Example Of Public Speaking Anxiety Essay

Many individuals, in America and around the world, have one fear in common; public speaking. Speaking before an audience poses to be a very difficult task for most people, which prompt them to avoid such scenarios. Researchers and other concerned parties have, however, carried out various test to determine the cause of this fear and in turn, come up with a treatment for the same. Treatment for this kind of anxiety will come a long way in helping many people in the country overcome their greatest fear.
Individuals respond differently to the thought of speaking in public. This led a team of researchers from Texas Christian University to identify these differences. After thorough examinations, the researchers concluded that there are two types of people in relation to public speaking anxiety; individuals that experience a cognitive response, and those that experience a physiological reaction. People in these two categories react differently when faced with the task of speaking to an audience.
People that fall under the cognitive category are more concerned with the misfortunes that are associated with public speaking. They worry over the shortcomings and negative results that may occur when addressing an audience. On the other hand, individuals that experience physiological reaction experience intense physical responses like dizziness and increased heart rate when addressing people. These psychological sensations are, in most cases, misjudged as disastrous, leading to panic among the individuals.
Once public speaking is associated with panic, it may trigger similar reactions in the future leading to people avoiding the limelight. The difference in the response is said to be the biological differences among the individuals. Persons experiencing the psychological symptoms tend to have a more reactive nervous system. More tests have been carried out by researchers with the aim of identifying the cause and the different reactions experienced by people when faced with the task of speaking to an audience.
Researchers have identified two traits that lead to panic among people during public speaking. These are physiological reactivity and trait anxiety. Findings from such research should be used by concerned parties, like educators, to come up with strategies for early detection of the anxiety and help individuals overcome this fear. Another way of overcoming public speaking fear is by actually doing it. People with public speaking anxiety should take advantage of speaking to friends or family. Speaking before a supportive audience will help an individual overcome their fears of public speaking.