Public Speaking Anxiety and Treatment

This assignment delves into the topic of public speaking anxiety, examining its prevalence, causes, and potential impact on individuals. It explores various treatment approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), virtual reality (VR) therapy, and communication accommodation theory. The document also highlights the role of self-perceived communication competence and outcome expectancy in treatment effectiveness.

Running head: EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Effective Business Communications
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Table of Content
Diagnosis and reflection..................................................................................................................2
Analyzing my own communication style across various areas with the five diagnostic tools....2
Identifying two significant communication issues presented in the findings..............................5
Two recent professional interactions and analyzing them with two potential communication
issues............................................................................................................................................6
Literature Review............................................................................................................................7
Public speaking anxiety...............................................................................................................7
Strategies to deal with public speaking anxiety...........................................................................9
Compulsive speaking-...............................................................................................................10
Action Plan....................................................................................................................................11
References and Bibliography.........................................................................................................15

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Diagnosis and reflection
Analyzing my own communication style across various areas with the five diagnostic tools
Communication is certainly a significant concern for every individual and the individuals
must acquire or improve the skills for different types of communication. There are several sorts
of communication styles which and each one has its own significance. However, the skills or the
competencies regarding communication of the individuals need to be measured through
diagnostic tools. I have presented my skills and competencies regarding communication in the
following.
Diagnostic tool 1- Self-perceived communication competence scale (SPCC)
Presenting a talk to a group of friends is always enriching to me but however when I am
supposed to talk to a large meeting of acquaintance, I find it difficult. However, presenting a talk
to a small group of friends becomes easy because my assertive style of communication allows
me to maintain the sweet spot between being too aggressive as well as too passive. Even though,
I find it difficult when it comes to present a talk to a group of strangers, my skills in assertive
skill of maintaining the sweet spot between becoming too aggressive as well as passive. This
means when I am assertive, when I have the confidence to interact without resorting to
manipulation. I know my limits and I cannot allow myself to be pushed beyond them, as
someone else wants something from us. Nonetheless, I develop a characteristic of achieving my
own goals without hurting others. I scored 80 in presenting a talk to a group of acquaintances,
which is comparatively a poor score to me but here I do not use the characteristic of aggressive
communication style such as frightening, explosive and unpredictable. Moreover, I am not
supposed to use the language like “You are crazy”, “you make me sick” or any sarcastic

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language. My overall SPCC score for public is 91 and meeting is 95, which enables me to
maintain a healthy communication style.
Diagnostic tool-2- Personal Report of Intercultural Communication Apprehension
(APRICA)
Intercultural Communication skills help me to become flexible during the communication
to any cultural or racial group of people. I strongly agree to the fact of being comfortable with a
group of people belonging to different culture and group, as my assertive communication style
help me to become comfortable with any individual belonging to any culture or group. I scored
56 in inter-cultural, which increases my confidence about the communication. Whenever I get
any opportunity, I prefer to get involved in-group discussion with others belonging to different
cultural group. For example, every year, I take part in cultural debates in my community where
people from different cultural location visit. On the other side, I do not feel hesitate to expose my
aggression if something irritates me during the conversation with friends or with the people I
know for a long time. However, when interacting with a group of people belonging to different
culture I remain calm and relaxed so that others would not feel uncomfortable in communicating
with me. I mostly care of my non-verbal behavior such as open posture, systematic balanced,
relaxed when I am supposed to start a conversation with an individual from a different culture.
Diagnostic tool-3- Non-verbal Immediacy Scale Self- Report
My non-verbal Immediacy Scale score is 85, as there are certain elements that I
positively follow and maintain. I have the tendency to use my hands and arm to gesture while
talking to people but I avoid touching others on the shoulder or arms while talking to them. I
understand that communication is one such thing that improves my efficiency in every field. I

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never use any such monotonous tone or dull voice while communicating to others. I realize that
while talking to someone, it is important to keep an eye-to-eye contact with that person; I avoid
looking over or looking away from others while talking to them. I prefer to maintain a relaxed
body position while talking to others, which helps to make others comfortable during the
conversation. I understand that frowning during the conversation makes other person
uncomfortable or lose interest in the conversation; thereby, I do not prefer to frown during the
conversation. Nevertheless, I do not move closer to people when I talk to strangers because I
believe that such behavior could make other person uncomfortable. I strongly agree that I do
have many vocal varieties when I talk to people, this means that I tend to lower my voice and
speak in polite tone when I communicate with people but when talking to friends I speak with a
natural tone.
Diagnostic tool 4- Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA)
In this particular diagnostic tool, I scored 102, which certainly a moderate sore indicating
my weaknesses. I have realized that while preparing for a given speech I observe a state of
nervousness in myself. As I am not used to the action of giving public speech, the word “public
speech” makes me worried and anxious. There are some situations I faced when the lecturer in
the class asked me to give a speech on a particular topic, I feel nervous if I am not prepared. In
fact, if I take earlier preparation for the speech I cannot avoid the nature being of nervous.
Furthermore, I observed that while starting speech in a public event, initially my heartbeat goes
faster but with time, it becomes easier. As I am not used to the fact of providing public speech, I
tend to experience a considerable anxiety while sitting in a room before the speech starts. Thus, I
understand that I need to enhance the skills of Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety.

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Diagnostic tool- 5- Talkahalic Scale of Communication
This diagnostic tool has wide impact of my communication and I only scored 28 in this
talkhalic communication. This is because there are several elements I need to develop. I have
observed that in the middle of discussion when others want my opinion, I remain silent for a
while, which certainly affects the communication. However, I never felt a situation where I am
compelled to keep quite. Nonetheless, when I am supposed to deliver my speech, I often carry
away and forget the main theme of the topic. I realize that this happens due to lack of practices. I
should have attended more debate and class session where I get the opportunity to deliver speech
on a given topic.
Identifying two significant communication issues presented in the findings
The above-mentioned findings and analysis helps to identify that I need to avoid some
fundamental skills of communication to avoid public speaking anxiety. Poor score in public
speaking anxiety tool indicates that some of the elements in which I am not good. For example,
my heart beats vast when I start a speech, which indicates that I go through a state of anxiety that
breaks my confidence. In addition, sometimes I also observe myself dealing with the constant
fear of forgetting what I am supposed to say. On the other side, I also face difficulties in
compulsive communication. As I found myself remained silent in the middle of the conversation
but when the topic of the conversation is familiar and the people as well, I speak like a
compulsive talker.

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Two recent professional interactions and analyzing them with two potential
communication issues
The above-mentioned discussion is similar to two of the incidents of my life. After
completing graduation, I joined a small firm as an intern. I was supposed to give an introductory
speech on an event organized by our organization. I prepared for the speech for a week before
the event starts. Eventually, when I was standing on the stage to introduce people and deliver an
introductory speech, I was shaking and my voice choking and for a few moments, I remained
silent to control myself, which was difficult for me. I realized that my skills of Public speaking
were not effective and due to these poor skills, my performance in the event was poor. I was not
happy with that performance. As I discussed above, in the middle of the speech, I get anxious if
someone asks me something about the facts about my speech and at that moment, my mind goes
blank. I consider this as inefficiency, which I need to avoid or should be improved. During the
event, I also observed myself that certain part of the body feels very rigid and tense while
delivering the speech. I also realized that only a little time in the speech makes me very tense and
anxious. However, I had the belief that I have the ability to control my feeling of tensions and
stress.
Another incident in my internship proved my inefficiency in communication skills. Once
there was a board meeting about company’s production and further growth strategies. That was
the first time I was invited in the board meeting. Usually, I speak a lot when talk to the people I
know but in that board meeting of the people were unknown. During the meeting I was suppose
to provide a new managerial concept to the board members. Nonetheless, even though I do not
consider myself as a talkaholic person but in that meeting I could not present my concept in a
presentable manner because I was very nervous at that moment in front of the managerial staffs

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of the company. I was quite when I needed to talk. However, my managers understood the
concept, but they were expecting a little more from and that time I silent. Therefore, these two
incidents proved my inefficiency in communication and made me realize that I need to improve.
Literature Review
Communication is always required to work in any competitive field. Due to the
increasing level of competition, the organizations are in the rush of hiring skilled people and the
communication is the most important thing that organizations firstly expect. In this context,
(Goodman, Rudorfer and Maser (2017) mentioned that each individual in their course studies
should complete or brush up their communication skills. In order to get a new job or work in a
large project, individuals often have to be involved in professional communication or dealings.
Public speaking anxiety
As put forward by Paula-Pérez (2013), public speaking remains as the most commonly
reported fearful social situation even though a number of modern theories insists on the
significance of cognitive processes particularly in the social anxiety. In this context, Varcarolis
(2016) mentioned that a general statement of such theories remains as the presumption that the
social anxiety usually result from the negative self-perception or the perceived evaluation by
other people in the social situation. In spot of the theoretical significance of cognitions in the
social phobia, a research conducted by Stubbings, Rees and Roberts (2015) indicates that less
than three quarter of the studies on social phobia utilized any of the cognitive assessment.
However, this happens due to the fact that many of the available cognitive measures for social
anxiety remains either difficult to operate and score. On the other side, it has also been observed
that public speaking remains as the most prevalent fear often observed among the people in both

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general populations as well as among social phobic individuals. Nevertheless, there are only few
instruments that are available to reliably evaluate the range of the public speaking anxiety. In this
context, Pull (2012) commented that only measures that direly review or assess the anxiety of
public speaking is the Personal report of Confidence as the Speaker Questionnaire.
According to Price and Anderson (2012), the individuals with the special phobia
observes additional or excessive fear of negative evaluation in situations where they could be
observed by other individuals during the interactions with other people. Due to this fear, the
social situations are either avoided or ensured with the significant distress. A study conducted by
Niles et al. (2015) on social phobia indicates that studies has progressed an its cognitive,
psychological and behavioral correlates have now become the fruitful the avenues of multi-
model assessment. Furthermore, it has also been studied that behavioral assessment test (BAT)
for socially anxious individual generally consists of impromptu public speeches or the roles
played social interaction. This can also be standardized. Hence, North, North and Coble (2015)
commented that the BAT has been demonstrated to reliably elicit anxious thoughts, changes in
the heart as well as blood pressure. German et al. (2016) conducted the investigation to develop
the rating system to appropriately review the overt behavior of the individuals in the social
situation.
Studies on the influence of talkativeness on interpersonal perception like the source
credibility, leadership ability, interpersonal attraction as well as similarity have found strong and
a positive linear relationship. Jamieson, Nock and Mendes (2013) opined that a more an
individual talk, the more the individual is perceived to be credible and interpersonally attractive.
On the other side, Shahbaz et al. (2016) in their study, mentioned the result of the studies on the
association between quantity of talk as well as the interpersonal perception calls into question the

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concept or definition of talking “too much”. Hence, Day et al. (2012) also commented that the
implementation of negative valence to high amount of talks could be the function of confusing
communication, which remains between the quality with the communication quantity.
Strategies to deal with public speaking anxiety
Skills training-As put forward by Gallois and Giles (2015), skills training remains as the
strategy for managing public speaking anxiety that usually focus on the learning skills that could
help to enhance the specific speaking behaviors. Such skills could relate to any part of the speech
making process with the inclusion of topic selection, research and organization, delivery as well
as the self-evaluation. Some particular skills training like systematic desensitization could make
the public speaking techniques more familiar for a particular speaker, which could lessen the
uncertainty. Moreover, it has also been observed in the study conducted by Biocca and Levy
(2013), focusing particular areas and then enhancing on them could build help to increase more
confidence, which could further lead to more enhancements. In this context, Coopman and Lull
(2014) mentioned that feedback is more significant to initiate and maintain more such positive
cycle of enhancement.
In this context, Varcarolis (2016) mentioned that feedback is more significant to initiate
and maintain more such positive cycle of enhancement. Some breathing as well as the stretching
exercise release endorphins that are body’s natural antidote to stress hormones. According to Pull
(2012), deep breathing remains as the most efficient and proven way to release endorphins.
According to some particular studies deep breathing could provides a general sense of relaxation
as well as it can be done discretely. In order to receive the benefits of deep breathing, the
individual should deep into diaphragm. Therefore, to start the breadth in gently through the nose,
the individual can fill up the bottoms part of the lungs with air. During the process, the entire

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body could pooch out. In such situation, the individuals need to hold the breadth for four to five
seconds and they could let it out.
Physical relaxation exercise
Strategies for managing speaking anxiety could typically help to identify its cognitive as
well as behavioral elements, whereas the physical elements are left unattended. However,
nonetheless, engage in physical exercise to offset general physical signs of anxiety occurred by
cortisol and the release of adrenaline release. This might include the increased heart rate,
flushing, high blood pressure as well as the inefficiency in speech fluency.
Self-Perceived Communication Competence
It was studied that the conceptualizing as well as the measurement of communication
competence could create a considerable controversy. In this context, Jamieson, Nock, and
Mendes (2013) mentioned that while acknowledging that it may or may not be meaningfully
related to the objective external measures of communication competence. However, a study
conducted by Pull (2012), in 1998, with the rationale that people make significant
communication McCroskey advanced the communication competence. Moreover, the individual
do this on the basis of their self-perception. Hence, the justification or the rationale has been
developed or advanced by Phillips in 1968 in their reticence theory. It has also been studied that
true behavior competence could be highly variable just as the function of situation and context,
the talkaholic are assumed to be indifferent on the basis of the situation.
Compulsive speaking-
Most of the people have observed or encountered some individuals who speak more than
the others do. Here, the volume, speed and the duration of their orations could leave the

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perplexed listener at the loss as how to deal with the incessant talker. In this context, Varcarolis
(2016) mentioned that most of the listeners are usually let with feeling excluded as well as
insignificant at the time of confronting with the barrage of words. According to Paula-Pérez
(2013), almost 4% of the adult population usually suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder, which
further includes a history of earlier academic difficulties, frequent job change as well as self-
reported psychological maladjustment. In this context, Pull (2012) mentioned that anxiety is
another usual causation of incessant communication or speaking. Here, the individuals could be
anxious to maintain contact and they could be uncomfortable with the pauses.
Action Plan
Type of
activities
Current performance Things I need to improve Time required
Taking a short
course on
Compulsive
Communication
I believe that the
communication that is
being undertaken by me is
compulsive as I feel that
the people are bound to pay
attention to everything I
say, which actually might
not be relevant to the
context. In this connection,
I have faced several issues
in communicating with
people fixing my attention
on the context that is
The compulsive
communication that is being
undertaken by me can be
avoided through the
understanding of the
different requirements of the
communication. A thorough
understanding of the context
will help in developing the
essence of a good
communication, which will
have clarity and brevity. A
clear and brief message is
The time that might be
required for bringing in
the change is eight to
nine months depending
on the improvements.

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required to be focused.
However, I feel that I
whatever I speak might not
be of any use to the people
with whom I am
communicating, but then
again it is unfortunate that I
cannot resist myself from
speaking out.
always more effective than
a lengthy message.
Therefore, I must take steps
to focus more on the
context, other than
swimming in the shallow
waters. I must understand
that communication helps
mainly in the development
of the message and the
understanding of the
message as well. Therefore,
I must take steps to cut short
the exaggeration and make
the messages brief and
simple for the better
understanding of the
receptor of the message.
Taking a session
on Public
Speaking
Anxiety
I believe I am also
suffering from
Glossophobia, which is
actually a speech disorder
in the public. At times, I
have felt that the anxiety in
me grows even with the
thought of delivering a
I suppose, I must make
serious improvements in the
process of verbal
communications. It is
supposed to help me in
maintaining a good public
communication skill. The
most important aspects of
The time that is required
for undertaking the
change is most probably
based on the time that
will be required for the
eradication of the fear. I
believe that I will be
requiring a training of

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speech in public. The
people staring at me, the
lights and the pulpit bring
me chills. The most
important part of the
impact is that my nerves
seem to fail at the very
thought of delivering a
speech. The issues that are
being faced by me are
causing a distortion in the
speech, which is affecting
the communicative
abilities. I have also
observed that the fear
conquers over my senses
that pose a serious threat
to my communicative
abilities in the public. The
major aspects of the
change that is required to
be undertaken by me is
based on the eradication of
the fear.
the change that is required
to be undertaken are based
on the fear that resides
within the thought of
delivering a speech in
public. Proper
understanding of the public
communication skills will
be helping in determining
the different aspects of the
change in the
communicative capabilities.
four months and a
practice of three weeks
in order to fix the issue
faced by me while
communicating.

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References and Bibliography
Biocca, F., & Levy, M. R. (Eds.). (2013). Communication in the age of virtual reality.
Routledge.
Coopman, S. J., & Lull, J. (2014). Public speaking: The evolving art. Cengage Learning.
Day, A., Paquet, S., Scott, N., & Hambley, L. (2012). Perceived information and communication
technology (ICT) demands on employee outcomes: The moderating effect of
organizational ICT support. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17(4), 473.
Gallois, C., & Giles, H. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. The international
encyclopedia of language and social interaction.
German, K. M., Gronbeck, B. E., Ehninger, D., & Monroe, A. H. (2016). Principles of public
speaking. Routledge.
Goodman, W. K., Rudorfer, M. V., & Maser, J. D. (Eds.). (2017). Obsessive-compulsive
disorder: Contemporary issues in treatment. Routledge.
Jamieson, J. P., Nock, M. K., & Mendes, W. B. (2013). Changing the conceptualization of stress
in social anxiety disorder: Affective and physiological consequences. Clinical
Psychological Science, 1(4), 363-374.
Niles, A. N., Craske, M. G., Lieberman, M. D., & Hur, C. (2015). Affect labeling enhances
exposure effectiveness for public speaking anxiety. Behaviour research and therapy, 68,
27-36.

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North, M. M., North, S. M., & Coble, J. R. (2015). Virtual reality therapy: an effective treatment
for the fear of public speaking. International Journal of Virtual Reality (IJVR), 3(3), 1-6.
Paula-Pérez, I. (2013). Differential diagnosis between obsessive compulsive disorder and
restrictive and repetitive behavioural patterns, activities and interests in autism spectrum
disorders. Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (English Edition), 6(4), 178-186.
Price, M., & Anderson, P. L. (2012). Outcome expectancy as a predictor of treatment response in
cognitive behavioral therapy for public speaking fears within social anxiety
disorder. Psychotherapy, 49(2), 173.
Pull, C. B. (2012). Current status of knowledge on public-speaking anxiety. Current opinion in
psychiatry, 25(1), 32-38.
Shahbaz, M., Khan, M. S., Khan, R. M. I., & Mustafa, G. (2016). Role of self-perceived
communication competence and communication apprehension for willingness to
communicate in L1 and L2. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 6(1), 158.
Stubbings, D. R., Rees, C. S., & Roberts, L. D. (2015). New Avenues to Facilitate Engagement
in Psychotherapy: The Use of Videoconferencing and Text–Chat in a Severe Case of
Obsessive‐compulsive Disorder. Australian Psychologist, 50(4), 265-270.
Varcarolis, E. M. (2016). Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing-E-Book: A
Communication Approach to Evidence-Based Care. Elsevier Health Sciences.