This instrument, the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA), is composed of thirty-four statements concerning feelings about communicating with others. Please indicate the degree to which each statement applies to you. There are no right or wrong answers. Use a five-point scale for your answers: 5 = strongly agree; 4 = agree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; 2 = disagree; and 1 = extremely disagree.
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1. While preparing for giving a speech, I feel tense and nervous. |
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2. I feel tense when I see the words SPEECH and PUBLIC SPEECH on a course outline when studying. |
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3. My thoughts become confused and jumbled when I am giving a speech. |
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4. Just after giving a speech I feel that I have had a pleasant experience. |
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5. I get anxious when I think about a speech coming up. |
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6. I have no fear of giving a speech. |
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7. Although I am nervous just before starting a speech, I soon settle down after getting started and feel calm and comfortable. |
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8. I look forward to giving a speech. |
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9. When the instructor announces a speaking assignment in class, I can feel myself getting tense. |
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10. My hands tremble when I am giving a speech. |
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11. I feel relaxed while giving a speech. |
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12. I enjoy preparing for a speech. |
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13. I am in constant fear of forgetting what I prepared to say. |
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14. I get anxious if someone asks me something about my topic that I do not know. |
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15. I face the prospect of giving a speech with confidence. |
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16. I feel that I am in complete possession of myself while speaking. |
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17. My mind is clear when giving a speech. |
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18. I do not dread giving a speech. |
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19. I perspire just before starting a speech. |
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20. My heart beats very fast just as I start a speech. |
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21. I experience considerable anxiety while sitting in the room just before my speech starts. |
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22. Certain parts of my body feel tense and rigid while I am giving a speech. |
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23. Realizing that only a little time remains in a speech makes me very tense and anxious. |
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24. While giving a speech I can control my feelings of tension and stress. |
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25. I breathe faster just before starting a speech. |
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26. I feel comfortable and relaxed the hour or so before giving a speech. |
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27. I do poorly on speeches because I am anxious. |
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28. I feel anxious when the teacher announces the date of a speaking assignment. |
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29. When I make a mistake while giving a speech, I find it hard to concentrate on the parts that follow. |
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30. During an important speech I experience a feeling of helplessness building up inside me. |
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31. I have trouble falling asleep the night before a speech. |
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32. My heart beats very fast while I present a speech. |
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33. I feel anxious while waiting to give my speech. |
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34. While giving a speech I get so nervous I forget facts I really know. |
Your score: out of 170
Your score indicates that you have low public speaking anxiety. You are likely to feel comfortable in most speech situations, although you may still feel somewhat anxious in unfamiliar situations. See Chapter 3, “Managing Speech Anxiety,” in A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking for advice on how to reduce your communication apprehension.
Your score indicates that you have moderate public speaking anxiety. You are likely to feel somewhat nervous and anxious in unfamiliar speech situations. See Chapter 3, “Managing Speech Anxiety,” in A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking for advice on how to reduce your communication apprehension.
Your score indicates that you have high public speaking anxiety. You are likely to feel nervous and anxious in many speech situations, especially unfamiliar ones. See Chapter 3, “Managing Speech Anxiety,” in A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking for advice on how to reduce your communication apprehension.