ANXIETY: COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION ANXIETY - the perception of real or perceived danger - based on negative intrapersonal messages - comes from

the perception that something is wrong or something could go wrong or could happen and our bodys reaction to those perceptions. - It is NORMAL its the bodys way of protecting a person INGREDIENTS of Anxiety 1. Biological Reaction - a sensitivity to protect ones self from danger 2. Personality Type - highly perfectionistic individuals and those who have the tendency to please others tend to have high anxiety levels 3. Normal Stresses of Life - fear of failure in daily activities like talking to someone, giving a speech, participating in a sports activity, etc. SYMPTOMS OF STRESS A) Physical signs nausea headaches difficulty in breathing talking fast heart racing palms sweating dry mouth B) Cognitive signs worry self-messages of I should do

catastrophizing (self-prediction that bad things will happen) disorganized thoughts C) Behavioral signs visual messages of negative things that might happen avoidance of tasks and situations for fear of the negative event happening restlessness agitation

Those who understand anxiety realize that most of the things people worry about never happen. COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION - communication anxiety - shyness - Social Anxiety Disorder - Social Phobia Worries, concerns, and fears interfere with efficient listening, communicating in groups, talking in class and on the telephone and verbalizing during interviews. Shy people have inaccurate selfconcepts. They of ten believe they are inadequate when they are not. They tend to blame themselves for failure and credit others for success. They tend to erase themselves: they avoid eye contact, speak softly or less than others, and rarely take a strong position on a topic.

Hand-Outs in Speech and Oral Communication [English 13]: MIDTERMS 3 Prepared By: Donali Gem Goya M. Pableo

Not all shyness is the same. There are degrees of communication apprehension.

HELP FOR COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION Communication apprehension is not a mental disorder. Techniques in overcoming Communication Apprehension: 1) SKILL TRAINING - lack of oral communication skills can be a problem for communicatively anxious people - not knowing how to structure or organize a speech, how to start and continue a conversation or how to participate in a group - those who have learned the skills needed to be an effective communicator feel secure and anticipate pleasure. 2) COGNITIVE MODIFICATION - people have learned to think negatively and must be retaught to think positively - first, people to learn how to recognize when they are thinking negatively and to identify their own negative statements about their
Hand-Outs in Speech and Oral Communication [English 13]: MIDTERMS 3 Prepared By: Donali Gem Goya M. Pableo

communication. Then, they learn to replace negative statements with positive ones. 3) WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE - people who are willing to communicate are willing to take risks, to analyze their communication, and to make adjustments as needed. To be a willing communicator, one must realize that: 1) There is no such thing as a perfect communicator. Every one makes mistakes. 2) One needs to interact with others, no matter what negative perceptions are brought about by the communication, such as embarrassment. 3) Most of the time, the perceived fear of what might happen does not occur. 4) Accomplishing your communicative task is more important than the perceived fear of what others might think. 5) Be responsible for your response.
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