Finds that people with communication apprehension (CA) who were exposed to visualization reported lower trait and state CA as well as higher attraction levels than those in control or placebo conditions. (SR)

Finds that communication apprehension (CA) was linked to two interpretive styles: it was positively linked to "deficiency focusing" and negatively linked to "envisioning success." Shows that greater preparation was not an effective way of coping with CA. (SR)

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)

Develops two scales based on the conceptualization of intercultural communication apprehension as the fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated interaction with people of different groups. States scales consisted of 16 items administered to 396 undergraduate student participants. Reveals a unidimensional factor structure and high…

Explores a new concept, listening fidelity, and a procedure for measurement. Defines listening fidelity as the degree of congruence between the cognitions of a listener and the cognitions of a source following a communication event. Finds sufficient support for the concept of listening fidelity to be considered a meaningful variable that merits…

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)

Finds that performance visualization is more effective in reducing communication anxiety, state communication anxiety, negative thoughts, and rigidity for people who can create vivid mental images than for those whose images are less vivid. (SR)

Determines whether visualization can enhance students' public speaking performance and reduce speech anxiety. Finds that standard visualization and performance visualization reduce negative thinking, state communication anxiety (CA), and trait CA. Finds that performance visualization results in fewer disfluencies, less rigidity, and less…

Defining defensiveness as a protective reaction resulting from fear or a threat to one's face or ego, this paper provides a perspective on both verbal and nonverbal aspects of defensiveness. First, the paper examines two trait-like communication predispositions--communication apprehension and touch avoidance--which arguably produce defensive…

A study examined the communicative behavior of mavericks as they relate to innovation in organizations and the impact of such non-conforming behavior on organizational change. Two approaches were used: (1) studying organizational life from the cultural perspective and (2) collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. Subjects, 32 employees of…

Results of research on rhetorical sensitivity suggest that the sensitive person has developed the ability to reach a social context and the others within it and to respond appropriately, while results of research on communication apprehension suggest that high apprehension leads to avoidance of communication situations. If so, then the degree to…

This bibiliography on communication apprehension was compiled from computer searches of the ERIC, Psychological Abstracts, and Dissertation Abstracts data bases, as well as from general readings in the subject area. The more than 1,000 citations are arranged alphabetically by author within the following categories: articles in books,…

Examines the impact of communication apprehension on avoidance, withdrawal, and anxiety in communication contexts in two separate studies. Concludes that those who are communication apprehensive avoid public speaking and that apprehensive responses to public speaking can be predicted from participant's communication apprehension level. (SRT)

Examines, through meta-analytic review, the connection between communication apprehension and communication behavior. Indicates a consistent negative relationship between the level of communication apprehension and communication skills, using a total of 36 studies involving 3742 participants. Finds that as a person becomes more apprehensive both…