The next time you’re sitting in your communication classroom or logging on to a discussion forum in your online course, take a peek around. Is there someone who never speaks up or raises a hand? Perhaps you’re assuming that this person has nothing to say or that he or she is a social loafer. Maybe you’re right. But it’s also possible that this individual feels uncomfortable participating in group conversation even when his or her contribution would clearly help the group. People who are fearful or nervous about speaking up in groups are experiencing communication apprehension (CA). We discuss CA more fully in Chapter 14, because this anxiety is particularly common in public speaking situations, but it can affect collaboration in groups as well. Particularly in newly formed groups, individuals experiencing high levels of communication apprehension are less likely to participate; they produce and share fewer ideas with team members, make less significant contributions to the group discussions, and perceive group discussions as less positive than do members of the team with low levels of communication apprehension (Comadena, 1984; Jablin, Seibold, & Sorensen, 1977; Jablin & Sussman, 1978; Sorenson & McCroskey, 1977). Team members experiencing communication apprehension are also less likely to be perceived as leaders (Hawkins & Stewart, 1991). Within the work environment, those with high levels of communication apprehension prefer to work independently, engage in more listening and observation than action during group interactions, and respond less favorably to change and evolving task demands (Russ, 2012).

What explains this communication apprehension? Scholars have identified several causes (Schullery & Gibson, 2001):

Some simple techniques can help a group address communication apprehension among members. For example, to ease self-esteem problems, consider starting a group meeting by having each member tell the member to the left what he or she appreciates about that person. To neutralize status differences, have members sit in a circle and invite lower-status members to speak before higher-status ones. To rebalance participation, suggest a norm that calls for everyone to weigh in on ideas presented in the group. Or look for members who are holding back and invite them specifically to contribute their views.

You may be wondering how communication apprehension manifests or changes in the somewhat anonymous world of online groups. Indeed, the online environment affords those with high communication apprehension more anonymity and less social risk (Curtis, 1997; Ward & Tracey, 2004), and shy individuals tend to report less communication apprehension during discussions conducted online rather than face to face (Hammick & Lee, in press). However, research relating to the impact of communication apprehension in online contexts is mixed and has produced inconsistent findings (Flaherty, Pearce, & Rubin, 1998; Hunt, Atkin, & Krishnan; 2012; McKenna, 1998; Patterson & Gojdycz, 2000). Studies reveal that shy and apprehensive college students self-disclose much less on Facebook, are less self-expressive, and have fewer friends (Hunt et al., 2012; Sheldon, 2008). But regardless of the channel (traditional or online), communicatively apprehensive individuals are more reticent to participate in groups.