.. the Information Manual for the 1980 Cessna C172 N Skyhawk ... gives tables in Section 5 (Performance) for Take-off and Landing distances based on Short Field Technique as specified in Section 4...??
Section 4 (Normal Procedures) goes on to give the techniques for short field and normal take-offs and landings.
A quick net search came up with a 1980 POH dated July 1979 with no revisions affecting relevant pages.
The point in question, here - what are the take off and landing speed schedules for the two techniques - short field and normal ?
Looking at the POH, above, one gets
for "short field" takeoff Vtoss = 1.12-1.21 Vs
for "short field" landing Vapp = 1.34-1.43 Vs
with the range quoted depending on CG for gross weight. The figures quoted are from my sums .. while I have nominated two decimals, the reality is that one should not read to that sort of apparent precision .. so, looking at the forward CG - which is the more critical - one would have approximate margins of, say, 1.2 and 1.4. The usual 1.3 for approach is a minimum and the OEM is perfectly entitled to run a bit faster .. that probably indicates that the TPs were of the view that coming in over the fence with only the maker's name on the clock might not be a really bright idea. If you are of a mind to check my numbers, do remember to apply PECs so that the calculations are done with KCAS rather than KIAS.
These figures are pretty close to the normally seen civil certification margins so, it follows, these "short field" operations are what most of us with a certification background would consider normal operations and, certainly, not STOL.
That the OEM elects to refer to the techniques as short field and normal is neither here nor there .. we are talking about certification operations (short field) and a more comfortable higher speed operation recommended by the OEM (normal) .. but not STOL in any sense of the term.
Unfortunately, the Industry is beset by lazy terminology ... (and, I have to admit, I'm just as lax and lazy at times, myself).
If you want a feel for STOL, you could go not much further than carrier operations .. I note that Centaurus, in the first post, makes reference to his experiences in the Sea Fury .. hairy stuff. As a sideline point of interest, another PPRuNe poster (Milt) was the chap who sent Centaurus off for his first Sea Fury jolly all those years ago ...