COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION

Definition Communication Apprehension: An individual’s level of fear or anxiety with either real or anticipated communication with another person or group of people.

Types of CA Traitlike – those who get nervous in almost all communication interactions Generalized Context – people who get nervous in one particular type of interaction

….Types of CA Types of Interactions Public Speaking (talking to a large audience) Meetings (small groups, 10-15 people) Group discussions (class) Interpersonal (1-2 people)

…Types of CA Person-Group – Talking to a specific group of people Ex: Situational – Feeling nervous in specific situations

Causes of CA Heredity – inherited the personality trait Modeling – witnesses a speaker that was nervous Childhood reinforcement – made fun of or had a bad experience as a child (with speaking) Skills deficit – speech impediment, no training

Treatments for CA Small steps toward the goal – doing small speeches and gradually working up to the major ones Positive visualization – like sports, you mentally picture yourself doing a good job Skills training – taking speech class and learning the skills needed to succeed at public speaking

Research shows… A persons level of fear or anxiety has NOTHING TO DO WITH: Intelligence Gender Age Race Culture

IT’S COMMON!! Public speaking is the #1 Fear of Americans: 41% = giving a speech Only 19% = death 70-75% of people have some level of public speaking anxiety 15-20% have a high level of anxiety