Communication Apprehension

There is a natural and predictable reaction that most people have to stressful situations, scientists have dubbed this response as the fight or flight response. Meaning that if you’re presented with a stressful situation, or a dangerous situation, your body’s automatic response is to fight that danger or to take flight, to run away from it. For most people, public  speaking is not just a stressful situation; it is the most stressful situation that they can think of. In fact, glossophobia, or speech anxiety, is consistently rated as people’s biggest fear. People even rate their fear of public speaking as being greater than their fear of dying.  This “fight or flight” response to public speaking situations goes by a particular name in communication studies: communication apprehension. Since communication apprehension is often the most difficult barrier to becoming a great public speaker, it is important that we understand what it is. So, in this lesson we are going to explore the affect that communication apprehension has on the body, and then suggest ways to better manage communication apprehension.

Mini Glossary

Glossophobia: speech anxiety, or the fear of speaking in public.

https://youtu.be/3YSQ_Sxx7wM?t=28s

Apprehension and the Body

Anybody that has participated in public speaking is likely aware of when they are experiencing communication apprehension, but it is important to realize that this phenomenon is not just happening in one’s head, it affects the entire body. We can now measure, very accurately, the hormones that are released when you are presented with a potentially dangerous or a stressful situation. There are two primary stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. It is worth it to think for a second about this as it relates to what we were just talking about with fight or flight. When you’re really excited, or even a little scared, that excitement is your body getting itself ready for something.  Adrenaline increases your blood pressure and your heart rate to make you more alert, and is literally preparing your body for a physical event that you might need to do. When you’re in a fight or flight response, the hormone cortisol is also released into your body.  Cortisol affects on the critical thinking parts of your brain in a few specific ways. First, Cortisol lowers electrical activity in your brain. Secondly there’s lower neural regeneration, so less total brain cells are being remade over and over again. And third there’s a decrease in efficiency, which means the learning and the critical thinking parts of your brain are less engaged.

The analytical parts of your brain are inhibited by cortisol and adrenaline because your body, from an evolutionary standpoint, wants you to prepare yourself for some physical action; the fight or flight from your threat. This makes sense because if someone thinks too long about an imminent threat, they stay in harms way for a longer period of time and increase the chances of being the target of bodily injury. In fact, it is pretty likely that anyone living amongst our ancestors, that did not possess this particular evolutionary ability, didn’t live long enough to pass on that particular trait to any offspring. In short, communication apprehension is not only a normal bodily reaction, it is a common trait that is widely found among all people across the globe, and throughout history. You should consider yourself in good company if you experience any level of speech anxiety.

The release of cortisol and adrenaline is beneficial from an evolutionary standpoint, but there’s a tradeoff in stressful situations between getting your body ready for a physical altercation and your ability to critically think. It makes sense that our bodies react to things that present an immediate threat to our person, but what is interesting is that when people are in public speaking situations, they tend to react with the same sort of fight or flight response as if they were in dangerous life or death situations. This is a little bizarre considering that they are not under that same threat as if they were confronted with a vicious animal, but it is the same fight or flight response, and the same hormones. As far as your body/brain are concerned: public  speaking is a threatening situation.

Coping with Apprehension

There are many great suggestions for coping with communication apprehension, but it is worth taking a moment to recognize that this section is not called “eliminating communication apprehension.” That is because even the best public speakers function while they are experiencing speech anxiety. For beginning speakers, the goal should never be to completely eliminate apprehension, because that is setting oneself up for failure. Instead, the goal of individuals that want to improve their public speaking abilities is to function despite the feeling of communication apprehension. The following five suggestions are a helpful starting point to give you ideas for approaching the problem of speech anxiety.

Dr. Cuddy demonstrating a power pose.

1. Fake it. This might seem counterintuitive at first, because most people think that they must first have the right attitude, and then they can act accordingly, but the opposite is actually true. People can act as if they are confident, even when they are not, and eventually reduce communication apprehension.  And it is easier than it sounds. Harvard professor, Dr. Amy Cuddy, suggests things called “power poses.” A power pose is a way that you would stand and/or hold your body if were in a powerful situation. One of the more common power poses is to stand with your feet apart, and your hands on your hips. Another way to appear confident, even if you don’t feel it,  is to choose clothing that indicates self-assurance. Shorts, and an ironic printed t-shirt do not convey a sense of professionalism and credibility to an audience. Think about the clothing that other people wear that strike you as powerful, confident, and professional. Emulate those choices.
2. Identify with your audience. More than likely, you are using this textbook in a class with other students that are in the same situation you are. They are given the same assignments, and they probably have very similar levels of experience. Being “in the same boat” helps to reframe this speaking situation. Most of the time, the speaker doesn’t have the benefit of knowing their audience. But, the most successful speakers put in a great deal of energy trying to find out as much information about the crowd they are speaking to before the event arrives. A classroom setting comes with the benefit of being able to observe your fellow classmates, and pay attention to the things that interest them. Use this to you advantage. Note the things they react to. Their likes and dislikes. But, above all, realize that they are probably just as scared as everyone else in the room.
3. Build a knowledge base. This should go without saying. People who know about the subject they are debating have a greater ability to recall appropriate and relevant information when it is time to speak. One of the most common sources of communication apprehension is the fear that you won’t know what to say. Building a knowledge base means collecting more information than you will likely use in a debate, researching common arguments that your opponent might make, and categorizing the information you collect. People who prepare just enough to fill their allotted time are often disappointed with their performance because they feel under prepared. Knowing more information than you can use in a debate is not rated energy; it is necessary for you to be able adapt to the many possible issues that might arise.
4. Match the conditions. This means to practice in an environment that is as close to what the actual event will look like. Check to see if the room you are to debate in is available for a practice round. If not, find a room that is of similar dimensions. Practice at the same time of day, with the notes you plan to use, with the same outfit you plan to wear. There are some people who think they are better off “winging it.” Most people do not have this skill. Even if you feel that you have some special ability to speak with little preparation, you can still improve your chances of a successful speech by taking extra time to prepare.
5. Set reasonable goals. Your first is not going to be perfect. You will likely have verbal fillers, awkward pauses, and/or forget some argument that you were prepared to deliver. Demanding perfection is a sure way to disappoint yourself. Instead, set achievable goals. These could include making sure that each section in your speech is numbered, or speaking for the entire allotted time, or that every source citation includes a date, or to limit the number of verbal fillers to three. Focus on one goal every time you practice, rather than all of them. You may have to work on things that come naturally to others, like eye contact and vocal variety. Don’t overwhelm yourself with unreasonable expectations. Debate is something that everyone has to practice regularly if they want to get good.

Communication apprehension is not just your mind playing tricks on you, there are significant physiological factors at work when anyone experiences speech anxiety. Your body is releasing hormones, whether you like it or not, and those hormones have a measurable effect on your mood and cognitive abilities. Fortunately there are methods that deal with, and even overcome those barriers to performing in front of an audience. Physically manipulating your body into power poses, preparing well, and reframing the public speaking event have shown to be effective ways to manage communication apprehension. Consider utilizing these strategies the next time cortisol and adrenaline start coursing through your body.