervention.

You got lucky when you found our list of problem solution speech topics! We will also direct you to other resources that will help you write a paper 😎

Start with this complete breakdown of how to write a problem solution essay , then create a problem solution speech structure , and—voila—you’re all set to conquer your text!

Check out more sources below in references.

And if you are still struggling with it, simply read some problem solution essay examples for both college and high school.

Have you grabbed a couple of problem solution essay topics from our list?

Good luck with solving them now🍀

🔗 References

Transitions in Text; University of North Carolina
Problem-Solution Essays: Definition and Examples
Problem-Solving Skills: Definitions and Examples
A Problem Solving Approach
What Are Problem Solving Skills?

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Problem solution persuasive speech topics, rachel r.n..

September 10, 2022
Essay Topics and Ideas

When you are asked to speak about a problem and a solution, it can be difficult to decide on what topic to choose. In this article, we have compiled a list of problem solution persuasive speech topics to help you choose the perfect one for you.

What You'll Learn

Thirty Problem Solution Persuasive Speech Topics

1. Ending world hunger 2. Achieving world peace 3. Curing cancer 4. Eradicating poverty 5. solving the energy crisis 6. combating global warming 7. providing healthcare for all 8. eliminating illiteracy 9. making college education affordable for all 10. cleaning up the environment11. stopping child labor 12. improving public transportation 13. protecting endangered species 14. curbing gang violence 15. banning smoking in public places 16. stricter penalties for drunk driving 17. increasing funding for the arts 18. decreasing the number of abortions 19. legalizing gay marriage 20. Teaching effective financial planning in schools 21. Promoting healthy eating habits in schools 22. Encouraging more physical activity in schools 23. Making driver’s education mandatory in high school 24. Lowering the drinking age to 18 25. Requiring all students to take a foreign language in high school 26. Reinforcing basic skills in elementary and middle school 27. Offering free universal preschool 28. Vouchers for private/religious schools 29. Building more charter schools 30. Homeschooling

Thirty Problem Solution Persuasive Speech Ideas

If you’re looking for some problem solution persuasive speech ideas, then you’ve come to the right place. Below are thirty different prompts that can help you get started on your next speech.

1. The world’s ever-growing population and the consequent demand for resources. 2.How to prevent human trafficking? 3. What can be done to stop cyber bullying? 4. How can we get more people to vote in elections? 5. Should the legal drinking age be raised or lowered? 6. Are beauty pageants harmful? 7. Should the use of animals for testing be banned? 8. Should schools require students to wear uniforms? 9. Is too much emphasis placed on standardized test scores? 10. Are zoos cruel to animals? 11. How can we reduce poverty around the world? 12. Should wealthy nations be required to share their resources with poorer ones? 13. Is it fair that some countries have free healthcare while others do not? 14. How can we provide clean water for everyone in the world? 15. Should genetically modified foods be banned? 16. How can we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels?

Thirty Problem Solution Persuasive Speech topic examples

When you are assigned a problem solution persuasive speech, it is important to choose a good topic. Below are thirty problem solution persuasive speech topics to help you get started.

1. The problems with plastic surgery and how to fix them. 2. The rise of eating disorders and what can be done about it. 3. Why there needs to be more education on mental health and how to prevent suicide. 4. The ongoing issue of gun violence and what can be done to stop it. 5. Racism in America and how to fix the divide between races. 6. The wage gap between men and women and how to close it. 7. How the media needs to change the way they present images of beauty to young girls and boys. 8. The problem of child labor and what can be done about it globally. 9. Why there should be more focus on renewable energy sources and less on fossil fuels. 10. What can be done about the increasing number of homeless people in cities?

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10.2 Using Common Organizing Patterns

Learning objectives.

Differentiate among the common speech organizational patterns: categorical/topical, comparison/contrast, spatial, chronological, biographical, causal, problem-cause-solution, and psychological.
Understand how to choose the best organizational pattern, or combination of patterns, for a specific speech.

A motivational poster of water running over rocks. The caption says

Twentyfour Students – Organization makes you flow – CC BY-SA 2.0.

Previously in this chapter we discussed how to make your main points flow logically. This section is going to provide you with a number of organization patterns to help you create a logically organized speech. The first organization pattern we’ll discuss is categorical/topical.

Categorical/Topical

By far the most common pattern for organizing a speech is by categories or topics. The categories function as a way to help the speaker organize the message in a consistent fashion. The goal of a categorical/topical speech pattern is to create categories (or chunks) of information that go together to help support your original specific purpose. Let’s look at an example.

In this case, we have a speaker trying to persuade a group of high school juniors to apply to attend Generic University. To persuade this group, the speaker has divided the information into three basic categories: what it’s like to live in the dorms, what classes are like, and what life is like on campus. Almost anyone could take this basic speech and specifically tailor the speech to fit her or his own university or college. The main points in this example could be rearranged and the organizational pattern would still be effective because there is no inherent logic to the sequence of points. Let’s look at a second example.

In this speech, the speaker is talking about how to find others online and date them. Specifically, the speaker starts by explaining what Internet dating is; then the speaker talks about how to make Internet dating better for her or his audience members; and finally, the speaker ends by discussing some negative aspects of Internet dating. Again, notice that the information is chunked into three categories or topics and that the second and third could be reversed and still provide a logical structure for your speech

Comparison/Contrast

Another method for organizing main points is the comparison/contrast speech pattern . While this pattern clearly lends itself easily to two main points, you can also create a third point by giving basic information about what is being compared and what is being contrasted. Let’s look at two examples; the first one will be a two-point example and the second a three-point example.

If you were using the comparison/contrast pattern for persuasive purposes, in the preceding examples, you’d want to make sure that when you show how Drug X and Drug Y differ, you clearly state why Drug X is clearly the better choice for physicians to adopt. In essence, you’d want to make sure that when you compare the two drugs, you show that Drug X has all the benefits of Drug Y, but when you contrast the two drugs, you show how Drug X is superior to Drug Y in some way.

The spatial speech pattern organizes information according to how things fit together in physical space. This pattern is best used when your main points are oriented to different locations that can exist independently. The basic reason to choose this format is to show that the main points have clear locations. We’ll look at two examples here, one involving physical geography and one involving a different spatial order.

If you look at a basic map of the United States, you’ll notice that these groupings of states were created because of their geographic location to one another. In essence, the states create three spatial territories to explain.

Now let’s look at a spatial speech unrelated to geography.

In this example, we still have three basic spatial areas. If you look at a model of the urinary system, the first step is the kidney, which then takes waste through the ureters to the bladder, which then relies on the sphincter muscle to excrete waste through the urethra. All we’ve done in this example is create a spatial speech order for discussing how waste is removed from the human body through the urinary system. It is spatial because the organization pattern is determined by the physical location of each body part in relation to the others discussed.

Chronological

The chronological speech pattern places the main idea in the time order in which items appear—whether backward or forward. Here’s a simple example.

In this example, we’re looking at the writings of Winston Churchill in relation to World War II (before, during, and after). By placing his writings into these three categories, we develop a system for understanding this material based on Churchill’s own life. Note that you could also use reverse chronological order and start with Churchill’s writings after World War II, progressing backward to his earliest writings.

Biographical

As you might guess, the biographical speech pattern is generally used when a speaker wants to describe a person’s life—either a speaker’s own life, the life of someone they know personally, or the life of a famous person. By the nature of this speech organizational pattern, these speeches tend to be informative or entertaining; they are usually not persuasive. Let’s look at an example.

In this example, we see how Brian Warner, through three major periods of his life, ultimately became the musician known as Marilyn Manson.

In this example, these three stages are presented in chronological order, but the biographical pattern does not have to be chronological. For example, it could compare and contrast different periods of the subject’s life, or it could focus topically on the subject’s different accomplishments.

The causal speech pattern is used to explain cause-and-effect relationships. When you use a causal speech pattern, your speech will have two basic main points: cause and effect. In the first main point, typically you will talk about the causes of a phenomenon, and in the second main point you will then show how the causes lead to either a specific effect or a small set of effects. Let’s look at an example.

In this case, the first main point is about the history and prevalence of drinking alcohol among Native Americans (the cause). The second point then examines the effects of Native American alcohol consumption and how it differs from other population groups.

However, a causal organizational pattern can also begin with an effect and then explore one or more causes. In the following example, the effect is the number of arrests for domestic violence.

In this example, the possible causes for the difference might include stricter law enforcement, greater likelihood of neighbors reporting an incident, and police training that emphasizes arrests as opposed to other outcomes. Examining these possible causes may suggest that despite the arrest statistic, the actual number of domestic violence incidents in your city may not be greater than in other cities of similar size.

Problem-Cause-Solution

Another format for organizing distinct main points in a clear manner is the problem-cause-solution speech pattern . In this format you describe a problem, identify what you believe is causing the problem, and then recommend a solution to correct the problem.

In this speech, the speaker wants to persuade people to pass a new curfew for people under eighteen. To help persuade the civic group members, the speaker first shows that vandalism and violence are problems in the community. Once the speaker has shown the problem, the speaker then explains to the audience that the cause of this problem is youth outside after 10:00 p.m. Lastly, the speaker provides the mandatory 10:00 p.m. curfew as a solution to the vandalism and violence problem within the community. The problem-cause-solution format for speeches generally lends itself to persuasive topics because the speaker is asking an audience to believe in and adopt a specific solution.

Psychological

A further way to organize your main ideas within a speech is through a psychological speech pattern in which “a” leads to “b” and “b” leads to “c.” This speech format is designed to follow a logical argument, so this format lends itself to persuasive speeches very easily. Let’s look at an example.

In this speech, the speaker starts by discussing how humor affects the body. If a patient is exposed to humor (a), then the patient’s body actually physiologically responds in ways that help healing (b—e.g., reduces stress, decreases blood pressure, bolsters one’s immune system, etc.). Because of these benefits, nurses should engage in humor use that helps with healing (c).

Selecting an Organizational Pattern

Each of the preceding organizational patterns is potentially useful for organizing the main points of your speech. However, not all organizational patterns work for all speeches. For example, as we mentioned earlier, the biographical pattern is useful when you are telling the story of someone’s life. Some other patterns, particularly comparison/contrast, problem-cause-solution, and psychological, are well suited for persuasive speaking. Your challenge is to choose the best pattern for the particular speech you are giving.

You will want to be aware that it is also possible to combine two or more organizational patterns to meet the goals of a specific speech. For example, you might wish to discuss a problem and then compare/contrast several different possible solutions for the audience. Such a speech would thus be combining elements of the comparison/contrast and problem-cause-solution patterns. When considering which organizational pattern to use, you need to keep in mind your specific purpose as well as your audience and the actual speech material itself to decide which pattern you think will work best.

Key Takeaway

Speakers can use a variety of different organizational patterns, including categorical/topical, comparison/contrast, spatial, chronological, biographical, causal, problem-cause-solution, and psychological. Ultimately, speakers must really think about which organizational pattern best suits a specific speech topic.
Imagine that you are giving an informative speech about your favorite book. Which organizational pattern do you think would be most useful? Why? Would your answer be different if your speech goal were persuasive? Why or why not?
Working on your own or with a partner, develop three main points for a speech designed to persuade college students to attend your university. Work through the preceding organizational patterns and see which ones would be possible choices for your speech. Which organizational pattern seems to be the best choice? Why?
Use one of the common organizational patterns to create three main points for your next speech.

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17.3 Organizing Persuasive Speeches

Learning objectives.

Understand three common organizational patterns for persuasive speeches.
Explain the steps utilized in Monroe’s motivated sequence.
Explain the parts of a problem-cause-solution speech.
Explain the process utilized in a comparative advantage persuasive speech.

Previously in this text we discussed general guidelines for organizing speeches. In this section, we are going to look at three organizational patterns ideally suited for persuasive speeches: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantages.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

One of the most commonly cited and discussed organizational patterns for persuasive speeches is Alan H. Monroe’s motivated sequence. The purpose of Monroe’s motivated sequence is to help speakers “sequence supporting materials and motivational appeals to form a useful organizational pattern for speeches as a whole.” German, K. M., Gronbeck, B. E., Ehninger, D., & Monroe, A. H. (2010). Principles of public speaking (17th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 236.

While Monroe’s motivated sequence is commonly discussed in most public speaking textbooks, we do want to provide one minor caution. Thus far, almost no research has been conducted that has demonstrated that Monroe’s motivated sequence is any more persuasive than other structural patterns. In the only study conducted experimentally examining Monroe’s motivated sequence, the researchers did not find the method more persuasive, but did note that audience members found the pattern more organized than other methods. Micciche, T., Pryor, B., & Butler, J. (2000). A test of Monroe’s motivated sequence for its effects on ratings of message organization and attitude change. Psychological Reports, 86 , 1135–1138. We wanted to add this sidenote because we don’t want you to think that Monroe’s motivated sequence is a kind of magic persuasive bullet; the research simply doesn’t support this notion. At the same time, research does support that organized messages are perceived as more persuasive as a whole, so using Monroe’s motivated sequence to think through one’s persuasive argument could still be very beneficial.

Table 17.1 "Monroe’s Motivated Sequence" lists the basic steps of Monroe’s motivated sequence and the subsequent reaction a speaker desires from his or her audience.

Table 17.1 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

The first step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the attention step First step in Monroe’s motivated sequence where a speaker attempts to get his or her audience’s attention. , in which a speaker attempts to get the audience’s attention. To gain an audience’s attention, we recommend that you think through three specific parts of the attention step. First, you need to have a strong attention-getting device. As previously discussed in Chapter 9 "Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively" , a strong attention getter at the beginning of your speech is very important. Second, you need to make sure you introduce your topic clearly. If your audience doesn’t know what your topic is quickly, they are more likely to stop listening. Lastly, you need to explain to your audience why they should care about your topic.

In the need step Second step in Monroe’s motivated sequence where a speaker establishes that there is a specific need or problem. of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the speaker establishes that there is a specific need or problem. In Monroe’s conceptualization of need, he talks about four specific parts of the need: statement, illustration, ramification, and pointing. First, a speaker needs to give a clear and concise statement of the problem. This part of a speech should be crystal clear for an audience. Second, the speaker needs to provide one or more examples to illustrate the need. The illustration is an attempt to make the problem concrete for the audience. Next, a speaker needs to provide some kind of evidence (e.g., statistics, examples, testimony) that shows the ramifications or consequences of the problem. Lastly, a speaker needs to point to the audience and show exactly how the problem relates to them personally.

Satisfaction

In the third step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the satisfaction step Third step in Monroe’s motivated sequence where a speaker sets out to satisfy the need or solve the problem. , the speaker sets out to satisfy the need or solve the problem. Within this step, Monroe (1935) proposed a five-step plan for satisfying a need:

Explanation
Theoretical demonstration
Reference to practical experience
Meeting objections

First, you need to clearly state the attitude, value, belief, or action you want your audience to accept. The purpose of this statement is to clearly tell your audience what your ultimate goal is.

Second, you want to make sure that you clearly explain to your audience why they should accept the attitude, value, belief, or action you proposed. Just telling your audience they should do something isn’t strong enough to actually get them to change. Instead, you really need to provide a solid argument for why they should accept your proposed solution.

Third, you need to show how the solution you have proposed meets the need or problem. Monroe calls this link between your solution and the need a theoretical demonstration because you cannot prove that your solution will work. Instead, you theorize based on research and good judgment that your solution will meet the need or solve the problem.

Fourth, to help with this theoretical demonstration, you need to reference practical experience, which should include examples demonstrating that your proposal has worked elsewhere. Research, statistics, and expert testimony are all great ways of referencing practical experience.

Lastly, Monroe recommends that a speaker respond to possible objections. As a persuasive speaker, one of your jobs is to think through your speech and see what counterarguments could be made against your speech and then rebut those arguments within your speech. When you offer rebuttals for arguments against your speech, it shows your audience that you’ve done your homework and educated yourself about multiple sides of the issue.

Visualization

The next step of Monroe’s motivated sequence is the visualization step Fourth step in Monroe’s motivated sequence where a speaker asks his or her audience to visualize a future where the need has been met or the problem solved. , in which you ask the audience to visualize a future where the need has been met or the problem solved. In essence, the visualization stage is where a speaker can show the audience why accepting a specific attitude, value, belief, or behavior can positively affect the future. When helping people to picture the future, the more concrete your visualization is, the easier it will be for your audience to see the possible future and be persuaded by it. You also need to make sure that you clearly show how accepting your solution will directly benefit your audience.

According to Monroe, visualization can be conducted in one of three ways: positive, negative, or contrast. Monroe, A. H. (1935). Principles and types of speech . Chicago, IL: Scott Foresman. The positive method of visualization is where a speaker shows how adopting a proposal leads to a better future (e.g., recycle, and we’ll have a cleaner and safer planet). Conversely, the negative method of visualization is where a speaker shows how not adopting the proposal will lead to a worse future (e.g., don’t recycle, and our world will become polluted and uninhabitable). Monroe also acknowledged that visualization can include a combination of both positive and negative visualization. In essence, you show your audience both possible outcomes and have them decide which one they would rather have.

The final step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the action step Fifth step in Monroe’s motivated sequence where a speaker asks for an audience to approve the speaker’s proposal. , in which a speaker asks an audience to approve the speaker’s proposal. For understanding purposes, we break action into two distinct parts: audience action and approval. Audience action refers to direct physical behaviors a speaker wants from an audience (e.g., flossing their teeth twice a day, signing a petition, wearing seat belts). Approval, on the other hand, involves an audience’s consent or agreement with a speaker’s proposed attitude, value, or belief.

When preparing an action step, it is important to make sure that the action, whether audience action or approval, is realistic for your audience. Asking your peers in a college classroom to donate one thousand dollars to charity isn’t realistic. Asking your peers to donate one dollar is considerably more realistic. In a persuasive speech based on Monroe’s motivated sequence, the action step will end with the speech’s concluding device. As discussed elsewhere in this text, you need to make sure that you conclude in a vivid way so that the speech ends on a high point and the audience has a sense of energy as well as a sense of closure.

Now that we’ve walked through Monroe’s motivated sequence, let’s look at how you could use Monroe’s motivated sequence to outline a persuasive speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that the United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments.

Main Points:

Attention: Want to make nine thousand dollars for just three weeks of work lying around and not doing much? Then be a human guinea pig. Admittedly, you’ll have to have a tube down your throat most of those three weeks, but you’ll earn three thousand dollars a week.
Need: Every day many uneducated and lower socioeconomic-status citizens are preyed on by medical and pharmaceutical companies for use in for-profit medical and drug experiments. Do you want one of your family members to fall prey to this evil scheme?
Satisfaction: The United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments to ensure that uneducated and lower-socioeconomic-status citizens are protected.
Visualization: If we enact tougher experiment oversight, we can ensure that medical and pharmaceutical research is conducted in a way that adheres to basic values of American decency. If we do not enact tougher experiment oversight, we could find ourselves in a world where the lines between research subject, guinea pig, and patient become increasingly blurred.
Action: In order to prevent the atrocities associated with for-profit medical and pharmaceutical experiments, please sign this petition asking the US Department of Health and Human Services to pass stricter regulations on this preying industry that is out of control.

This example shows how you can take a basic speech topic and use Monroe’s motivated sequence to clearly and easily outline your speech efficiently and effectively.

Table 17.2 "Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Checklist" also contains a simple checklist to help you make sure you hit all the important components of Monroe’s motivated sequence.

Table 17.2 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Checklist

Problem-Cause-Solution

Another format for organizing a persuasive speech is the problem-cause-solution format. In this specific format, you discuss what a problem is, what you believe is causing the problem, and then what the solution should be to correct the problem.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that our campus should adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.

Demonstrate that there is distrust among different groups on campus that has led to unnecessary confrontations and violence.
Show that the confrontations and violence are a result of hate speech that occurred prior to the events.
Explain how instituting a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy against hate speech could stop the unnecessary confrontations and violence.

In this speech, you want to persuade people to support a new campus-wide policy calling for zero-tolerance of hate speech. Once you have shown the problem, you then explain to your audience that the cause of the unnecessary confrontations and violence is prior incidents of hate speech. Lastly, you argue that a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy could help prevent future unnecessary confrontations and violence. Again, this method of organizing a speech is as simple as its name: problem-cause-solution.

Comparative Advantages

The final method for organizing a persuasive speech is called the comparative advantages speech format. The goal of this speech is to compare items side-by-side and show why one of them is more advantageous than the other. For example, let’s say that you’re giving a speech on which e-book reader is better: Amazon.com’s Kindle or Barnes and Nobles’ Nook. Here’s how you could organize this speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the Nook is more advantageous than the Kindle.

The Nook allows owners to trade and loan books to other owners or people who have downloaded the Nook software, while the Kindle does not.
The Nook has a color-touch screen, while the Kindle’s screen is black and grey and noninteractive.
The Nook’s memory can be expanded through microSD, while the Kindle’s memory cannot be upgraded.

As you can see from this speech’s organization, the simple goal of this speech is to show why one thing has more positives than something else. Obviously, when you are demonstrating comparative advantages, the items you are comparing need to be functional equivalents—or, as the saying goes, you cannot compare apples to oranges.

Key Takeaways

There are three common patterns that persuaders can utilize to help organize their speeches effectively: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantage. Each of these patterns can effectively help a speaker think through his or her thoughts and organize them in a manner that will be more likely to persuade an audience.
Alan H. Monroe’s (1935) motivated sequence is a commonly used speech format that is used by many people to effectively organize persuasive messages. The pattern consists of five basic stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. In the first stage, a speaker gets an audience’s attention. In the second stage, the speaker shows an audience that a need exists. In the third stage, the speaker shows how his or her persuasive proposal could satisfy the need. The fourth stage shows how the future could be if the persuasive proposal is or is not adopted. Lastly, the speaker urges the audience to take some kind of action to help enact the speaker’s persuasive proposal.
The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
The comparative advantages speech format is utilized when a speaker is comparing two or more things or ideas and shows why one of the things or ideas has more advantages than the other(s).
Create a speech using Monroe’s motivated sequence to persuade people to recycle.
Create a speech using the problem-cause-solution method for a problem you see on your college or university campus.
Create a comparative advantages speech comparing two brands of toothpaste.

Speech Time Fun: Speech and Language Activities

Teaching Problem and Solution in Speech

Determining problem and solution is one of those skills that is addressed in just about every grade over the course of each year. Beginning in 4th grade, students are expected to “Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.” CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5. This concept is extended to finding the problem and solution within 2 texts in 5th grade, and continues to be addressed throughout a student’s school career.

Problems and solutions within texts are sometimes explicitly stated, and sometimes they have to be inferred. Making inferences is a skill that many students struggle with, and some students even struggle with identifying problems that have been stated explicitly. Fortunately, there are many ways that we can help our speech students with problem and solution, all while working on speech goals!

Why Teach Problem and Solution?

We teach problem and solution because it helps students dig deeper into the text. They can put themselves in a character’s shoes and think about what they would do or how they would feel if they were in that character’s position. This helps students to not only read the words on the page but to gain a better understanding of the situations happening in the story.

Finding the Problem

If the problem in a text is not explicitly stated, there are some questions that you can ask your students to help them find the problem. These include:

What made the character or characters upset?
How did the story change for the characters?
What went wrong in the story? How did this make the character or characters feel?
Could the problem have not happened? How or why?

By using these questions, you can work on speech goals in several areas. Asking these questions aloud and letting the student answer orally can help them to work on articulation, answering “wh” questions, voice, pragmatics, narrative development, and fluency.

Finding the Solution

Once the student has found the problem in a passage, then they must find the solution or solutions that are given. One way to do this is to ask questions like the following:

What did the character or characters do to solve the problem?
How did they solve the problem?
How would you have solved the problem if you were in this story?
Did they try any solutions that did not work? If so, why did these not work?

When determining the solution or solutions to the problem in the text, students can work on the following speech skills:

Articulation by answering these questions and talking through the solutions orally.
Receptive language skills like answering questions by writing down, highlighting, or circling the solutions to the problem.
Completing a sort of problems and solutions can work on expressive language and pragmatic goals like inferencing.

Determining Pros and Cons

Sometimes, more than one solution to a problem is presented in a story. The student may have to determine the best solution or decide what they would do in a character’s situation. To do this, the student can list or discuss the possible solutions and decide what the pros and cons of each solution are. This discussion or writing activity can address goals in the areas of expressive language, articulation, conversation, and narrative development. Then, the student can decide what solution is the best one for the problem presented in the story.

I hope you found this helpful and if you need more ideas on how to teach problem and solution in speech, then check out my no-prep problem-and-solution stories for the year!

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Online Guide to Writing

Patterns for Presenting Information

Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

According to conventional wisdom, you can summarize every story ever told in the following way: someone falls into a hole and must climb out. In other words, every story is about solving a problem. There are probably many exceptions to this observation; however, connecting the need to solve a real-life problem to your subject can draw your readers’ attention. The problem-cause-solution pattern can help you do this.

the word of REVISE on building blocks concept.

In a sense, this pattern is a variety of the specific-to-general pattern, as it often begins with specific details and moves to a somewhat generalized solution. However, rather than evoking a sense of mystery and suspense, the problem-cause-solution pattern focuses on concrete difficulties; and though a solution may appeal to abstract principles, the solution should have a practical application, enough to solve the real-life problem.

When to Use this Pattern

You may find the problem-cause-solution pattern useful in writing case studies, critiques, introductions, reports of scientific investigations, literary reviews, political and social discourse, white papers, proposals, many kinds of reports, and essay examinations.

How to Create this Pattern

The name of the problem-cause-solution pattern also describes the sequence in which to present your information.

Begin by describing the problem.

Proceed through diagnosing and analyzing the problem.

Then propose a solution.

The forms of analysis used to diagnose the problem may vary. You might, for example, use comparative analysis to evaluate for flaws in a process that may have led to the problem. You might use a combination of synthesis and cause and effect analysis to locate systemic conditions which caused the problem. However, in each instance—whether analyzing an entire process or analyzing a specific cause—the goal is to locate a cause or causes.

Example of this Pattern

There are two main kinds of ice that shape sea levels. The first is sea ice, which comes from ocean water that freezes solid. It makes up most of the ice at the North Pole. As it forms, it changes the saltiness of seawater and helps shape powerful ocean currents.

Melting sea ice doesn’t change the overall amount of water in the ocean, just as melting ice cubes don’t change the water level in a glass of water. But sea ice tends to reflect sunlight, while the darker ocean tends to soak up its heat. That speeds up warming and drives more ice melt in a worrying feedback loop. The warmer temperatures also contribute to the thermal expansion of water, which in turn can raise sea levels.

The second kind of ice is land ice, which builds up in sheets over thousands of years from compacted snow. In Antarctica, the ice sheet is 1.5 miles thick (2.4 km) on average, reaching up to 3 miles (5 km) in some areas. Greenland’s ice sheet averages a mile in thickness. When land ice starts to jut out over the ocean, it creates a floating ice shelf (Irfan, 2022, paras. 9-11).

Example Explained

Notice how the passage above begins with an implied problem: ice causing changes to sea levels. The passage proceeds to explain the causes of changing sea levels. These are the first two parts of our pattern. A few paragraphs later, the author shifts to discussing the beginnings of a solution.

Key Takeaways

The problem-cause-solution approach will first describe the problem, then analyze the cause or responses to the problem, and then will lead to a solution.
We practice this approach daily in our interactions with others, whether at work or home.

Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . © 2022 UMGC. All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites.

Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Introduction

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

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48 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, Problem-Solution, Comparative Advantages

Learning objectives.

Understand three common organizational patterns for persuasive speeches.
Explain the steps utilized in Monroe’s motivated sequence.
Explain the parts of a problem-cause-solution speech.
Explain the process utilized in a comparative advantage persuasive speech.

Organizing Persuasive Speeches

Previously in this text, we discussed general guidelines for organizing speeches. In this section, we are going to look at three organizational patterns ideally suited for persuasive speeches: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantages.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

While Monroe’s motivated sequence is commonly discussed in most public speaking textbooks, we do want to provide one minor caution. Thus far, almost no research has been conducted that has demonstrated that Monroe’s motivated sequence is any more persuasive than other structural patterns. In the only study conducted experimentally examining Monroe’s motivated sequence, the researchers did not find the method more persuasive but did note that audience members found the pattern more organized than other methods (Micciche, Pryor, & Butler, 2000). We wanted to add this sidenote because we don’t want you to think that Monroe’s motivated sequence is a kind of magic persuasive bullet; the research simply doesn’t support this notion. At the same time, research does support that organized messages are perceived as more persuasive as a whole, so using Monroe’s motivated sequence to think through one’s persuasive argument could still be very beneficial.

Below are the basic steps of Monroe’s motivated sequence and the subsequent reaction a speaker desires from his or her audience.

The first step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the attention step , in which a speaker attempts to get the audience’s attention. To gain an audience’s attention, we recommend that you think through three specific parts of the attention step. First, you need to have a strong attention-getting device. As previously discussed, a strong attention getter at the beginning of your speech is very important. Second, you need to make sure you introduce your topic clearly. If your audience doesn’t know what your topic is quickly, they are more likely to stop listening. Lastly, you need to explain to your audience why they should care about your topic. If this sounds familiar, it should! The attention step uses the same elements as an introduction for any speech: The attention getter, relevance, credibility, thesis statement, and preview.

In the need step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the speaker establishes that there is a specific need or problem. This will be your first main point. In Monroe’s conceptualization of need, he talks about four specific parts of the need: statement, illustration, ramification, and pointing. First, a speaker needs to give a clear and concise statement of the problem. This part of a speech should be crystal clear for an audience. Second, the speaker needs to provide one or more examples to illustrate the need. The illustration is an attempt to make the problem concrete for the audience. Next, a speaker needs to provide some kind of evidence (e.g., statistics, examples, testimony) that shows the ramifications or consequences of the problem. Lastly, a speaker needs to point to the audience and show exactly how the problem relates to them personally.

Satisfaction

In the third step of Monroe’s motivated sequence, the satisfaction step , the speaker sets out to satisfy the need or solve the problem. This will be your second main point. Within this step, Monroe (1935) proposed a five-step plan for satisfying a need:

Explanation
Theoretical demonstration
Reference to practical experience
Meeting objections

First, you need to clearly state the attitude, value, belief, or action you want your audience to accept. The purpose of this statement is to clearly tell your audience what your ultimate goal is.

Lastly, Monroe recommends that a speaker responds to possible objections. As a persuasive speaker, one of your jobs is to think through your speech and see what counterarguments could be made against your speech and then rebut those arguments within your speech. When you offer rebuttals for arguments against your speech, it shows your audience that you’ve done your homework and educated yourself about multiple sides of the issue.

Visualization

The next step of Monroe’s motivated sequence is the visualization step , in which you ask the audience to visualize a future where the need has been met or the problem solved. This will be your third main point. In essence, the visualization stage is where a speaker can show the audience why accepting a specific attitude, value, belief, or behavior can positively affect the future. When helping people to picture the future, the more concrete your visualization is, the easier it will be for your audience to see the possible future and be persuaded by it. You also need to make sure that you clearly show how accepting your solution will directly benefit your audience.

According to Monroe, visualization can be conducted in one of three ways: positive, negative, or contrast (Monroe, 1935). The positive method of visualization is where a speaker shows how adopting a proposal leads to a better future (e.g., recycle, and we’ll have a cleaner and safer planet). Conversely, the negative method of visualization is where a speaker shows how not adopting the proposal will lead to a worse future (e.g., don’t recycle, and our world will become polluted and uninhabitable). Monroe also acknowledged that visualization can include a combination of both positive and negative visualization. In essence, you show your audience both possible outcomes and have them decide which one they would rather have.

The final step in Monroe’s motivated sequence is the action step , in which a speaker asks an audience to approve the speaker’s proposal. For understanding purposes, we break the action into two distinct parts: audience action and approval. Audience action refers to direct physical behaviors a speaker wants from an audience (e.g., flossing their teeth twice a day, signing a petition, wearing seat belts). Approval, on the other hand, involves an audience’s consent or agreement with a speaker’s proposed attitude, value, or belief.

This step will be your conclusion. Again, it will have the same elements as a conclusion you would use for any speech.

Application

Now that we’ve walked through Monroe’s motivated sequence, let’s look at how you could use Monroe’s motivated sequence to outline a persuasive speech:

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that the United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments.

Main Points:

Attention: Want to make nine thousand dollars for just three weeks of work lying around and not doing much? Then be a human guinea pig. Admittedly, you’ll have to have a tube down your throat most of those three weeks, but you’ll earn three thousand dollars a week.
Need: Every day many uneducated and lower socioeconomic-status citizens are preyed on by medical and pharmaceutical companies for use in for-profit medical and drug experiments. Do you want one of your family members to fall prey to this evil scheme?
Satisfaction: The United States should have stronger laws governing the use of for-profit medical experiments to ensure that uneducated and lower-socioeconomic-status citizens are protected.
Visualization: If we enact tougher experiment oversight, we can ensure that medical and pharmaceutical research is conducted in a way that adheres to basic values of American decency. If we do not enact tougher experiment oversight, we could find ourselves in a world where the lines between research subject, guinea pig, and patient become increasingly blurred.
Action: In order to prevent the atrocities associated with for-profit medical and pharmaceutical experiments, please sign this petition asking the US Department of Health and Human Services to pass stricter regulations on this preying industry that is out of control.

This example shows how you can take a basic speech topic and use Monroe’s motivated sequence to clearly and easily outline your speech efficiently and effectively.

Below is a checklist that contains a simple checklist to help you make sure you hit all the important components of Monroe’s motivated sequence.

The following video further details Monroe’s Motivated Sequence outlining each component and providing examples to provide an in-depth understanding of the organizational pattern.

For Future Reference | How to organize this in an outline |

Introduction: Attention Step

Main Point #1: Need Step

Main Point #2: Satisfaction Step

Main Point #3: Visualization Step

Conclusoin: Action Step

Problem-Cause-Solution

Specific Purpose: To persuade my classroom peers that our campus should adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.

Demonstrate that there is distrust among different groups on campus that has led to unnecessary confrontations and violence.
Show that the confrontations and violence are a result of hate speech that occurred prior to the events.
Explain how instituting a campus-wide zero-tolerance policy against hate speech could stop the unnecessary confrontations and violence.

Comparative Advantages

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the Nook is more advantageous than the Kindle.

The Nook allows owners to trade and loan books to other owners or people who have downloaded the Nook software, while the Kindle does not.
The Nook has a color-touch screen, while the Kindle’s screen is black and grey and noninteractive.
The Nook’s memory can be expanded through microSD, while the Kindle’s memory cannot be upgraded.

Key Takeaways

There are three common patterns that persuaders can utilize to help organize their speeches effectively: Monroe’s motivated sequence, problem-cause-solution, and comparative advantage. Each of these patterns can effectively help a speaker think through his or her thoughts and organize them in a manner that will be more likely to persuade an audience.
Alan H. Monroe’s (1935) motivated sequence is a commonly used speech format that is used by many people to effectively organize persuasive messages. The pattern consists of five basic stages: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. In the first stage, a speaker gets an audience’s attention. In the second stage, the speaker shows an audience that a need exists. In the third stage, the speaker shows how his or her persuasive proposal could satisfy the need. The fourth stage shows how the future could be if the persuasive proposal is or is not adopted. Lastly, the speaker urges the audience to take some kind of action to help enact the speaker’s persuasive proposal.
The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
The comparative advantages speech format is utilized when a speaker is comparing two or more things or ideas and shows why one of the things or ideas has more advantages than the other(s).

German, K. M., Gronbeck, B. E., Ehninger, D., & Monroe, A. H. (2010). Principles of public speaking (17th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 236.

Micciche, T., Pryor, B., & Butler, J. (2000). A test of Monroe’s motivated sequence for its effects on ratings of message organization and attitude change. Psychological Reports, 86 , 1135–1138.

Monroe, A. H. (1935). Principles and types of speech . Chicago, IL: Scott Foresman.

Public Speaking Copyright © by Dr. Layne Goodman; Amber Green, M.A.; and Various is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Problem-Solution Speech [Topics, Outline, Examples]
Thesis Statement: The thesis typically lays out the problem and solution in the form of a question and answer. See examples below. Solution: Explain the solution clearly and in detail, your problem-solving strategy, and reasons why your solution will work.In this section, be sure to answer common objections, such as "there is a better solution," "your solution is too costly," and ...
80+ Problem Solution Speech Topics
A problem/solution speech takes the approach of highlighting an issue with the intent to provide solutions. It is a two-phase approach where first the speaker lays out the problem and explains the importance. Secondly, a variety of solutions are provided to tackle the said issue. The best solutions are those that can be actively applied.
Problem Solution Speech Topics, Outline & Examples
Here are some tips to keep in mind as you prepare your problem-solution speech: Be passionate: This is not the time for a dry, academic approach. You need to be enthusiastic about the issue at hand and really sell your audience on why they should care. Be clear: Make sure that your audience understands the problem and potential solutions.
70 Custom Problem Solution Speech Topics On Each Subject
Our experts have been working with problem solution topics for more than five years. That is why we asked them to compose a list of good topics examples. We divided them into seven most frequently used categories so that you will find the necessary one. 1. Economics and finances.
17.3 Organizing Persuasive Speeches
The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
PDF PROBLEM-SOLUTION SPEECH TEMPLATE Title
PROBLEM-SOLUTION SPEECH TEMPLATE Title: Topic: General Purpose: "To Inform", "To Persuade", "To Entertain", etc … as assigned Specific Purpose: A single statement that combines your general purpose, your audience, and your intended outcome (the outcome or behavior you want your audience to experience or adopt after
Problem Solution Speech Topics Ideas: Guide to Successful Writing
Problem solution speech topics ideas are hard to find if you are assigned to deliver a speech. Use the topics below for your oral problem solution presentation. ... Investigate figures and facts; provide illustrations and real-life examples as support for your solutions. Do it consistently, step-by-step for each of the proposed solutions.
Problem Solution Speech Topics
The requirement to fix the problem defines the problem-solution speech as a persuasive presentation. You may consider any of the persuasive speech topics that you have a proposal or a plan as a question for a problem-solution speech. Selecting Problems. Deciding on what problem or issue you want to discuss may depend on the type of audience you ...
10.10: Persuasive Speech Examples
Sample Problem/Solution Persuasive Speech. Topic: Antibacterial Chemicals Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the use of antibacterial chemicals in household products is creating health and environmental problems. Central Idea or Thesis: After looking at the problems created by antibacterial products, we'll explore some solutions. Introduction
Problem-Solution Speech Topics, Structure, & Examples [2024]
The main aim of any problem-solution speech is to encourage the audience to take some action or support a particular idea. Defining the problem clearly. You should gather enough evidence to prove that the issue is quite severe and needs attendance immediately. Everyone should be able to understand the details.
How to Persuade Your Audience with Problem-Solution Speeches
The problem-solution structure is a common pattern of organizing and presenting information in persuasive speeches. It consists of two main parts: the problem and the solution. The problem part ...
Sample Problem-Solution Persuasive Outline
A. Cardiovascular disease, the nation's leading cause of death, is caused by inactivity. 1. Clogged arteries and veins are a result of inactivity. (example) 2. Excess fat also caused by inactivity leads to a higher incidence of heart disease. (Statistically, then, you will die at an earlier age if you do not exercise.)
Problem Solution Persuasive Speech Topics
Below are thirty problem solution persuasive speech topics to help you get started. 1. The problems with plastic surgery and how to fix them. 2. The rise of eating disorders and what can be done about it. 3. Why there needs to be more education on mental health and how to prevent suicide. 4.
Persuasive Speech
This speech is annotated and I've highligh... In this video, I demonstrate for my college public speaking class how to deliver a problem-effect-solution speech.
10.2 Using Common Organizing Patterns
The problem-cause-solution format for speeches generally lends itself to persuasive topics because the speaker is asking an audience to believe in and adopt a specific solution. Psychological A further way to organize your main ideas within a speech is through a psychological speech pattern in which "a" leads to "b" and "b" leads to ...
Organizing Persuasive Speeches
The problem-cause-solution proposal is a three-pronged speech pattern. The speaker starts by explaining the problem the speaker sees. The speaker then explains what he or she sees as the underlying causes of the problem. Lastly, the speaker proposes a solution to the problem that corrects the underlying causes.
Teaching Problem and Solution in Speech
When determining the solution or solutions to the problem in the text, students can work on the following speech skills: Articulation by answering these questions and talking through the solutions orally. Receptive language skills like answering questions by writing down, highlighting, or circling the solutions to the problem.
Problem & Solution Persuasive Speech Styles
Problem & Solution Persuasive Speech Styles. Part of the series: Persuasive Speaking Tips. There are many ways to give persuasive speeches. Learn about the p...
PDF SAMPLE Problem-Cause-Solution Speech Outline
problem, and this is because of the lack of financial education in college; however, implementing a foundational financial literacy course in all colleges could solve this problem. B. Audience Response Statement: I hope you all see the value of enhancing your financial literacy and starting your financial success journey in college.
Problem-Solution Speech [Topics, Outline, Examples]
When you are allocation to write a problem-solution essay or researching papers, choosing a good topic lives one first-time dilemma you need to work out. The global is full of issues that need to be released or could be perfected upon, and unlike the Konigsberg Bridge problem from the 1700s , best starting them have ampere potential solution.
Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern
The problem-cause-solution approach will first describe the problem, then analyze the cause or responses to the problem, and then will lead to a solution. We practice this approach daily in our interactions with others, whether at work or home. Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783. This work is licensed under a ...
Problem-Solution Outline
1. Describe how your solution can be implemented. 2. Explain what actions must be taken now (and later) to solve the problem. 3. Describe the cost, time, and effort needed for the solution. a. Supporting material b. Supporting material CMST 1110: Persuasive Outline B. Explain why your plan will work.
Monroe's Motivated Sequence, Problem-Solution, Comparative Advantages
This example shows how you can take a basic speech topic and use Monroe's motivated sequence to clearly and easily outline your speech efficiently and effectively. ... Another format for organizing a persuasive speech is the problem-cause-solution format. In this specific format, you discuss what a problem is, what you believe is causing the ...

Problem-Solution Speech [Topics, Outline, Examples]

Problem-Solution Outline

Problem-Solution Topics for Essays and Papers

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80+ Problem Solution Speech Topics

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Problem-Solution Speech Topics

Problem Solution Speech Topics, Outline & Examples

Problem-Solution Speech Outline

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Cause/Effect

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Problem-Solution Presentation Techniques

Problem-Solution Speech Topics

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Problem Solution Speech Topics Ideas

How to Choose a Problem and Make the Essay Interesting

How to Find Solutions

How to Provide Proper Support for Your Argument

The Best Problem Solution Speech Topics for College Students

A List of Problem Cause Solution Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students

Problem Solution Speech on the Topic of Policy Advocacy

I. Introduction

II. Body: The Problem Identification and Solution Proposal

III. Conclusion

Problem Solution Topics for Your Perfect Speech

How to Choose a Proper Problem Solution Speech Topic

List of Speech Topics for Problem-Solution Presentation

Working on the Solution

How to Provide an Outline for a Problem Solution Speech

Selecting Problems

Finding Solutions

Handling Multiple-Aspect Problem Solution Speech Topics

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