With the goal of identifying the characteristics or traits students bring to the classroom that predispose them to panic when faced with the threat of presenting in front of an audience, this study introduced a subtype of public-speaking state anxiety--anxious arousal. Specifically, this study examined the extent to which trait anxiety and…

Finds that both state and trait anxiety levels during three pre-performance events were ordered in a quadratic, v-shaped episodic pattern; the highest level of anticipatory anxiety occurred just before speaking, the second-highest level occurred at the time the assignment was announced and explained, and the lowest level occurred during the time…

Investigates the relationship between beginning public speakers' self-reported performance anxiety and audience perception of that anxiety. Indicates that audiences perceive speaker anxiety levels to be lower during performance than the speakers themselves report. (AEW)

Reports on research into the communication of speech state anxiety between adjacent speakers in the speaking order in a public speaking setting. Finds, based on classical response contagion theory, that public speaking state anxiety in an educational setting is contagious. Discusses possible consequences, and advances suggestions for future…

Measures heart rates of both anxious and nonanxious speakers under both high- and low-intensity conditions. Finds that heart rates of anxious speakers were significantly higher than those of nonanxious speakers when both performed under low-intensity conditions but that heart rates were not different for anxious and nonanxious speakers when…

Investigates gender differences in anticipatory state anxiety and narrowband trait anxiety patterns among college students. Finds significant gender-based pattern differences, with higher anxiety patterns reported by female speakers. Finds that both female and male speaker groups exhibited the hypothesized quadratic v-shaped pattern of mean…

Shows that recollections of state speaking anxiety decreased over time, and that the rate of attenuation was associated with the speaker's level of trait speaking anxiety. Finds also that recollections of state speaking anxiety (implicit memory) were attenuated over time, and that the magnitude of this decline was predicted by the speaker's level…

Examines the efficacy of using immediate and delayed feedback in generating improvement on a subsequent public speaking performance, for tasks which vary in information processing requirements. Indicates that immediate feedback intervention is more effective when automatic processing occurs, while delayed feedback produces greater change with…

This investigation included two studies relating anticipatory public speaking anxiety to the nature of the speech assignment. Based on uncertainty reduction theory, which suggests that communicators are less comfortable in unfamiliar or unpredictable contexts, two hypotheses were advanced on the presumption that various types of assignments in a…

Presents evidence of a positive relationship between self-perceived anxiety and hand-arm tremor for both male and female subjects. Results indicate that trembling may be a useful variable for inclusion in multimethod approaches to studying speech anxiety. (JMF)

Recent studies on the anxiety patterns of public speakers have generally supported perspectives on emotion from the field of neurobiology. Without relying on highly invasive or cumbersome technology, much of the biology of speech anxiety has been derived from heart rate studies of physiological arousal rather than examining more direct evidence…

Describes a teacher-to-student feedback system consisting of a television typewriter which allows for spontaneous and direct transmission of teacher comments to students during their speech performance. (MH)

Describes how a computer can be used to help instructors evaluate classroom speaking. Discusses the value of a computerized system of speech criticism. (PD)

Addresses concerns when a college-level course utilizes a number of instructors and sections. Notes the importance of the various sections receiving essentially the same educational experience. Describes section variation trends. Discusses use of the computer assisted speech evaluation software at Texas Christian University. Recommends the use of…