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BACKGROUND: Fear of Public Speaking (FOPS), also known as glossophobia, is classified as a nongeneric social anxiety disorder associated with performance situations that involve perceived scrutiny by others. Distraction can be used passively or actively, and one of the active types of distraction is virtual reality (VR) distraction. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether VR distraction is effective in reducing anxiety caused by fear of public speaking. METHODS: Fifty-six individuals participated in the study (VR Distraction- VR-D:19, Non VR Distraction- Non VR-D:19, Control: 18), who were university students in a split-plot experimental design. The mean age of the participants was 20.9±1.8 and 55 % (n:31) was female. Participants completed the Personal Information Form, the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale (PSAC), and the COVID -19 Fear Scale (CAS) and were randomly assigned to groups based on these scores. Pre- and post-test measurements were taken using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I). RESULTS: Pre and post-test comparisons revealed statistically significant reductions in STAI-I in all groups. Our main results were pre-test (F: 0.23, p: 0.792, η2: 0.00) and post-test (F: 10.50, p<0.001, η2: 0.28). VR-D reduced anxiety more than the other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glossophobia (fear of public speaking, presentation anxiety) is an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme fear and anxiety about public speaking. Glossophobia is a very common phobia worldwide, reportedly affecting 75% of the population. This study aims to examine the effects of different aroma inhalations (Thyme and Juniper) on public speaking anxiety, and salivary cortisol hormone levels in university students. The sample of the research consisted of a total of 104 university students, male and female, between the ages of 18-20. In the first step, cortisol hormone levels were determined using the ELISA technique in the saliva samples taken from the university students included in the study. The average salivary cortisol hormone level and public speaking anxiety levels of the university students participating in the study showed a positive and statistically significant relationship (p=0.001). There is a significant negative correlation between the participants' public speaking anxiety and post-thyme oil status at a 99% confidence level and a 1% significance level, r=-.318. When public speaking anxiety and juniper oil were analyzed, a significant negative relationship was found at r=-.290, a 99% confidence level, and a 1% significance level. It was also concluded that inhalation of 2% thyme essential oil in individuals with high glossophobia is both safe and beneficial in reducing anxiety levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of globalization, learning the English language in Senior High School is essential. One way of learning the English language is through speaking activities. However, there are still students who are anxious whenever they engage in a speaking activity. Hence, this study aims to measure the speaking anxiety level of Grade 11 students and to determine its causes as well as to provide strategies to overcome speech anxiety. This study used a descriptivecomparative research design. The number of Grade 11 senior high school respondents was determined using purposive random sampling. James McCroskey's Personal Report on Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) was used in order to determine the student's level of anxiety in public speaking. The results showed that the respondents had a moderately high level of anxiety. Also, variables such as strand, school graduated from, and socioeconomic status have no significant difference in their speech anxiety. Then, the sex of the respondents was found to have no significant difference with the respondents' speech anxiety. Furthermore, it was found that fear of negative evaluation is the most common reason why students experience speech anxiety. Meanwhile, preparation is the most effective way to use as a strategy in coping with speech anxiety. Therefore, this study has pedagogical implications for teaching and learning speaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of brain signals and their properties yields significant insights into the fundamental neural impairments associated with attention bias in individuals suffering from public speaking anxiety (PSA). This study aims to identify electroencephalogram (EEG) and performance biomarkers of attention bias in individuals with public speaking anxiety using the ex-Gaussian modeling technique, frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and deltabeta correlation (DBC). 12 subjects with high (H) PSA and 12 subjects with low (L) PSA performed the modified emotional stroop task. EEG data were captured using the low-cost 14-channel emotiv Epoc+. Results showed that the ex-Gaussian sigma was higher in the emotional condition in the high public speaking anxiety (HPSA) group, indicating attention bias. The study also found higher right FAA in HPSA compared to LPSA group. There was a negative correlation between s and alpha power in the left region of the brain in the HPSA group, potentially related to attentional bias. Moreover, there was a notable trend towards significantly heightened DBC in the frontal and central regions of the brain among HPSA subjects. In conclusion, in biomedical engineering, the ex-Gaussian model, FAA and DBC are useful because they can identify EEG and performance biomarkers of attention bias in people with PSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stage fright is a natural and very common phenomenon that affects everyone who must present themselves in public. However, it has a negative impact on the health and voice emission of children and adolescents, which is why it is important to study and measure it. Unfortunately, there are no appropriate tools for examining public presentation anxiety intended for children and adolescents, and that would also include the context of voice production. The main aim of this study was to describe stage fright and to present the stages of creating a tool based on the three-factor theory of stage fright constructs. The text describes the steps of developing the questionnaire, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. The results of the conducted analyses confirmed the three-factor structure of the tool and suggest that the Stage Fright Scale – Children & Youth is a reliable and consistent questionnaire for measuring stage fright in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public speaking is a communication ability that is expressed in social contexts. Public speaking anxiety consists of the fear of giving a speech or a presentation and the perception of being badly judged by others. Such feelings can impair the performance and physiological activation of the presenter. In this study, eighty participants, most naive in Virtual Reality experience, underwent one of four virtual reality public speaking scenarios. Four different conditions were tested in a between-group design, where the audience could express positive or negative non-verbal behavior (in terms of body gesture and facial expression), together with positive or adverse questions raised during a question-and-answer session (Q&A). The primary outcomes concerned the virtual audience behavior's effect on perceived anxiety and physiological arousal. In general, perceived anxiety seemed to be unaffected neither by the verbal nor non-verbal behavior of the audience. Nevertheless, experimental manipulation showed a higher susceptibility to public speaking anxiety in those participants who scored higher on the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) than those with lower Social Interaction Anxiety Scale scores. Specifically, in the case where the verbal attitude was negative, high SIAS trait participants reported a higher level of anxiety. Participants' physiological arousal was also affected by the proposed scenarios. Participants dealing with an approving audience and encouraging Q&A reported increased skin conductance response. The lack of correlation between reported anxiety and skin conductance response might suggest a physiological engagement in an interactive exchange with the virtual audience rather than a form of discomfort during the task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) offers immense freedom in the design of virtual instructional environments, but little guidance exists on how to capitalise on this freedom. This article reports on a study exploring how audience familiarity influences public speaking anxiety (PSA) and performance in a presentation speaking task in virtuo and in situ. Questionnaire instruments were used to gauge the PSA, motivation, focus, and self-confidence of 10 undergraduate students who each presented in four different audience conditions across VR and real life. Presentations were transcribed to identify features of performance, including utterance fluency, and speaking breadth and depth. Outcomes indicated that an audience of computer-generated agents resulted in less PSA than an audience of photorealistic people familiar to the speakers. Additionally, presenting to an audience of strangers in real life induced the most anxiety, but the performance features of articulation rate, disfluencies, and frequency of silent pauses were significantly improved in this condition. The main contribution of this study is to show that presentations directed at virtual audiences exhibit less fluent speech in non-native speakers than speeches to a real audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public speaking is an essential skill in everyone's professional or academic career. Nevertheless, practicing it is often not very easy; people do not always have access to a suitable environment and find others willing to listen during their rehearsals. Previous research has shown the usefulness of having a virtual audience in reducing the fear of public speaking. However, the effects of having an audience with whom the presenter is familiar are still under-explored. To help university students practice their presentations, we developed a virtual reality environment and used 3D scans of real people to create a realistic and familiar audience. We conducted a study with 10 participants to analyze whether they had different anxiety levels when presenting to familiar virtual faces compared to unfamiliar faces. Moreover, we explored whether or not the exposure to the customized virtual faces affected anxiety when the participants subsequently presented to a real-life audience. We found that people with a medium fear of speaking in public benefited the most because they felt more relaxed facing a virtual audience with familiar faces; in contrast, there were no noticeable effects for others. In addition, we examined whether anxiety could be detected through some non-traditional metrics we recorded. Results showed that we could not establish a linear correlation between the anxiety scores and our metrics, but our study suggests some underlying patterns. Finally, our findings indicate that users' perceptions of virtual audience feedback were more concerned with the facial expressions of the virtual audience than their body language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public speaking creates discomfort for many students. Instead of seeking to avoid this inevitable discomfort, six speech-variation activities explained in this paper are intentionally designed for, a little bit at a time, embracing momentary discomfort in public speaking. By embracing the inevitable discomfort of public speaking head-on in a fun and supportive environment, these speech-variation activities should help students gain confidence, attenuate anxiety, and paradoxically increase comfort during public speaking. Why these activities should be conducted, how they can be conducted with success, and whether students find the activities helpful or not are also discussed. Designed specifically for use in public-speaking courses, these speech-variation activities can also be used in any class that incorporates student presentations. The ultimate goal of these activities is to have students, especially those who find public speaking a debilitating experience, increase confidence and reduce anxiety toward public speaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public speaking is an indispensable skill that can profoundly influence success in both professional and personal spheres. Regrettably, managing anxiety during a speech poses a significant challenge for many of the population. This research assessed the impacts of a Corp-Oral program, designed to manage public speaking anxiety in university students, based on, body awareness, embodied message techniques, simulation, embodied visualization, body transformation, and gesture enhancement. Methods: Thirty-six students (61% women; Mage = 20.22, SD = 1.23 years) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 18), which underwent the Corp-Oral program, or a control group (n = 18). Self-perceived anxiety, heart rate, and electroencephalography were measured in a pre-test and a post-test. Results: The study reveals that the Corp-Oral program significantly (p < 0.005) reduced both physiological responses (heart rate) and self-reported measures of anxiety. The alteration was more noticeable in self-reported anxiety measures (a decrease of 33.217%) than in heart rate (a decrease of 4.659%). During the speech, the experimental group exhibited increased cortical activation in areas related to emotional regulation, consciousness, sensorimotor integration, and movement control. A significant increase in frontal alpha asymmetry was observed for the experimental group in the post-test, but there were no significant variations in the theta/beta ratio. Conclusion: These findings underline the benefit of managing public speaking anxiety not merely by reducing it but by channeling it through embodied strategies. These strategies could lead to greater action awareness that would cushion the physiological effect of the anxiety response and help generate a better self-perception of the anxiety state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public speaking, especially in a foreign language, is associated with increased anxiety. Research has shown the potential of virtual reality (VR) for simulating real-life experiences, allowing for public speaking practice in an ecological and safe environment. This between-subjects study investigated the effect of VR on foreign language anxiety (FLA) in public speaking practice. Intermediate learners of English participated in eight public speaking sessions over a three-month period, yielding 160 research observations. The experimental intervention took place in high-immersion VR with subjects wearing a VR headset and speaking in front of virtual audience. In the control intervention, subjects used a videoconferencing platform (Zoom) to speak in front of a real-life audience. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that practicing speaking in VR was associated with statistically significant lower FLA scores, compared with speaking practice using Zoom. The study found that VR technology had a positive effect on practicing public speaking in a foreign language. The research findings have practical implications for professionals and curriculum designers in various domains where public speaking skills are essential. For example, incorporating VR-based public speaking practice can benefit professionals preparing for a job interview, an elevator pitch, or a conference presentation. Curriculum designers can consider integrating VR simulations into language courses to provide students with realistic public speaking experiences. This approach can help students overcome language barriers, reduce anxiety, and develop their communication skills in a controlled and supportive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using individual differences constructs, the current study used cross-sectional data to examine the mediating role of negative self-statements during public speaking on the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and public speaking anxiety (a type of performance anxiety), and how this relationship was moderated by positive self-statements during public performance. The sample comprised 319 adults (men = 105, women = 214) from the general Australian community, with ages ranging from 18 years to 65 years. All participants completed questionnaires covering the different study variables. The findings showed that there was partial mediation by negative self-statements on the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and performance anxiety. There were also moderation effects by positive self-statements for this relationship. Additionally, moderation by positive self-statements was evident at all levels of positive self-statements. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings for public speaking anxiety are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although formative assessment has been recognized as an effective way for improving learning, scant attention has been paid to the specific design on the sequence of applying formative assessment practice in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Even less emphasis has been devoted to the cognitive and affective outcomes of different orders of formative assessment strategies on building students' public speaking competence. This mixed-method research employed multi-source data to explore and explain the effects of two different ways of sequencing video-based formative assessment on English language learners' public speaking anxiety and their performance. Two intact classes in a 16-week English public speaking course were randomly assigned to two groups, 25 in the self-assessment-initiated (SAI) group and 26 in the peer-assessment-initiated (PAI) group. Following two different sequences of formative practice, both groups were required to complete three formal English public speeches. Both quantitative and qualitative findings indicated that learners in the SAI group showed significantly lower public speaking anxiety than those in the PAI group, whereas learners in the PAI group showed significantly better public speaking performance. Moreover, the findings showed that SAI formative practice helped the learners to pay more attention to their delivery and anxiety levels in public speaking, while PAI formative practice may have led the learners to improve their proper use of English language. This research indicated that the sequence of implementing different modalities of assessment matters. Supported by video technology and CALL tools, different sequences in obtaining varying sources of feedback can affect students' public speaking anxiety and competence. This study provides refined understandings about the sequences of using video technology in formative practice for alleviating the learners' public speaking anxiety and improving their performance. The findings suggest that self-assessment should be arranged first for learners with a higher-level of anxiety while peer-assessment should be conducted first for learners with a lower-level of English language proficiency. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1946562. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses communicating within rehabilitation, and advises how to become more confident when speaking in public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Civilization Studies is the property of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The fear of public speaking is a prevalent phobia that has a damaging impact on the lives of many phobic patients. One method to treat this phobia is the use of virtual reality (VR). A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was used to report how the publications that have examined the role of VR in treating public speaking anxiety were identified. A meta-analysis of 92 non-review publications published by January 15, 2021 was conducted. In this meta-analysis, the effectiveness of the treatment of public speaking anxiety refers to the degree of reduction in the participants' public speaking anxiety from pre-test to post-test. This meta-analysis consisted of an examination of the homogeneity of the studies (the I2 indexes), publication bias (Kendall's tau and Egger's regression values) and an estimation of the grand effect size for all studies. The three major findings of this meta-analysis are: (1) Overall, VR had a statistically significant effect on reducing public speaking anxiety, which suggests that VR is a useful and promising therapeutic tool for the treatment of public speaking anxiety; (2) Studies that found VR to be effective in the treatment of public speaking anxiety conducted an average of approximately six VR sessions, with each session lasting around 37 minutes; and (3) VR is statistically as effective as other treatment methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Therefore, rather than completely replacing other treatment methods, VR should be used to complement other treatment methods to compensate for some of their disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social performance situations often constitute one of the most challenging communication tasks across different cultures. In today's work environments, giving presentations and performing in front of others are often essential and expected. Therefore, public speaking anxiety can have a serious impact on an individual's job performance, career choice, and prospects. Contemporary consumer virtual reality hardware has made it possible to practice public speaking anywhere in a safe and private virtual reality environment (VRE). As VREs offer the means to practice real-life scenarios, they also make it possible to go beyond what is "real"; to replace simulations with more dynamic and innovative training environments. Furthermore, with occupational life undergoing a significant shift toward technology-mediated working conditions, innovative tools and methods could also be used during virtually implemented real-time social interactions. This research aimed to study the ways in which an illusion of height, that is, perceived tallness versus perceived shortness, without any visible virtual body or representation, influences state speech anxiety and emotional responses of participants during simulation of a stressful speech task. The experiment followed a strictly controlled between-subject procedure, and both self-reported and psychophysiological data were collected. Results indicate that participants perceiving the illusion of tallness felt less anxious and had lower self-reported arousal compared with participants with the illusion of shortness. This implies that even simple, visual, first-person perspective manipulation of the VRE could help individuals to reduce their stress responses during a task-oriented situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internalizing disorders in adolescence have been associated with disturbances in autonomic and endocrine functioning. Because the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system play a central role in regulating both the autonomic and the endocrine systems, their joint functioning is hypothesized to provide information about the potential development of internalizing symptoms throughout adolescence, notably in the preclinical stage. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 198 adolescents from the general population. Heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance levels (SCLs) were measured before, during, and after a public speaking task. These autonomic parameters were associated with cortisol response to the task in the complete sample as well as in low- and high-anxiety adolescents separately. Self-reported social anxiety, low HRV, and high SCL recovery values were predictive of cortisol response. Importantly, in low-anxiety adolescents, only HRV during the task predicted the cortisol response, whereas, in their highly anxious peers, both HRV and SCL were strongly associated with this response. In the latter finding, age was a prominent factor. Additional analyses supported the idea that the interaction of autonomic and endocrine reactivity is subject to natural development. These findings provide evidence that adolescence might be a period of highly interactive emotional–neurobiological development, particularly with respect to the development of stress management skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is defined as a strong distress when performing a speech in front of an audience, causing impairment in terms of work possibilities and social relationships. Audience behavior and feedback received during a speech are a crucial variable to induce PSA, affecting performance and perception. In this study, two different virtual reality public speaking scenarios were developed to investigate the impact of positive (more assertive) versus negative (more hostile) audience behavior regarding perceived anxiety and physiological arousal during performance. Moreover, the presence of any carry-over effect based on first experiences (positive vs. negative) was investigated by using a within–between design. Both explicit (questionnaires) and implicit physiological measures (heart rate [HR]) were used to assess participants' experience. The results confirmed the influence of audience behavior on perceived anxiety. As expected, negative audience elicited greater anxiety and lower experience pleasantness. More interesting, the first experience influenced the perceived anxiety and arousal during performance, suggesting some sort of priming effect due to the valence of previous experience. In particular, starting with an encouraging feedback scenario did not increase the perceived anxiety and HR in front of a subsequent annoying audience. This modulation did not appear in the group who started with the annoying audience, which clearly reported higher HR and anxiety during the annoying exposure compared with the encouraging audience. These results are discussed considering previous evidence on the effect of feedback on performance. In addition, physiological results are interpreted considering the role of somatic marker theory in human performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A filler is any word or sound that interpolates (i.e., is inserted into) the main message of a speaker. Common fillers include "um", "ah," "like," "so," and "you know?" among others. Excessive use of fillers in scientific presentations can reduce the credibility of the speaker as well as impair the comprehension of the speaker's message by the audience. Primary causes of fillers include nervousness/speaking too quickly, inadequate preparation time, and infrequently used words that are difficult for the speaker to remember while presenting. Recommendations for reducing the use of fillers include self-awareness of the problem, reinforcing feedback, and active intervention to render pauses silent (instead of verbal) by "chunking" content, increasing preparation time, and slowing presentation pace. Excessive use of fillers is an obstacle to becoming an effective public speaker, and therefore, efforts to reduce filler use should be a goal of professional development. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although many articles exist on the use of filler words during public speaking, to our knowledge this is the first comprehensive discussion of the issue in the context of scientific presentations and speech in biomedical research. This Personal View discusses the problem of excessive filler use, the underlying causes, and tips for reducing fillers based on a combination of available literature and personal advice from a laboratory with nearly 40 years of experience in mentoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The present study aimed at measuring the level of public speaking anxiety (PSA) among medical residents in Riyadh, in addition to identifying the factors influencing public speaking anxiety from the perspective of the medical residents. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted over a sample of 203 medical residents in Riyadh. The study adopted the questionnaire as a data collection tool. The questionnaire consisted of a demographic data part, PSA scale (17 items) and a third part concerned with the factors influencing public speaking anxiety among medical residents. Results The results of the study revealed that medical residents in Riyadh had a low level of public speaking anxiety (47.3±11.32). The participants had a low PSA score on all scale domain; cognitive (23.28±5.43), behavioral (10.45±4.16), and physiological (13.54±3.44). Moreover, the findings of the study showed that stuttering (91.1%), negative perceptions of individuals' own voice (77.8%), and language barriers (76.8%) were the main factors influencing the public speaking anxiety among medical residents. Finally, we found through linear regression analysis that PSA is not significantly predicted by participants' living region, marital Status, gender, residency level, type of pre-college school, age or being previously diagnosed by a mental health issue. Conclusion There is a low level of public speaking anxiety among medical residents in Riyadh. In addition, the study concluded that stuttering, negative perceptions about voice and language barriers are negatively influencing the public speaking anxiety among medical residents in Riyadh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the efficacy of remote video‐based behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching public speaking behaviors to 4 participants. A multiple‐baseline design across speech behaviors was used to evaluate the effects of the training. Remote video‐based BST was effective at increasing public speaking behaviors for all participants. In addition, performance generalized to an increased audience size. An external expert in communications rated the participants as more effective public speakers following training. All participants reported satisfaction with the training and expressed greater comfort, confidence, overall ability, and less anxiety as a public speaker following training. We also measured potential collateral effects of teaching public speaking behaviors on speech disfluencies. Although remote video‐based BST was effective for all participants, it did not produce a change in the rate of speech disfluencies. Our findings indicate that public speaking behaviors can be taught using a remote video‐based BST package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1905, Toastmasters International has been the world's best-known organization for the practice of voluntary speaking. At Toastmasters, members learn by studying their manual, doing hands-on exercises, and helping each other. This manual offers ten projects: each of them aims to develop an aspect of oral communication following a well-defined progression. Since there is little academic research regarding the use of the Toastmasters method, we want to present in this article a review of the existing research. The studies described below constitute the most important academic literature as far as Toastmasters International is concerned. The authors' research on Toastmasters encompasses three main themes: (1) Toastmasters International as an educational program, (2) social ease among members, or (3) public speaking anxiety. We will present them in chronological order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a lack of well-validated self-report measures to assess public speaking anxiety. This study explored the psychometric properties of the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale (PSAS). Methods: Seventy-two adults completed the PSAS as part of the baseline screening procedure of a randomized controlled trial. Rasch analysis was used to assess the scale's response category functioning, precision, targeting, unidimensionality, and differential item functioning. Construct validity was assessed using classical test theory methods. Results: While thresholds were ordered and no systematic bias in responses for age, gender, or screen failure was found, the PSAS demonstrated evidence of multidimensionality (variance by first factor = 39.7%, eigenvalue of first contrast = 2.76). Multidimensionality was resolved after splitting the scale into two discrete subscales: Emotional and Physiological. Three misfitting items (i.e. item 5 from Emotional, items 6 and 14 from Physiological) were removed. Scale precision and targeting remained suboptimal after subscale split and removal of misfitting items (PSI = 1.41, PR = 0.67 for Emotional; PSI = 1.49, PR = 0.69 for Physiological). Conclusion: The PSAS demonstrated adequate convergent validity. Psychometric properties of the PSAS after Rasch-guided modifications were overall promising. Further studies are needed to confirm our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There are several predictor variables for speech anxiety (SA) among students. Affective balance (AB) and social intelligence (SI) are two main factors in this field. In this study, we assess the mediating role of consequence expectation (CE) among these variables. Accordingly, this study aims to explore a model of the relationships between AB, SI, and SA mediated by CE among teacher-training students of Farhangian University. Methods: This was a descriptive-correlational study and the population included students of teacher-education courses at the Farhangian University in Kerman Province, Iran, in the 2020-2021 academic year. The sample included 740 participants who were selected via the cluster sampling method. They completed the speech anxiety thoughts inventory, the Bradburn scale of psychological well-being (1969), the social intelligence questionnaire, and the personal outcome expectancy scale. Results: The results showed that the model of explaining AB, SI, and SA through the mediating role of CE in teacher-training students of Farhangian University has an acceptable fit. Hence, AB has a direct effect on SA. SI has a direct effect on SA and AB has a direct effect on the expectation of CE. Meanwhile, SI has a direct effect on the CE and AB has an indirect effect on SA through the mediating role of the CE. And, SI has an indirect effect on SA by the mediating role of the CE. Discussion: We can conclude the proposed model of the relationship between AB, SI, and SA with the mediating CE among teacher-training students of Farhangian University is fit and has proper values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to communicate effectively is a crucial aspect of education. For college students, learning how to speak in public is essential for their academic and professional future. However, many students report fear of speaking in public, the so-called Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA). This study aims to implement a training program using Virtual Reality (VR) with distractors to reduce the college students’ anxiety. Anxiety was measured with two methods: electrodermal activity and self-report. We also analyze gender differences. There were an experimental and a control group. Both groups had to deliver the same speech twice: pre-test (before training); and post-test (after the training program) while participants’ electrodermal activity was measured. Only the experimental group was trained with VR. Students also completed the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale and a survey to examine their experience. The results showed that the VR training reduced the anxiety levels significantly in the experimental group, but there were no significant differences in the control group. The data also revealed a higher level of anxiety in male than in female students. Finally, participants reported a positive impression of the VR training. These results showed the effectiveness of Virtual Reality software with distractors to reduce public speaking anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: ESL learners found themselves engulfed with extreme anxiety when it comes to speaking in public. This study investigated the use of vlogs in managing anxiety between male and female undergraduate students and examined whether there is an interaction exists between both genders during the intervention that may influence the outcomes. Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a total of N=53 (15 males, 38 females) ESL participants from one public university in Malaysia. Before and after the intervention, a set of 'Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) questionnaires were administered. A 2x2 between subjects factorial ANCOVA (or two-way ANCOVA) was computed by controlling the pretest scores. After controlling for the pre-test as covariate, the two-way ANCOVA was performed to see if there was an interaction impact between gender (male vs female) and treatments (with and without vlogs) in terms of anxiety level scores. Findings: In comparison to the control group, the experimental group performed better with F(1, 48)=6.695, p<.05, which showed that undergraduate students in the experimental group displayed less anxiety when using vlogs as compared to the treatment group. However, there was no significant difference of gender influence on the effectiveness of vlogs on learners' anxiety with F(1, 48)=1.552, p>.05, Eta-squared = .03 when using vlogs. Nonetheless, there was a significant interaction between treatment groups and gender with F(1,48)=5.22, p<.05 which indicated that the relationship between the covariate and the dependent variable is different for each treatment group. Contributions: This study is hoped not only to encourage ESL educators to make use of vlogs in their teaching and learning, but also to inform researchers with similar interest to consider the existence of covariates of the participants that might have impacted the research outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-reports are typically used to assess public speaking anxiety. In this study, we examined whether self-report, observer report, and behavioral and physiological reactivity were associated with each other during a speech challenge task. A total of 95 university students completed a self-report measure of public speaking anxiety before and after the speech challenge. Speech duration (i.e., behavioral measure), physiological reactivity, as well as speech performance evaluated by the participants and observers were also recorded. The results suggest that self-reported public speaking anxiety predicts speech duration, as well as speech quality, as rated by the participants themselves and observers. However, the physiological measures were not associated with self-reported anxiety during the speech task. Additionally, we observed that socially anxious participants underrate their speech performance in comparison to their observers' evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comunicar (English Edition) is the property of Oxbridge Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impact of communication and anxiety on Doctor of Pharmacy students across three measures was examined. Data were collected (N = 120) from 4th-year Doctor of Pharmacy students at a historically black college/university using the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale, the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, and the Social Phobia Inventory. Results of Rasch Differential Item Functioning Analysis indicated statistically significant differences between each ethnic group on subcomponents of anxiety in each measure (20% Caucasian, 43% African American, 31.7% Asian, and 4.2% others). Evidence from this study shows that racial demographics affect different subscales of anxiety across doctoral pharmacy students. While some pedagogical implications exist, issues within the measures and their items must also be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure therapy is the recommended treatment for anxiety disorders, but many anxious individuals are unwilling to expose themselves to feared situations. Episodic simulation of future situations contributes to adaptive emotion regulation and motivates behavior. This study investigated whether future-oriented positive mental imagery reduces anticipatory anxiety and distress during exposure, and increases exposure willingness and duration. Forty-three individuals with moderate public speaking anxiety were randomized to a standardized positive mental imagery exercise about future public speaking or no-task. All participants were then asked to present in a virtual reality environment. Anticipatory anxiety reduced in the positive mental imagery group, but not in the control group. Additionally, the positive mental imagery group reported lower distress during exposure than the control group, but groups did not differ in exposure willingness. Due to limited variance, effects on exposure duration could not be tested. Future-oriented positive mental imagery is promising to prepare individuals for exposure to previously avoided situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with social anxiety disorder appear to display aberrant gaze behavior across a variety of social situations. In contrast, the gaze behavior of high socially anxious (HSA) individuals from the community seems to depend on the type of situation and the aberration might be limited to gaze avoidance. This study investigated the differential effect of social situation—a face-viewing task and a public speaking task—on gaze behavior in HSA participants from a community sample. Participants' eye movements were tracked using a wearable eye tracker. Two aspects of gaze behavior were measured: (1) gaze avoidance was assessed by total fixation time, fixation counts, and mean fixation time on faces; (2) hypervigilance was assessed by scan path length and mean distance between fixations. The results confirmed a moderating effect of task on total (though not mean) fixation time on faces and fixation counts. Compared to low socially anxious participants, HSA participants looked less frequently (hence shorter) at the audience during the speech only. This indicates that visual avoidance in HSA individuals does not occur by default, but only when risks of (negative) social consequences are perceived. High and low socially anxious participants showed no difference in hypervigilance in either situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety in spoken English is a common topic in ELT research. However, little is discussed in the literature regarding anxiety in English public speaking particularly in a very awaited yet the most thrilling event called a Thesis Defence Examination (TDE). Therefore, this study aims at investigating postgraduate students' anxiety in facing TDE at the end of their study program at the Postgraduate Program of English Education, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Conducting quantitative research, we distributed questionnaires to 23 students who have undertaken TDE at the postgraduate program in the odd and even semesters of one academic year. The questionnaires were adapted from the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) by McCroskey (2013). The results of the analysis indicate three big topics that we have discussed thoroughly in this paper; these are anticipatory anxiety, physiological symptoms and lack of control during speech performance. Students are less anxious when they are in total control and understanding of their own data before giving a thesis presentation. They are not concerned about the uncertainty aspects that will occur during the performance nor did they feel worry about what they ought to anticipate. The palpitation of heart-race might be the most pronounce physiological response over the mental disturbance. Meanwhile, cognitive-declined, behavioural avoidance, and psychological dimension of fear can transpire from the result of lack of control during speech performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Public Speaking Anxiety is one of the problems faced by nursing students when in class, clinical and community settings. Anxiety, tension, and depression can all be reduced using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT is a scientifically validated method of treating anxiety that involves acupoint stimulation. The goal of this study was to see if EFT could help nursing students overcome their fear of public speaking. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study involving a pre-post test on one group. The sampling technique used total sampling. 87 nursing students from public speaking trainees in West Java and Banten joined this study. The Subjective Units of Distress Scale was used to assess public speaking anxiety. Paired t-test was used to assess the mean difference between pre and post-intervention. Results: EFT was helpful in lowering public speaking anxiety, with a substantial outcome (P value=0.000). Conclusion: Emotional freedom techniques can be an alternative to improve the soft skills of nurses, especially in public speaking and support the role of nurses as health educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of stress on adolescents and its impact on development and mental health is of significant psychological concern. Previous research has investigated physiological changes, stressor characteristics and individual differences in stress responding. Experimental procedures that closely simulate naturally occurring psychosocial stressors have primarily been achievement‐related (e.g., test taking, competitive tasks and psychomotor performance) and anxiety‐provoking tasks (e.g., public speaking, improvisation and invasive medical‐procedures) but few seek to elicit frustration. To address this gap, a new experimental procedure was developed and validated against the Trier Social Stress Test for Teens, with a Low Stress condition as a control. Conflict‐related stressors, such as parent‐ and peer‐related debates, have been found to be effective in provoking frustration in adolescents. The Frustration Social Stressor for Adolescents (FSS‐A), a moderate frustration‐provoking stressor involves a peer debate on a 'hot' topic, followed by a serial subtraction task with still‐faced judges. The FSS‐A procedure effectively elicited reliable and valid physiological (cortisol, heart rate) stress responses and was an effective stressor for both sexes. This new, stress protocol mirrors frustrating‐ and anxiety‐provoking stressful situations that adolescents commonly encounter and affords a more detailed study of differential stress response patterns, increased understanding of adolescent stress, and potential for psychoeducational programming, such as directions for education and therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used reaction time (RT) and event-related potential (ERP) analysis in an emotion-cognition Eriksen-Flanker (ECEF) task to investigate behavioral and neural abnormalities in individuals with public speaking anxiety (PSA). Although 25 per cent of people worldwide suffer from PSA, there is currently a lack of standardized assessment or biomarkers to detect emotion-cognition abnormalities in individuals with PSA. RT and ERP were compared between 12 subjects with high (H) PSA and 12 subjects with low (L) PSA in the ECEF experiment. EEG was recorded with the 14-channel Emotiv EPOC+. RT data showed a significant Flanker Effect across groups in the neutral and emotional (PSA-related) conditions, with increased Flanker effect in the HPSA group. On average, LPSA subjects were faster than the HPSA subjects in the ECEF task. HPSA subjects showed aberrant ERP responses in two ways. Firstly in the reversed N200 conflict effect with increased frontocentral amplitude in the incongruent compared to the congruent condition. Secondly, in the absence of the P200 frontocentral emotional modulation found in LPSA subjects. In the HPSA group, decreased P200 amplitude is significantly related to impaired behavioral performance in the neutral congruent condition. RT and ERP are useful in modern medicine because they successfully unveiled the biomarkers of abnormalities during the interaction of emotion and cognition. Impaired conflict processing in PSA-related conditions was found at the N200 and P200 windows in HPSA individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, university students have reported increased symptoms of stress and anxiety, which can negatively impact their mental well-being and academic performance. However, many students do not seek or receive support for these challenges. With recent technological advances in intelligent agents and their expanding capabilities, there is a potential for intelligent agents to extend and complement mental health care interventions and enhance access to care. Recognizing that there are many further steps to developing user-centred evidence-based approaches for mental health challenges, as a first step to developing effective interventions using intelligent agents, it is important to identify design elements and functionalities that are perceived as engaging and useful by students. In this paper, we present the findings of an online survey with 1054 undergraduate students to explore students' perceptions of, and preferences for, using different types of intelligent agents (e.g., virtual agents, social robots, etc.) to support their mental well-being, specifically to cope with feelings of stress and anxiety in social situations typically encountered within a university context (e.g., engaging in a group discussion, delivering presentations, expressing opinions, etc.). Students were asked to complete a questionnaire to explore their experience of stress and anxiety in the university context, as well as their perceptions of, and preferences for using different intelligent agents as assistive tools to cope with such feelings. The results provide insights into different design elements as well as social and technical capabilities to consider when designing intelligent agents to help address stress and anxiety among university students. • We surveyed 1054 undergraduate students on using intelligent agents to manage anxiety. • Public speaking was reported as the most anxiety-provoking situation at university. • Students preferred animal-like robots and conversational agents to cope with anxiety. • Intelligent agents would help manage anxiety by providing personalized coaching. • We discuss design implications for intelligent agents supporting students' anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous laboratory work has shown that induction of positive mood prior to fear extinction decreases the negative valence of the conditional stimulus (CS) and reduces reinstatement of fear. Before translating these insights to clinical practice, it is important to test this strategy in anxious individuals. Students with a high fear of public speaking (N = 62) were randomized to either a positive mood induction, a negative mood induction, or no induction control group. All participants performed two weekly sessions of virtual reality exposure and a 1-week follow-up test including a spontaneous recovery test and reinstatement test after a social rejection (unconditional stimulus). We used self-reported fear measures and skin conductance responses. We expected that the positive group, compared to the other groups, would evaluate the CS (i.e., speaking in front of an audience) as less negative following exposure and would show less spontaneous recovery and reinstatement of fear following a social rejection. Although mood was successfully manipulated, there were no group differences in CS valence following exposure. In all conditions, VR exposure successfully reduced public speaking fear, and these effects were stable at follow-up. In contrast with expectations, the positive group showed more spontaneous recovery of CS negative valence than the negative group. To conclude, we found no evidence that positive mood induction prior to exposure optimizes exposure effects for anxious individuals. • VR exposure reduced public speaking fear one week later. • Positive mood induction before exposure did not change CS valence after exposure. • Positive mood led to more CS negative valence one week later than negative mood. • CS valence after exposure did not predict return of fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The effects of socially evaluated tasks on stress‐related behavior and physiology are often studied under artificial experimental conditions, such as contrived public speaking. Less is known about these behavioral and physiological dimensions under more routine conditions, such as family interactions. Here, we tested whether language anxiety during bilingual family conversations correlated to cortisol reactivity and speech patterns and whether family members' ages moderated this effect. Methods: Individuals (N = 34) from Spanish‐English bilingual families participated in prompted conversations in both languages with their family members and provided saliva that we assayed for cortisol. Participants responded to a survey about language anxiety, and we analyzed their conversations for code switching. We tested whether higher reported anxiety was correlated with increased cortisol reactivity and if participants' age moderated this effect. Results: Participants' reported language anxiety was not significantly correlated with cortisol reactivity after conversations in either language. However, age significantly moderated the effect of English language anxiety. Among younger individuals, higher English language anxiety was correlated with greater cortisol reactivity after the English conversations. Older individuals did not demonstrate this same pattern. Individuals who code‐switched during the English conversations had higher English language anxiety than individuals who did not. Similar patterns were not observed for the Spanish conversations. Conclusions: The physiological and verbal responses to English language anxiety may be reflective of the high pressure placed on English use among bilingual families in the U.S., and the greater cortisol reactivity of younger individuals suggests they may face more identity challenging acculturation pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public speaking is very important for nursing students because they are expected to become good health promotors in the future, such skills are therefore extremely helpful for career development prospects, though the act of public speaking can be daunting. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of public speaking attractive training on Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA). The design of this research is pre-experimental, with one group pre- and post-test. The population of this study is comprised of 20 nursing students who were members of the College Collaboration Organization. The total sampling technique was used. Training focused on personal strength and public delivery. Pre- and post-training were measured using the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA), instrument modified from McCroskey, J. C. (2013). Generally, there was a marked a decrease in the level anxiety displayed by participants. This study showed that public speaking training had a positive impact on reducing PSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the preliminary efficacy of an ultra-brief cognitive defusion intervention, compared to a positive self-affirmation intervention, on moderate subclinical Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA). Sixty-three participants (M = 25.70 years,, SD = 9.48) first completed a questionnaire assessing PSA symptomology and were then randomly assigned to receive one of two interventions (cognitive defusion, positive self-affirmation) or nothing at all (no-treatment control). All participants then performed an impromptu speech task before recompleting the questionnaire. A significant decrease in PSA was reported within the cognitive defusion condition, relative to the positive self-affirmation and no-treatment control conditions. An ultra-brief cognitive defusion intervention has the potential to reduce short-term anxiety among those with moderate PSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing oral presentation skills is an essential objective of higher education. While previous research emphasized the importance of practice for developing oral presentation skills (OPS), it remains unclear what the optimal amount of practice is. This experimental field study examined the added benefit of an extra practice session in virtual reality (VR) on the progression of 35 graduate students in OPS, using a pre‐test post‐test design. In addition, the mediating effect of public speaking anxiety (PSA) was examined and the relation between PSA, preparation practices, perceived utility of VR and OPS was explored. Questionnaires and performance assessments were used in data collection. Results showed that participants gained benefits from practicing a third time before a virtual audience. Both anxious and non‐anxious participants progressed similarly on presentation skills and experienced the VR intervention comparably. However, the optimal number of practice presentations remains unclear and should be further investigated. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Presenting is recognized as a core competence for higher educated professionals in various domains.The opportunity to practice oral presentations is considered a crucial learning environment characteristic.Modern technological solutions can offer time‐ and place‐independent practice opportunities.It remains unclear what the optimal amount of practice is for developing oral presentation skills. What this paper adds to this: This study aims to provide empirical evidence for the optimal number of practice sessions on oral presentation performance.Results showed that participants gained benefits from practicing a third time before a virtual audience.Both anxious and non‐anxious participants progressed similarly on presentation skills and experienced the VR intervention comparably.The optimal number of practice presentations remains unclear and should be further investigated. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Practicing several times in front of a (virtual) audience should be facilitated by educational institutions.VR can be a useful tool to facilitate repeated practice sessions, by saving both in‐class time and offering the opportunity to practice independently.VR can be used in presentation trainings for several target groups, including those with high communication‐related anxieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]