Public Speaking Scale Research Articles

Self-statements of medical students about the fear of speaking in public

Objective: to evaluate the perception of medical students from two institutions in the north of Minas Gerais regarding the fear of public speaking and the association with sociodemographic, economic and anxiety level variables. Materials and Methods: cross-sectional, analytical study, consisting of 346 students using identification data, Self-Statements during Public Speaking Scale (SSPS) and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Results: the mean age was 22.36 years with a predominance of females. The total SSPS score was 17.72 for the positive rating subscale and 5.28 for the negative subscale. Academics over 22 years old, with more than six minimum wages and with minimal to mild anxiety had a higher average on the positive subscale and those aged up to 22 years, less than six minimum wages, with moderate to severe anxiety and those in the initial periods had a higher average on the negative subscale. The practice of public speaking carried out in the first period was evaluated as positive. Conclusion: the variables age, income and level of anxiety were statistically significant for the positive and negative subscales of fear of public speaking, and academics in the initial periods of the course were significant for the negative subscale.

Impactos da percepção comunicacional e da timidez autorreferidos na avaliação ao falar em público de estudantes universitários

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare self-assessment when speaking in public, using the Self-Statements During Public Speaking scale, with the communicational perception and self-reported shyness of university students. Methods This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study. University students from different areas of knowledge in Brazil were invited to participate in this study. Those who agreed to participate were included. Participants received an electronic invitation and filled out a form created on the Google Forms platform that contained sociodemographic questions, on self-perception as a good speaker, on ease of expression, on shyness, and the Self-Statements During Public Speaking scale. The means of the Self-Statements During Public Speaking scale were compared with the self-perception as a good speaker, the ease of expressing oneself, and shyness. Results Participants who considered themselves to be good communicators, those who believed they had an ease to express themselves, and those who were not shy had better self-perception of their public speaking skills. Conclusion positive communicational self-perception, as well as less shyness self-perception, are related to a more favorable self-assessment in relation to public presentations.

Ayahuasca Improves Self-perception of Speech Performance in Subjects With Social Anxiety Disorder

Ayahuasca is a classic hallucinogen with anxiolytic and antidepressive properties. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that it improves performance (eg, singing, speech). This controlled trial assessed the effects of ayahuasca on speech performance and anxiety in individuals with social anxiety disorder. Seventeen volunteers with social anxiety disorder participated in a pilot, proof-of-concept, randomized, parallel-group trial. Self-perception of performance during a public-speaking test was assessed with the Self-statements During Public Speaking Scale primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included anxiety/subjective effects (Visual Analog Mood Scale; Bodily Symptoms Scale), recognition of emotions in facial expressions (REFE), tolerability measures (cardiovascular measures, self-reports), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor plasma levels. Effects on anxiety and REFE were assessed again 7, 14, and 21 days postdrug. Compared with placebo, ayahuasca significantly improved self-perception of speech performance (Self-statements During Public Speaking Scale) and increased somatic symptoms (Bodily Symptoms Scale). There was also a significant time × group interaction in the cognitive deterioration Visual Analog Mood Scale factor and a significant effect of time in the REFE task, especially in reaction time. Other measures were not significantly modified. Ayahuasca was well tolerated, producing mainly nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and vomiting. Ayahuasca improved self-perception of speech performance in socially anxious individuals. These effects occurred independent of task-related anxiety and REFE, suggesting that ayahuasca could specifically improve the cognitive aspect of speech performance. Further studies should try to unveil the mechanisms involved in the effects of ayahuasca and to better understand its effects on anxiety.

Does Shyness Influence the Self-Perception of Vocal Symptoms, Public Speaking, and Daily Communication?

The present study aimed to characterize and to verify the relationship between shyness and self-assessment of vocal symptoms, public speaking, and aspects of daily communication. This is an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study. Two hundred and sixty-four male and female participants, with a mean age of 21 years and without any vocal disorder. To measure the outcomes, the participants' scores were measured using the following self-assessment instruments: Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale, Voice Symptom Scale, Self-Statements during Public Speaking Scale, and the Daily Communication Self-evaluation Questionnaire. A descriptive and inferential analysis of the data was performed. Shy persons had higher vocal symptomatology scores in the limitation, emotional, and total domain. Furthermore, they scored higher on the negative aspects of public speaking and lower on its positive aspects. In addition, they showed weaker loudness and higher pitch in daily communication, compared with nonshy persons. Statistically significant correlations were found between positive shyness scores and all domains of vocal symptoms, negative aspects of public speaking, and pitch in daily communication. However, negative correlation was found between the positive aspects of public speaking and loudness in daily communication. Shy persons have a higher self-evaluation with regard to the negative and less positive aspects of public speaking and most vocal symptoms, as well as weaker loudness and higher pitch in daily communication when compared to nonshy persons. The greater the perception of shyness, the greater the self-assessment with regard to daily communication and vocal symptoms and the negative aspects of public speaking.

Effects of acute cannabidiol administration on anxiety and tremors induced by a Simulated Public Speaking Test in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main components of Cannabis sativa and has anxiolytic properties, but no study has been conducted to evaluate the effects of CBD on anxiety signs and symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of acute CBD administration at a dose of 300 mg on anxiety measures and tremors induced by a Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPST) in individuals with PD. A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial was conducted. A total of 24 individuals with PD were included and underwent two experimental sessions within a 15-day interval. After taking CBD or a placebo, participants underwent the SPST. During the test, the following data were collected: heart rate, systemic blood pressure and tremor frequency and amplitude. In addition, the Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS) and Self-Statements during Public Speaking Scale were applied. Statistical analysis was performed by repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) while considering the drug, SPST phase and interactions between these variables. There were statistically significant differences in the VAMS anxiety factor for the drug; CBD attenuated the anxiety experimentally induced by the SPST. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant differences in the drug for the variable related to tremor amplitude as recorded by the accelerometer. Acute CBD administration at a dose of 300 mg decreased anxiety in patients with PD, and there was also decreased tremor amplitude in an anxiogenic situation.

Association between Social Skills, Sociodemographic Factors and Self-Statements during Public Speaking by University Students

Abstract Possessing a good repertoire of interpersonal skills and a good performance when speaking in public can be considered indispensable for the social and academic adaptation of college students. The aim was to characterize and compare the social skills repertoire of college students from different fields of study (the human, exact and biological sciences) and from different higher education institutions (public and private), and to investigate the associations between these abilities and their self-assessment about speaking in public. A total of 818 college students took part, who answered the Social Skills Inventory (IHS-Del-Prette), Self-Statements During Public Speaking Scale and a Socio-demographic and Occupational Questionnaire. The groups did not differ significantly in relation to their social skills’ repertoire, with most of the participants (n = 432) having a below-average repertoire of abilities when compared to the normative group of the instrument. It was found that male college students and those who had a partner, a job or their own income, and direct contact with the public gave more positive self-assessments about speaking in public. The skills’ classes of self-exposure to strangers and new situations, self-confidence in expressing positive feelings, conversation and social resourcefulness, self-control of aggressivity, and coping and self-confidence with risk, and having a vocational course were the variables that predicted a more positive self-assessment by college students about speaking in public.

Behavioral Therapy and Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety

Abstract Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The effects of a behavioral intervention procedure that included exposure to VR, diaphragmatic breathing, differential reinforcement, and functional analysis of behavior of participants with public speaking anxiety were investigated. The Virtua Therapy simulator with an Oculus Rift® was used for VR exposure. Six university students participated in the procedure involving the following sequence of sessions: initial interview and baseline measures (3-5), intervention (6), closure (1), follow-up (2). In the baseline sessions, the participants gave a speech in a room without an audience (avatars): in the intervention sessions and follow-up they spoke in a classroom or auditorium with an audience, and verbal consequences (feedback) were provided for appropriate speech pitch and speed. Verbal and non-verbal measures of behaviors were recorded. In the intervention sessions, functional analyses of everyday public speaking situations were performed. There was statistically significant difference in the pre- and post-intervention data in the Self-Statements during Public Speaking Scale (improvement in self-evaluation) and improvement in speech quality. The conclusion was reached that the intervention procedure contributed to the reduction of anxiety.

Effect of Alternate Nostril Breathing Exercise on Experimentally Induced Anxiety in Healthy Volunteers Using the Simulated Public Speaking Model: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

A randomized controlled pilot study was carried out to determine the effect of a 15-minute practice of ANB exercise on experimentally induced anxiety using the simulated public speaking model in yoga-naïve healthy young adults. Thirty consenting medical students were equally divided into test and control groups. The test group performed alternate nostril breathing exercise for 15 minutes, while the control group sat in a quiet room before participating in the simulated public speaking test (SPST). Visual Analog Mood Scale and Self-Statements during Public Speaking scale were used to measure the mood state at different phases of the SPST. The psychometric scores of both groups were comparable at baseline. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of phase (p < 0.05), but group and gender did not have statistically significant influence on the mean anxiety scores. However, the test group showed a trend towards lower mean scores for the anxiety factor when compared with the control group. Considering the limitations of this pilot study and the trend seen towards lower anxiety in the test group, alternate nostril breathing may have potential anxiolytic effect in acute stressful situations. A study with larger sample size is therefore warranted. This trial is registered with CTRI/2014/03/004460.

Fear of Public Speaking: Perception of College Students and Correlates

The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of fear of public speaking among college students and to assess its association with sociodemographic variables and those related to the voice and oral communication. A cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study was conducted with 1135 undergraduates aged 17-58 years. The assessment instruments were (1) a questionnaire addressing the variables sex, age, field of undergraduate study, voice, and frequency of exposure to public speaking, and (2) the Self-statements During Public Speaking Scale (SSPS), which includes variables implicated in specific domains of public speaking. A descriptive analysis was performed of the variables as well as uni- and multivariate logistic regressions to examine their association with fear of public speaking. The level of significance was set at 5%. In all, 63.9% of the college students reported fear of public speaking. As many as 89.3% of the students would like their undergraduate program to include classes to improve public speaking. Being female, having infrequent participation as speakers in groups, and perceiving their voice as high-pitched or too soft increase the odds of exhibiting fear of public speaking compared with students without those features. A great number of undergraduates report fear of public speaking. This fear is more prevalent among women, students who participate in few activities involving speaking to groups of people, and those who have a self-perception of their voice as high-pitched or too soft.

Validación de la escala de ansiedad en la interacción social en estudiantes universitarios mexicanos

Objective . The purpose of this research was to validate the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS-20; Mattick & Clarke, 1998) with a student population of a Mexican university. In particular, the intention was to validate the unidimensional structure of the SIAS-20, calculate its internal consistency, describe its distribution, compare differences in averages between genders, prove its criterion validity with the social phobia factor of the anxiety and social phobia inventory ([SPAI] of Turner, Beidel, Dancu & Stanley, 1989) and its convergent validity with the Self-Statements During Public Speaking Scale ([SSPS] of Hofmann & DiBartolo, 2000), as well as studying its relationship with a social desirability inventory (Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding [BIDR]; Paulhus, 1998). Method . A probabilistic sample of college students stratified by sex was collected. Results . Excluding the three negatively-keyed items of the SIAS-20, the single-factor model showed a good fit. Also, the internal consistency of the SIAS-17 was high, and its distribution was positively skewed. The averages were statistically equivalent between men and women. The scale showed criterion validity with the SPAI and convergent validity with the SSPS. The correlation with social desirability was low. Conclusion . In conclusion, the scale is valid for use with the Mexican university student population. It is recommend that future studies focus on its standardization by percentiles in Mexico, as well as in other Spanish-speaking countries.

Validation of the State Version of the Self-statement during Public Speaking Scale

To adapt the trait version of the Self Statements during Public Speaking (SSPS) scale to a state version (SSPS-S) and to assess its discriminative validity for use in the Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPST). Subjects with and without social anxiety disorder (n = 45) were assessed while performing the SPST, a clinical-experimental model of anxiety with seven different phases. Alterations in negative self-assessment occurred with significant changes throughout the different phases of the procedure (p = .05). Non-cases presented significantly higher mean values of the SSPS-S in all phases of the procedure than cases (p < .01). Cases assessed themselves in a less positive and more negative manner during the SPST than did non-cases. SSPS-S is adequate for this assessment, especially its negative subscale, and shows good psychometric qualities.

Instruments for the assessment of social anxiety disorder: Validation studies.

Great progress has been observed in the literature over the last decade regarding the validation of instruments for the assessment of Social Anxiety Disorder in the Brazilian context. Particularly outstanding in this respect is the production of a group of Brazilian investigators regarding the psychometric study of the following instruments: Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Social Phobia Inventory, Brief Social Phobia Scale, Disability Profile, Liebowitz Self-Rated Disability Scale, Social Phobia Safety Behaviors Scale and Self-Statements During Public Speaking Scale, which have proved to be appropriate and valid for use in the adult Brazilian population, representing resources for the assessment of social anxiety in clinical and experimental situations.

On Issues of Validity and Especially on the Misery of Convergent Validity

On Issues of Validity and Especially on the Misery of Convergent Validity

Some Thoughts Concerning the Recent Shift from Measures with Many Items to Measures with Few Items

Some Thoughts Concerning the Recent Shift from Measures with Many Items to Measures with Few Items

Further Study of the Psychometric Qualities of a Brief Screening Tool for Social Phobia (MINI-SPIN) Applied to Clinical and Nonclinical Samples

The purpose of this study was to further assess the psychometric qualities of the Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (MS) to screen for social anxiety disorder (SAD). The MS and other self- and clinician-rated scales for anxiety and social anxiety were applied in 2,314 university students and in samples of SAD patients (n = 88) and nonpatients (n = 90). The MS revealed adequate discriminative validity, internal consistency (α= 0.49-0.73), convergent validity with the Social Phobia Inventory, Brief Social Phobia Scale, and Self-Statements During Public Speaking Scale and convergent and divergent validity with the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The MS has shown to be a fast and efficient screening instrument for SAD in different cultures and contexts.

The Spanish Version of the Self-Statements During Public Speaking Scale

Contemporary theories of social anxiety emphasize the role of cognitive processes. Although social anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health problems in adolescents, there are very few self-report instruments available to measure cognitive processes related to social anxiety in adolescents, let alone non-English instruments. The Self-Statements during Public Speaking Scale (SSPS; Hofmann & DiBartolo, 2000) is a brief self-report measure designed to assess self-statements related to public speaking, the most commonly feared social performance situation. In order to fill this gap in the literature, we translated the SSPS into Spanish and administered it to 1,694 adolescents from a community sample, a clinical sample composed of 71 subjects with a principal diagnosis of social anxiety disorder; and a clinical control group consisting of 154 patients. The scale showed good psychometric properties, supporting the use of the Spanish version of the SSPS in adolescents.

Study of the psychometric qualities of the Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS) in Brazilian university students

Purpose To perform a psychometric analysis of the Brazilian version of the Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS). Materials and methods Hundred and seventy-eight university students of both genders aged on average 21.2 years and identified as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) cases and non-cases was studied, with the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV being used as a parameter. The different instruments were applied in an individual manner in the presence of a rater and of an observer. Results The BSPS showed adequate internal consistency (0.48–0.88) and concurrent and divergent validity with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) (0.21–0.62), Social Phobia Inventory (0.24–0.82) and Self Statements During Public Speaking Scale (SSPS) (0.23–0.31). Discriminative validity revealed a sensitivity of 0.88–0.90 and a specificity of 0.81(0.83 for cut-off notes of 18/19. Factorial analysis demonstrated the presence of six factors that jointly explained 71.79% of data variance. Construct validity indicated some limits of the scale regarding the diagnosis of SAD. Inter-rater reliability was strong (0.86–1.00, p < 0.001). Conclusions The BSPS is adequate for use with university students, although further studies in different cultures, samples and contexts are still necessary.

Escala para auto-avaliação ao falar em público (SSPS): adaptação transcultural e consistência interna da versão brasileira

CONTEXTO: O medo de falar em público é um dos medos mais prevalentes na população geral, sendo importante a avaliação dos aspectos cognitivos associados a ele. OBJETIVO: Realizar a adaptação transcultural para o português do Brasil do Self Statements during Public Speaking Scale (SSPS), um instrumento para auto-avaliação ante a situação de falar em público. MÉTODOS: O processo de tradução e adaptação envolveu quatro profissionais bilíngües, apreciação e aprovação da tradução reversa pelos autores da escala original, estudo piloto com 30 universitários brasileiros e apreciação por juízes que atestaram a validade de face da versão para o português, a qual se denominou Escala para Auto-avaliação ao Falar em Público. Como parte do estudo psicométrico da SSPS, realizaram-se a análise dos itens e a avaliação da consistência interna em uma amostra de 2.314 estudantes universitários. RESULTADOS: Evidenciou-se que os itens da subescala de auto-avaliação positiva foram os mais pontuados. A correlação dos itens com o escore total foi bastante adequada, variando entre 0,44 e 0,71, bem como a consistência interna que variou entre 0,78 e 0,90. CONCLUSÕES: A SSPS na versão para o português do Brasil mostrou-se adequada quanto às propriedades psicométricas estudadas. Consideram-se oportunos e necessários estudos que avaliem os demais indicadores de validade e fidedignidade da SSPS, com amostras clínicas e não-clínicas.

Brief Form of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI-B) for Adolescents

Brief Form of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI-B) for Adolescents