The purpose of this study was to investigate communication mindset changes across one semester of the introductory communication course and differences across students' demographic backgrounds. The study measured the communication mindset and other instructional constructs of 1299 undergraduate students during the first two and last two weeks of…

This study explored the effectiveness of communication training for clergy, working to create an outcomes assessment model for such endeavors. Clergy-participants (N=46) completed an extensive training process designed to increase the transformative quality of their sermon communication. Training outcomes were assessed with a prepost test design,…

Finds that students with the highest level of public speaking anxiety showed the largest improvement in perceived competence and perception of audience pleasantness. Discusses the speaker's perception of the audience as a key factor in public speaking anxiety. (SR)

Uses dispositional and situational versions of novelty, conspicuousness, subordinate status, and a measure of public speaking apprehension to predict state anxiety in response to a public speaking task. Finds that a model consisting of trait versions of novelty, conspicuousness, and subordinate status significantly predicts public speaking state…

Analyzes manuscripts that have studied the treatment of communication apprehension. Concludes that all forms of treatment (cognitive modification, systematic desensitization, and skills training) were effective in reducing public speaking anxiety and that the type of self-report scale did not affect the observed effect size. (MS)

Presents six generalizations on using humor in public speaking. (PD)

Examines data from two public speaking performances to examine the stability of speakers' perceptions of situational factors and the relationship of those factors to communication apprehension and state anxiety. Finds that degree of attention functions as a situational perception, whereas novelty, subordinate status, conspicuousness, and…

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…

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…

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…

Applies H.J. Eysenck's theoretical perspective on the development of anxiety to explain audience perceptions of public speakers--specifically the effects of social conditioning, particularly punishment, and the relative conditionability of an individual's nervous system combine to predict behavioral responses to state anxiety. Finds that…

Examines how visualization compares with placebo procedures in reducing communication apprehension (CA) in public speaking classes. Finds that visualization is an active treatment procedure that reduces CA above and beyond the reduction that can be attributed to the "extra-attention" involved in any treatment process. (MS)

Finds that high, moderate, and low apprehensives perceived significant gains in competency and significant decreases in anxiety in a public speaking course. Finds no differences among them in the amount of perceived improvement and anxiety decrease. Reveals a significant positive correlation between teachers' verbal immediacy and anxiety decrease…

Compares self-reports of speech preparation activities by high and low public speaking apprehensive individuals. Finds that high communication apprehensives spent more time on non-communication-oriented activities and more time preparing their speeches but received lower grades than low apprehensives, while low communication apprehensives spent…

Compares demand for speech preparation skills and trait public speaking apprehension as predictors of state anxiety experienced immediately before a graded classroom performance. Finds that public speaking apprehension significantly predicted anticipatory anxiety, while no significant effect was observed for planning skills. Examines findings…