What About You? Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety

Chapter . What About You? Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety

Quiz

What About You?
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what about you?

Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety

Directions: Following are statements that people sometimes make about themselves in the context of delivering a speech. Indicate whether or not you believe each statement applies to you by marking whether you strongly disagree = 1; disagree = 2; neutral = 3; agree = 4; or strongly agree = 5.

Question

1. While preparing for giving a speech, I feel tense and nervous.

2. I feel tense when I see the words “speech” and “public speech” on a course outline when studying.

3. My thoughts become confused and jumbled when I am giving a speech.

4. I get anxious when I think about a speech coming up.

5. When the instructor announces a speaking assignment in class, I can feel myself getting tense.

6. My hands tremble when I am giving a speech.

7. I am in constant fear of forgetting what I prepared to say.

8. I get anxious if someone asks me something about my topic that I don’t know.

9. I perspire just before starting a speech.

10. I notice my heart beating fast when I start my speech.

11. I experience considerable anxiety while sitting in the room just before my speech starts.

12. Certain parts of my body feel very tense and rigid while giving a speech.

13. Realizing that only a little time remains in a speech makes me very tense and anxious.

14. I do poorly on speeches because I am anxious.

15. I feel anxious when the teacher announces the date of a speaking assignment.

16. When I make a mistake giving a speech, I find it hard to concentrate on the parts that follow.

17. During an important speech, I experience a feeling of helplessness building up inside me.

18. I have trouble falling asleep the night before a speech.

19. I feel anxious while waiting to give my speech.

20. While giving a speech, I get so nervous I forget facts I know.

Results

what about you?

Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety

Your score: out of 100

Your level of public speaking anxiety is low.

Your level of public speaking anxiety is moderate.

Your level of public speaking anxiety is high.

Source: Adapted from McCroskey (1970).