Summary (^25)
when an experience is repeated over time and the anticipated negative outcomes are not
as bad as expected.^35 Jennifer’s comments support this idea:
I think it was really good that we did so many speeches because when we did it so
many times, I was less nervous each time.
Online courses and traditional courses had similar results. In both formats, students
learned the processes of speech-making and developed strategies for ridding themselves
of some of their performance anxiety.^36
Summary
Many people experience public speaking anxiety (PSA) that results from the relation-
ship between their uncertainty about the outcome and the importance of that outcome.
Stress results from three perceptions: your perception of an imbalance between an
objective demand and your perceived response capability, where you perceive failure
to have serious consequences. To overcome stress, work on increasing your process and
your performance capabilities.
To increase your process competencies, develop skills in five areas of speech-making
(what Greeks and Romans identified as the five canons of rhetoric): invention, disposi-
tion, style, memory, and delivery. Use guidelines from the canon of invention to con-
sider your audience’s characteristics and interests, and take into account their responses
to the specific situation. After that, select a unique, significant, and appropriate topic and
focus. Decide whether your major purpose is to inform, persuade, entertain, or com-
memorate; then gather information from oral, print, or electronic sources that will sup-
port your topic adequately.
Organize your ideas to create an introduction, body, and conclusion using norms
from the canon of disposition. Choose appropriate wording (canon of style), and learn
your major ideas (canon of memory) so that you can extemporaneously deliver your
speech (canon of delivery).
To increase your performance competencies, plan strategies for dealing with your
nerves. Know when to expect the highest levels of physical symptoms, and prepare
accordingly. Plan specific activities to counteract the physical tension brought on by
the fight-or-flight mechanism. Systematic desensitization works for some people with
extreme physical reactions. Then work on your psychological stress. Control your internal
monologue by cognitive modification, substituting positive thoughts for negative ones.
Or visualize yourself performing your speech successfully from beginning to end. Use
vivid images and control your imaginary scenario. A third strategy is to experiment with
power posing and lowering your voice as a way to increase your feelings of competency.
Doing these steps thoughtfully and thoroughly can give you confidence on speech
day, and they equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to be a more competent
public speaker.Study and Review
Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for a Diverse Society offers a broad range of
resources that will help you better understand the material in this chapter, complete
assignments, and succeed on tests. Your MindTap resources feature the following:
• Speech videos with viewing questions, speech outlines, and transcripts
• Activities to help you check your understanding and to apply what you’ve learned to
your own lifeReflect on what you’ve
learned.Copyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.