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PUBLIC
SPEAKING ANXIETY
BY
Louise
Katz, Ph.D.
What
is Public Speaking Anxiety?
Public
speaking anxiety is very common among both college students and the
general population. Some estimates are that as many as 20-85% of people
experience more or less anxiety when they need to speak in public. Many
people who speak for a living, including actors, businesspeople, and
politicians, experience public speaking anxiety. In fact, some of these
experienced public speakers feel that a little nervousness before a
performance or speaking engagement gives them the ability to perform at
their best. However, for some people the anxiety becomes so intense that
it interferes with the ability to perform at all. In the case of students,
this may lead to avoiding certain courses or even majors where oral
presentations are required, never speaking in class, or deciding against
certain careers because they would require occasional speaking before a
group. Students who are very anxious about public speaking in class may
sometimes also avoid social events they would like to attend or may not
talk to classmates they would like to get to know.
A phobia
is a fear that is out of proportion to the danger. For example, if you
were very afraid if a lion charged into your classroom, this would be a
very reasonable fear, but if you were very afraid if a baby
(non-poisonous) spider was spotted in your classroom, this would be a
phobia because the spider could not hurt you. If your nervousness about
public speaking is great enough that you feel it is interfering with your
life and things you would like to do, you may have a Social Phobia. The
most common form of Social Phobia is public speaking anxiety.
Students
experiencing public speaking anxiety say they are concerned they will be
embarrassed if they speak. They say they are worried they will make a
mistake, look "stupid" to others, or be judged unattractive.
Some students say they get upset thinking about others looking at them or
being the center of attention. Others express the belief that no one would
be interested in anything they would have to say, or that nothing they
would say would be worthwhile.
The bottom line is fear of unfavorable evaluation by others. Many students
reveal that their public speaking anxiety started after an upsetting or
humiliating public speaking experience when they were in elementary or
high school. They may not have examined these
experiences from an adult point of view or received objective feedback
about the situation from someone else. Some students feel their oral
presentation must be perfect (something, of course, not expected or
reasonable), and feel anxious due to their self-imposed pressure for
perfection. Many students who experience public speaking anxiety have low
self esteem.
In
addition to the emotional aspects of public speaking anxiety, there are
often physical symptoms as well. These are symptoms that are associated
with anxiety, and include trembling or shaking, cold clammy hands, shaky
voice, rapid heartbeat, sweating, blushing, dizziness, shortness of
breath, digestive discomfort, or forgetting something you know or were
about to say. In some cases, a person with Social Phobia for public
speaking may experience a panic
attack.
The
good news is that if you are experiencing public speaking anxiety there is
a lot you can do to make things better. One professor, who invited
students who were nervous about giving an oral presentation in class to
come and speak to her privately, found that in every case these
students gave one of the best
oral presentations in their class. The professor attributed this to the
preparation the students did for their presentations, including careful
choice of topic, thorough preparation, and practice. Incidentally,
polished public speakers
practice, too!
How to Prepare for an Oral Presentation
The first
step in preparing for an oral presentation is to choose a topic that
really interests you. Sometimes, however, your instructor will assign a
topic for oral presentation. In that case, you may still have some
flexibility in the specific area or approach to your topic, and you should
try to present an area of your topic or take an approach to the assigned
topic that is more interesting to you. There are several reasons why
selecting a topic that really interests you is important. It ensures that
you will learn something of value to you personally. It also is very
likely that if you are interested in the topic, other students in your
class will be, too. It is going to take time to prepare for your
presentation, and the more interested you are in your topic, the easier it
will be to keep motivated as you do your research and preparation. And,
last but definitely not least, when it comes time to give your
presentation, you will be more enthusiastic in your presentation, and will
have less reliance on your speaking notes, if you are talking about
something you are interested in or even passionate about.
If you
want to sell a house, real estate brokers say the three most important
things are "location, location, and location." If you want to
"sell" your presentation to others, meaning doing a good job of
getting your points across to an interested audience, the three most
important things are "practice, practice, and practice." Find
out how long you will have to speak. Actually, it can be easier to have a
little more time than a little less; the less time you will have,
the more you will have to analyze what you are going to leave out (you
will have more than enough material after your preparation). Each time you
practice your speech, time it with a clock. The first time you practice,
you will probably find that it took more or less than your allotted time.
As you continue to practice, you will need to add or remove material so your
speech will fit into the assigned number of minutes.
Most
students and even experienced public speakers find it helpful to have a
sheet of paper with key words or phrases in front of them. It is best not
to keep a script or even anything with complete sentences on this sheet,
because you will be tempted to read from it. You know from experience that
when someone reads your attention tends to leave that speaker, making for
a boring presentation and one you will less likely learn from. Index
cards, when repeatedly flipped, can be distracting to the audience, so one
sheet of paper may work better. Some speakers like to use large type for
their notes so they are easier to see at a glance. As you practice,
imagine that you are explaining things to a friend of yours. A
conversational tone, like you would use to speak to someone over dinner,
makes your audience feel comfortable. Some students find it helpful to
videotape or audiotape themselves or to look into a mirror while
practicing, while others would feel more anxious to do these things. You
may do these things if you find them helpful, and skip them if you don't.
It is
very important and helpful to practice in as close a situation as possible
to the real thing. You will probably be giving your speech in your own
classroom. If not, try to go to the room where it will be so you will know
what it looks like and where you and everyone else will be in the room.
Try to set up a practice room at home or in your dormitory that will be a
little like the place you will give the speech. For example, if people
will be sitting and you will be standing, set up some chairs facing you
and stand to practice. If chairs will be in a circle, put them in a
circle. If you will be behind a desk while you talk, try to have a table
in front of you. And always practice out loud. A short speech may only
need to be practiced three or four times. Practice your speech as many
times as you need to until you feel the presentation flows, you feel
comfortable working with your notes, and you can complete the speech in
the assigned amount of time.
As you
practice giving your speech, imagine presenting the speech beautifully. It
is well known that if we imagine ourselves doing something well (anything
from a speech to a tennis serve), this will help our performance immensely
as the power of the imagination is very strong. You may wish to imagine
something unexpected happening during your speech while you handle it
well. For example, you may imagine a classmate entering the classroom
while you are giving your speech while you completely maintain your
concentration.
Some
students have shared the techniques they used to help them do their class
presentation. These students were about to drop out of their class rather
than do the required oral presentation. One student, whose worst fear was
people looking at her while she talked, prepared a very extensive and
excellent handout on her topic and distributed a copy to everyone in the
class as soon as she got up to the front of the room. She said
everyone started reading the handout and didn't look at her. Of course, if
you want your audience's full attention during your speech, you should
distribute your handout at the end of your speech. Another student showed
a brief video clip as part of his presentation, because he felt too
nervous to talk without a break for more than a few minutes. Later he told
his professor that several students in the class told him how much they
liked his presentation because it included some variety. One student sat
down for her presentation; she said she felt she could do it if she sat
down but was sure she could not do it if she had to stand up. Think about
your presentation and what would help you. Check with your professor if
you're not sure if your plan would fit your professor's requirements.
Don't hesitate to tell your professor that you are nervous about giving
your presentation, and ask for his or her suggestions. Most professors are
understanding and may even have some good suggestions for you.
Although
it may not seem likely now, it may be that sometime in the future you will
decide that you really like to give oral presentations. One student, who
had been terrified when he had to give a speech in a professor's class,
stopped that professor in the hall one year later to say that he was
currently enrolled in a Speech class that he had taken as an elective. He
told the professor that through giving his speech he discovered that he
really enjoyed public speaking, and that he wanted the opportunity to do
it again. This may happen to you, too! One day, you may find yourself
looking forward to giving speeches, or find that you are a little nervous
but also excited about it!
Giving Your Speech
On the
day you give your oral presentation, wear clothes that you feel good in
and that are appropriate to the setting. When you step up to the front of
the room to give your oral presentation to your class, have the attitude,
"I'm glad I'm here, I'm glad you're here." As you give your
speech, do NOT concentrate on yourself ("What are people thinking
about me?" "How do I look?" "How well am I
talking?" "Do people think I'm nervous?" " Is what I'm
wearing okay?"). Instead, concentrate on the interesting and
important information that you want to give to OTHERS AND HOW IT WILL
HELP THEM. Thinking about helping others instead of thinking about
oneself is an excellent way to change from being a nervous and
self-conscious speaker to a comfortable and confident speaker who is enjoyable
to listen to. And if you selected a topic of interest to you, you will be
excited about being able to share this potentially very helpful
information with others. Something you say may even change somebody's
life!
Many
speakers like to look at three or four people in the audience who are
sitting in different parts of the room as they give their speech (these
can be friends of yours, if you wish, who could nod or smile to reassure
you that you are doing well). As you look from one to the other, it
appears that you are looking around the room. Or, you can just look at
different people in your audience at random; experienced speakers do this
to gauge whether the audience is "with them," and if not, they
can slow down or explain something in more detail. Remember to refer to
your notes but not read from them as that is the fastest way to
"lose" your audience; look at your audience instead.
There
are some physical things you can do to prepare for your speech. Exercise
can increase feelings of both
mental and physical wellbeing, so exercising for a few weeks while you're
getting ready for your presentation is likely to be beneficial. Caffeine
(found in colas, coffee, and chocolate) can increase the likelihood of
panic attacks, and alcohol and marijuana can make some people feel
panicky. Very low blood sugar (from not eating) can cause feelings of
anxiety, and food allergies can cause depressed feelings.
Remember,
no speech will be loved by everyone and no speech will be
"perfect," because everyone likes different things. But a well
prepared speech will be appreciated by many students in your class, as
well as count favorably toward your final grade. Each time you speak in
public it will be a little easier. You may even find that eventually you
will seek out opportunities for public speaking in areas of your interest!
Back to Home Page
PSYCHOLOGY 101, 102, 205, 206
Dr. Louise Katz
GUIDELINES
FOR WRITING ESSAYS,
TERM PAPERS,
AND ARTICLE REVIEWS
1. All written work should be proofread carefully
for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors before being
submitted.
2. All written work must be original work done for
this class. A term paper may be on the same general topic as a paper
written for another class, but it must include some new sources and
explore a different aspect of the topic.
3. Term papers should include a reference page
where you list your sources. Material in the body of the paper that is
paraphrased or directly quoted from a source should be followed by a
complete citation in parentheses containing the name of the author, year,
and page number, e.g., (Smith, 1998, p. 27).
4. "Plagiarism" means using and passing off as
one's own the ideas or writings of another. This does not mean that you
cannot use other people's ideas or writings in your written work. It does
mean that if you do you must give the other person credit. You may do
this in one of two ways.
a. Direct quotation:
Put quotation marks around material
you quote verbatim, and then give a complete citation. Direct quotations
should be used sparingly and generally limited to occasions where the
phrasing of the author is unique and meaningful or there would be a
significant loss of meaning or impact if the thought were paraphrased.
b. Paraphrasing:
Paraphrasing means restating a
passage in your own words. Each time a source is paraphrased, you must
give a complete citation, just as with a direct quotation. Do not put
quotation marks around paraphrased material.
Plagiarism is always a serious violation
of ethics and, in certain cases, a violation of federal and/or state law.
It is totally unacceptable in academic settings.
5. Written work should reflect your thoughts
expressed in your own words after thoughtful reading of your sources. If
you do not understand something you read, you will not be able to express
it in your own words. It is perfectly all right to indicate in your paper
that you did not understand certain material you read in your sources. It
is far more desirable to indicate in your paper that you did not
understand something than to include something you did not understand
using the author's words.
6. Unnecessary and excessive direct quoting and
paraphrasing are sometimes termed "lazy writing." To avoid this problem,
prepare an outline of your essay or paper before you start writing
containing the points you want to make. Then present your points using
your source or sources to back them up, or indicate why you disagree with
your sources. If your sources do not agree, you may discuss this
disagreement.
7. Written work should meet the stated minimum
length requirements. Assignments required to be typed should be
double-spaced and in a standard font.
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