Chris R. Sawyer

16Communication Apprehension and Public Speaking Instruction

Abstract: Since McCroskey’s seminal article in 1977, communication apprehension (CA) has remained one of the most often studied topics in the field of communication studies. Defined by McCroskey as an individual’s “level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons,” CA impedes the formation of oral communication competence especially by novice public speakers. This chapter presents an integrated summary of research on CA conducted by communication scholars and other social scientists. It examines the trait and state aspects of the construct, theories accounting for the development of CA among children and ...

Get Communication and Learning now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.