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Cognitive theories postulate that attention toward threatening information and away from neutral cues plays an etiological role in anxiety. The present study examines whether a preconscious attentional bias (AB) toward threatening stimuli exists in individuals with public speaking anxiety. Participants included 61 undergraduates with high and low speech anxiety. AB was measured using a dot-probe paradigm with threatening and neutral words. Reaction times to dot-probes on threatening and neutral trials were compared between the two groups. Results indicated that, contrary to expectations, high and low speech anxious participants did not differ in their mean reaction times to threat words. Thus, AB may not be measurable in individuals with public speaking anxiety using the method that the current study employed. / Master of Science

<p> The purpose of this study is to use close textual analysis, informed by the neurodiversity paradigm and critical disability theories, to explore the coverage of CA in an introductory public speaking collegiate textbook to see how the experience is depicted and what thematic narratives about dis/ability are included in its coverage. This research is required to comprehend the phenomena more holistically and aid communication educators in creating curricula attentive to the needs of the high CA student, embodying best practice for a diverse set of students.  Incorporating dis/ability perspectives into public speaking pedagogy signals an opportunity to advance interdisciplinary knowledge about CA, mental health, dis/ability, neurodiversity, and education accessibility at large. By analyzing literary representations of CA, this research furthers the goals of critical dis/ability studies by de-naturalizing ideas about the binaries in which “ableness”/“disability” and “normality”/abnormality, are typically read and related to “success”. The overarching goal of this project is to demonstrate that these rhetorical representations of communication/performance bound anxiety are not only relevant, but of central importance for contemporary discussions on dis/ability within education.</p>

O Transtorno de Ansiedade Social (TAS) tem sido considerado um grave problema de saúde mental pela sua alta prevalência em pessoas jovens e pelas incapacidades decorrentes no desempenho e interações sociais. É fundamental que se disponha de instrumentos validados e abrangentes que avaliem tanto os recursos e déficits comportamentais quanto os prejuízos sociais e funcionais destas pessoas. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, verificar as associações entre as manifestações comportamentais e clínicas do TAS por meio de dois estudos, um psicométrico e outro empírico, visando: (a) aferir as propriedades psicométricas do Inventário de Habilidades Sociais (IHS-Del-Prette), enquanto medida do repertório comportamental de habilidades sociais, em relação à avaliação das manifestações clínicas próprias do TAS, medidas pelo Inventário da Fobia Social (SPIN); e (b) comparar e caracterizar o repertório de habilidades sociais apresentado por universitários brasileiros portadores de TAS e não portadores frente a uma situação experimental estruturada, o Teste de Simulação de Falar em Público (TSFP). Do estudo psicométrico, participaram 1006 universitários, na faixa etária entre 17 e 35 anos, de ambos os gêneros, provindos de duas instituições de ensino superior. Posteriormente, 86 participantes foram randomicamente selecionados desta amostra inicial e agrupados como casos e não-casos de TAS a partir de avaliação clínica sistemática por meio da Entrevista Clínica Estruturada para o DSM-IV. Do delineamento empírico, participaram 26 universitários, sendo 13 com diagnóstico de TAS e 13 não portadores de transtornos psiquiátricos. Quanto aos resultados, o IHS apresentou boa consistência interna para o escore total, reforçando a sua validade de construto. Observou-se boa validade concorrente entre o IHS e o SPIN, com um coeficiente altamente significativo de correlação negativa entre eles, indicando que quanto mais elaborado for o repertório de habilidades sociais de um indivíduo, menor é a sua probabilidade de satisfazer os critérios de rastreamento de indicadores para o TAS. O IHS demonstrou distinguir significativamente indivíduos com e sem TAS, atestando sua validade discriminativa e preditiva para esse diagnóstico, evidenciando-se assim a sua validade clínica e a possibilidade do seu uso em estudos empíricos que testem a eficácia terapêutica de programas de intervenção. No TSFP, os grupos caso e não-caso de TAS não demonstraram diferenças significativas, em termos de freqüência, para a maioria dos marcadores comportamentais de ansiedade avaliados. Um número maior de sujeitos do grupo não-caso foi avaliado como apresentando um nível de habilidades sociais apropriadas para falar em público, que variou de moderado a alto, em comparação ao grupo caso. Ao longo do TSFP, a freqüência de emissão dos marcadores comportamentais de ansiedade pelos sujeitos de ambos os grupos manteve-se estável. Os grupos diferiram significativamente na maioria dos itens indicativos da habilidade de falar em público do IHS e quanto ao escore geral desta habilidade. A análise dos resultados do estudo empírico aponta para a necessidade de novos estudos com amostras clínicas de indivíduos com TAS dos subtipos generalizado e circunscrito, e não-clínica, com maior número de sujeitos, previamente avaliados quanto ao medo de falar em público, e também para a possibilidade de uso do TSFP em programas de Treinamento em Habilidades Sociais. / Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) has been considered a serious mental health problem for its high prevalence in young people and for the resulting disabilities in the performance and social interactions. It stands out, thus, as being fundamental to have comprehensive and validated instruments which evaluate both the resources and the social and functional impairments of these people. In this work, we aimed at verifying the associations between the behavioral and clinical manifestations of SAD by means of two studies, a psychometric study and an empirical one, in order to: (a) check the psychometric properties of the Social Skills Inventory (HIS-Del-Prette), as a measure of the social skills behavioral repertoire in relation to the evaluation of the typical clinical manifestations of SAD, measured by the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN); (b) compare and characterize the social skills repertoire shown by Brazilian undergraduates with and without SAD in a structured experimental situation, the Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPST). A total of 1006 undergraduates of both genders participated in the psychometric study, with ages between 17 and 35, from two universities. Subsequently, 86 participants were randomly selected from this initial sample and grouped as SAD case and non-case from the systematic clinical evaluation. In the empirical outline, 26 undergraduates participated, 13 with a SAD diagnosis and 13 without the disorder. According to the results, IHS showed good internal consistency for the total score, reinforcing its construct validity. Good concurrent validity was demonstrated between IHS and SPIN, with a highly significant negative correlation coefficient between them, indicating that the more elaborate the social skills repertoire of an individual is, the smaller the probability that he or she will meet the screening criteria for the indicators of SAD. IHS proved to significantly distinguish individuals with and without SAD, attesting thus, discriminative and predictive validity for this diagnosis, showing its clinical validity for the diagnosis of this disorder and yet the possibility of using it in empirical studies testing the therapeutical efficacy in programs of intervention. In the SPST, the case and non-case groups of SAD did not show significant differences in terms of frequency for most of the social anxiety markers, except in relation to facial movements of discomfort, and the class of non-verbal markers, in which the non-case group presented higher values. A higher number of individuals from this group were evaluated as showing a level of appropriate social skills for speaking in public which varied from moderate to high, in comparison with the other group. Throughout SPST, the frequency of emission of anxiety behavioral markers by the participants of both groups was stable. The groups differed significantly in most items of IHS indicative of abilities to speak in public, as well as in the general score of this ability. The analysis of the results of the empirical study points to the necessity of new studies with clinical samples of individuals with SAD of the generalized and circumscribed subtypes and non-clinical, with a larger number of participants, previously evaluated as to the fear of speaking in public, and also to the possibility of using SPST in Social Skills Training.

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of communication apprehension among a purposeful sample of five community college students with high levels of communication apprehension. The phenomenon of Communication Apprehension (CA) is “an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons” (Beatty, McCroskey, & Heisel, 1998, p. 197; McCroskey, 1970, p. 269). All individuals experience some level of CA, and between 30% and 40% of individuals are estimated to experience high levels of CA. For the community college student with high levels of CA, the introductory communication course can be difficult, causing significant emotional and physical distress. For the high CA student, the experienced anxiety has academic, social, and emotional implications. A phenomenological qualitative methodology was selected to give voice to the high CA student and to understand the lived experience of high CA during the introductory communication course. This study provides a rich, thick description of the lived experience of the high CA community college student. A purposeful sample of five high CA community college students enrolled in the introductory communication course was selected. Participants were identified as high CA using the Personal Report of Public Speaking Apprehension (PRPSA) (McCroskey, 2017). Study participants were selected as follows: those with high levels of CA as determined by the PRPSA instrument, and who were willing to offer insight into the lived experience of high CA. Data were gathered in two 50-minute interviews with each participant and from participatory action research (PAR) personal diaries created by study participants. Data were also gathered from field observations by the primary investigator. The lived experience of high CA is comprised of seven themes: (1) ongoing and pervasive difficulty, (2) ongoing curricular and co-curricular difficulty, (3) no division exists between real and imagined CA, (4) high CA students frequently avoid anxiety-inducing scenarios, and (5) high CA students have not been effectively equipped with mitigating techniques and in turn, use self-developed mitigation. The study is significant because it contributes to the body of knowledge related to CA for the high CA community college student.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2003. / Title from title page screen, viewed March 21, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Dent Rhodes (chair), Temba Bassoppo-Moyo, Cheri Toledo, David B. Williams, Larry W. Long. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-117) and abstract. Also available in print.

Public speaking anxiety (PSA), widespread amongst students and also the general population, is associated with substantial distress and interferes with a person’s ability to give a presentation or speech. This can lead to difficulties in social, occupational and academic areas of functioning. Despite its pervasiveness, very few individuals will seek help, most will tend to avoid the anxiety-provoking situations. This can be a serious issue if left untreated, leading to negative impacts on quality of life, for example dropping out of education early and subsequently having limited job opportunities. The literature review explored the existing body of work regarding PSA and presented the rationale for the current research, beginning with a conceptual framework and the manner in which PSA is related to Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This was followed by a detailed investigation of existing influential models and treatment modalities for both PSA and SAD. It identified that CBT has been the most effective treatment and has been delivered via different formats; however some individuals with SAD/PSA did not respond to a mainstream CBT approach and continued presenting residual symptoms after therapy. Thus, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was introduced, with an examination of its model and potential to help PSA. Preliminary research employing acceptance-based strategies have provided promising results. The literature review indicated a need for investigation of (i) more readily disseminated, briefer formats of ACT and (ii) whether differences exist in efficacy and sustainability between non-guided self-help and group-led therapies format. Given the large number of individuals experience PSA/SAD and the limited availability of resources, there is a need to consider ways of improving access. Thus, development of ultra-brief interventions would potentially reduce delivery cost and enhance dissemination to a larger population. Keywords: public speaking anxiety, social anxiety, interventions, experiential avoidance, fear of negative evaluation, acceptance.

要設計一場具影響力的公眾演說，演講者不能忽略演講情境的存在；要了解演講者如何進行演講設計，就須從其面臨之情境著手。過往以公眾演講為研究主題的文獻與坊間書籍，多聚焦於演講者如何運用演說技巧，或分析知名演講者進行演講時所使用的特定規則及方法，雖可窺探演講者如何進行演說設計，但對於情境的存在鮮少論及，亦無法真正擷取演講者為何如此規畫的原由。再者，演講之中的情境來自於四面八方，發掘演講者如何篩選及妥適運用情境，才是對於想要培養及建立公眾演講技巧者的最佳學習途徑。因此，本研究與六名TEDxTaipei演講者進行深度訪談，從演講者觀點出發，分析演講者感知哪些情境、並如何因應情境設計演講內容。 / To design a powerful public speech, a speaker cannot neglect the existence of speech contexts. To understand how a speaker designs his/her speech, we should first look at the context that the speaker faces. The majority of the literature reviews and books tend to focus on the public speaking skills of the speaker or analyze specific rules or methods adopted by famous speakers. Although this offers a glimpse into how speakers design their speeches, it seldom discusses the existence of speech contexts, nor is it able to pinpoint the reasons why a speaker takes a certain approach. Furthermore, since speech contexts vary in different places, guiding speakers how to select and make use of contexts is the best teaching approach. Therefore, this study conducted in-depth interviews with six speakers from TEDxTaipei in order to analyze what context they are aware of and how they design their speeches based on such context.