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Wald, Shannon M. "Framing social information and public speaking anxiety /." Available to subscribers only, 2005. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1083543041&sid=36&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Iba, Debra L. Lumsden D. Barry. "Hardiness and public speaking anxiety problems and practices /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3960.
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Iba, Debra L. "Hardiness and public speaking anxiety: Problems and practices." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3960/.
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This study explored the relationship between the personality construct of hardiness and public speaking anxiety. Although hardiness has been widely explored in a variety of anxiety-arousing life events, its relationship with communication anxiety had not been previously studied. Therefore, hardiness, public speaking trait anxiety, and public speaking state anxiety were measured in a course requiring an oral presentation assignment. One hundred fifty students enrolled in a basic speech communication course participated in the study. A statistically significant correlation was revealed between hardiness and trait communication anxiety. Students higher in hardiness reported lower trait communication apprehension in three contexts: 1) meeting, 2) interpersonal, and 3) group. Overall, students did not differ on measures of hardiness and a fourth communication context: public speaking anxiety. Likewise, on measures of hardiness and state public speaking anxiety, students did not differ.
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Beck, Robert Drew. "The Speaking Cognitions and Attention Scale: An Empirically-Derived Measure of Public Speaking Anxiety." OpenSIUC, 2010. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/221.
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Although public speaking anxiety is one of the most commonly reported causes of both clinical and non-clinical anxiety, many of the currently used questionnaire measures of public speaking anxiety do not reflect the advances made in recent decades regarding empirical methods of test construction, including item generation and determination of subscale composition. The current study administered 35 empirically-generated cognitive self-statement items related to speaking anxiety to a sample of 367 undergraduate students along with measures of public speaking anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, generalized social anxiety behaviors, and self-consciousness tendencies. Using exploratory factor analysis and item-total correlations, participant responses to the 35 self-statement items were examined, producing the 30-item Speaking Cognitions and Attention Scale (SCAS). Data indicated that in the current sample the SCAS displayed a three-factor solution, with factors composed of items reflecting positive self-statements, negative self-statements, and catastrophic self-statements. The scale also demonstrated excellent internal reliability, with alphas in the range of .90 to .97. Discriminant validity analyses supported the specificity of the measure in measuring public speaking anxiety by correlating highly with another measure of speaking anxiety, at a moderate level with measures of general social anxiety, and at a small level with a measure of self-consciousness with no theoretical relationship to speaking anxiety. Results are discussed with respect to implications of the current findings for questionnaire measurement of public speaking anxiety, needed future directions in further validation of the measure, and potential applications for treatment of public speaking anxiety.
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Obasaju, Mayowa. "Speaking while Black: The Relationship between African Americans’ Racial Identity, Fear of Confirming Stereotypes, and Public Speaking Anxiety." unrestricted, 2007. http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04202007-122250/.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2007.Title from file title page. Page Anderson, committee chair; Rod Watts, Leslie Jackson, committee members. Electronic text (101 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Dec. 5, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-85).
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Kim, Simon Y. "The Impact of Stereotypes on Public Speaking Performance and Anxiety." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2007. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/25.
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Public speaking anxiety is a common experience in both community and clinical populations and can have a negative impact on quality of life. Although contemporary treatments have been found to be effective, there is a lack of cultural relevance in existing theories and treatments. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of stereotypes, a culturally relevant variable, on public speaking performance and anxiety for African Americans and Asian Americans. Participants (N=97) were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions where they either received feedback that was stereotype confirming or non-stereotype confirming. Analyses of variance procedures were utilized to determine whether stereotype confirming feedback would have a negative impact on public speaking performance and anxiety during a speech performance task. Overall, stereotype confirming feedback was not found to have a negative impact on the participants’ public speaking performance or anxiety as measured by self-report and observer ratings. In particular, participants who received stereotype confirming feedback reported less prediction of poor performance in public speaking situations compared to those who received non-stereotype confirming feedback. However, there was a significant positive relation between the participants’ concerns for confirming negative stereotypes and self-report measures of public speaking anxiety. African American participants also reported fewer negative self-statements associated with public speaking compared to Asian American participants. These results encourage future studies to further examine the relation between stereotypes and public speaking anxiety.
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Dervisic, Edvin. "All eyes on me: : Public speaking skills and performance anxiety." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för humaniora, utbildnings- och samhällsvetenskap, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-54769.
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This research investigates how pupils perceive performance anxiety and where this trait may originate. Based on the findings from the interviews, it was factors such as lack of studying technique, expectations of a high grade, and pressure from home as well as classmates that were the main reasons to why their performance anxiety arose from the very beginning. In relation to this, the study aims at discussing how rhetoric as a subject in school may reduce performance anxiety amongst pupils. A qualitative method was used to investigate the research question of this essay. The interviews have been done through semi-structured interviews as a primary source. Through these interviews, the work aims to examine performance anxiety amongst students and exploring how public speaking skills and performance anxiety may be influenced by preparation and rhetorical knowledge. Although this study cannot conclusively argue that the teaching of rhetoric would reduce performance anxiety, the results of the interviews suggest that better rhetorical skills would enhance students public speaking skills.”
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Sawyer, Chris R. (Chris Roberts). "Predictors of Judgment Accuracy in the Nonverbal Communication of Public Speaking Anxiety: a Social Relations Analysis." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1992. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278614/.
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This study examined the encoding accuracy and decoding accuracy of individual speakers and audience members as predictors of the accuracy with which public speaking anxiety is communicated during speech performance. Previous research revealed that audiences tend to underestimate the state anxiety of public speakers and that a low-to-moderate, positive correlation exists between speaker self-report and audience-observed state public speaking anxiety. Two divergent theoretical perspectives, differential information processing and emotional communication processes, were proposed as explanations for this phenomenon. Predictors for each perspective were estimated by Kenny's 1988 Social Relations Model (SRM). The study was conducted at a large metropolitan community college in the southwest region of the United States. Eighty subjects (40 males and 40 females) delivered two brief speeches before audiences of 20 fellow classmates. Immediately following each speech, speakers reported their state public speaking anxiety on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory A-State (STAI A-State). Audience members recorded their observations of speaker state anxiety on an audience version of the STAI A-State. Correlations between speaker self-report and audience-perceived state public speaking anxiety served as the estimate of judgment accuracy. The full SRM explained 65.7% of the variance in communication accuracy. Actor effects, the most powerful predictor of communication accuracy, accounted for 49.5% of the variance. The interaction of actor and partner effects accounted for approximately 10% of the variance. A surprisingly low (5% of the variance) degree of accuracy was attributable to audience decoding skills. Interpretation of the findings and suggestions for future research are presented.
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Hait, Aaron Vincent. "Is breathing control an effective coping strategy for public speaking anxiety?" Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/31015.
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Two studies were conducted to determine whether controlled, abdominally-predominant breathing could be accurately implemented during periods of acute anxiety by speech anxious/phobic individuals, and what effect breathing control has on autonomic and subjective indices of anxiety. Twenty-two moderately speech anxious young adults took part in Study 1. The results of this study indicated that after two weeks of training, only 50% of trainees were able to implement the controlled breathing technique with any degree of accuracy while waiting to deliver an impromptu speech before a small audience. No one were successful at reliably implementing the technique during the speech itself. As in previous research, training had little impact on autonomic arousal but was associated with improvements in self-reported anxiety. Similar findings emerged for Study 2, which differed from Study 1 in that it involved a larger (N = 48) and more highly speech anxious sample who participated in a longer (4-week), more intensive training program. Although training had little effect on subjective or autonomic arousal during speech anticipation and speech delivery, it did result in significantly higher predictions of speech aptitude and emotional control relative to no treatment. Such findings suggest that breathing control is not a useful emotion-focused coping strategy on its own, but may add to the effectiveness of exposure-based therapies by enhancing patients' self-efficacy and willingness to expose themselves to feared situations.Arts, Faculty of
Psychology, Department of
Graduate
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England, Erica Lee Herbert James D. Forman Evan M. "Exposure with acceptance-based versus habituation-based rationale for public speaking anxiety /." Philadelphia, Pa. : Drexel University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3267.
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Smith, Tony Edward. "Keeping it real does practicing speeches before an audience improve performance? /." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1058484247.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Speech Communication, 2003.Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 35 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-24).
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Irvine, Lesley. "Let's talk about public speaking anxiety: Supporting and scaffolding sustainable speaking practices while at university and beyond." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2020. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/201344/1/Lesley_Irvine_Thesis.pdf.
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Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is an enduring challenge in education and employment. This professional doctorate investigated PSA in higher education via two connected projects. Project 1 utilised an instrumental case study to explore how PSA was recognised and experienced in an undergraduate university oral communication unit. Applying critical reflective practice, this study concluded that PSA is complex, prevalent, individual and unstable. Leveraging this understanding, Project 2 presents a new support framework and offers practical guidance for both educators and students. This framework promotes self-regulation, self-efficacy and self-reflection to develop sustainable speaking practices while at university and beyond.
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Beharry, Prya. "Acceptance and commitment therapy for public speaking anxiety: A self-help format." The University of Waikato, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2442.
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A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across eight participants was used to determine whether working through Hayes and Smith's (2005) book would help those with public speaking anxiety. Hayes and Smith (2005) is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It encourages people to accept internal experiences as opposed to avoiding and struggling with them. For the purposes of this study, the book was divided into nine components, which participants discussed with the researcher. They also completed measures daily, during baseline and over the intervention period, as well as a battery of tests pre-baseline, mid and post intervention. The multiple baseline data showed that self-reported willingness to approach public speaking situations increased while self-reported avoidance decreased over the intervention. The pre and post measures also showed avoidance of internal experiences decreased significantly after the intervention. These outcomes are in line with changes suggested to result from engaging in such a therapy. The pre and post results also showed that quality of life increased significantly from mid to post-intervention. However, engagement with values did not change. While this measure is expected to change after such an intervention, this result may have occurred because the ideas about values were introduced last in the book. The intervention also led to significant decreases in anxiety, significant changes in thoughts about public speaking and significant increases in anxiety control as shown by the test battery. These findings are positive but are not predicted by processes posited for this therapy. However, there was no control group so these pre vs post comparisons must be interpreted with caution. Despite this limitation, the results suggest that the book, together with therapist contact, can help those with public speaking anxiety.
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Frey, Kristen Ann. "Do College Students with Public Speaking Anxiety Show an Attentional Bias Toward Threat?" Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43359.
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Cognitive theories postulate that attention toward threatening information and away from neutral cues plays an etiological role in anxiety. The present study examines whether a preconscious attentional bias (AB) toward threatening stimuli exists in individuals with public speaking anxiety. Participants included 61 undergraduates with high and low speech anxiety. AB was measured using a dot-probe paradigm with threatening and neutral words. Reaction times to dot-probes on threatening and neutral trials were compared between the two groups. Results indicated that, contrary to expectations, high and low speech anxious participants did not differ in their mean reaction times to threat words. Thus, AB may not be measurable in individuals with public speaking anxiety using the method that the current study employed.Master of Science
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Lewis-Holmes, Brenda. "Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety For Community College Students: The Effects of A Combination Anxiety Reduction Technique on Trait and State Anxiety." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/30620.
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The effectiveness of a treatment for communication apprehension (CA) was examined in this study. Trait and state anxiety were examined by using community college students enrolled in four sections of a required basic speech communication course. The sample size consisted of 81 students, ranging in ages 17-82. Each student was asked to complete a trait anxiety measure (Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24) during the second class meeting (pre-test) and again on the last day of class (post-test). For the state anxiety measure, students were asked to complete the Speaker Anxiety (SA) Scale immediately after delivering an informative speech at the end of the semester. Two classes served as the treatment group, receiving a 15-minute combination anxiety reduction technique and two classes served as the control group, receiving no treatment.
A significant interaction was found in physiological activation, an important direct manifestation of state anxiety commonly experienced as irregular heart beat, dry mouth, sweaty palms, and feelings of exhaustion. The findings showed that the students in the control group who spoke in the second week had higher anxieties than did the other students.
A dividend of this investigation was the result that supported frequent anecdotal reports from past speech students; namely, that at the conclusion of the basic speech course, students in this study reported a reduction in trait anxiety. Of the other comparisons made, race and maternal encouragement were shown as major influences for the trait of communication apprehension.
Future research should use larger samples of community college students and focus on state anxiety with trait anxiety as a monitor for stability. Treatments might also be expanded to weekly sessions during a major portion of one semester.Ph. D.
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Ramstad, Andrea. ""Can We Help?": Students? Reflections on their Public Speaking Anxiety and Teacher Immediacy." Diss., North Dakota State University, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28784.
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Public speaking is one of the most common anxieties for the average person, with many even ranking it as a more significant fear than death. Even though several people suggest that they would rather be the one in the casket than the one giving the eulogy at a funeral, public speaking courses are required at almost all colleges and universities. Public speaking anxiety is particularly real for most college students, meaning that it is important for public speaking teachers to develop andragogical strategies to help students alleviant their public speaking anxiety. Thus, the purpose of the study is to observe if students? perceptions of their teacher?s verbal and nonverbal immediacy influences students? public speaking anxiety. Using Emotional Response Theory (ERT) as the conceptual framework, I applied a phenomenological analysis that explored students? lived experiences and perspectives in their college public speaking course. Twenty-one students enrolled in a Fall 2017 public speaking course at a Midwest University participated in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews about the students? anxiety of public speaking and their perceptions of their teacher?s verbal and nonverbal immediacy. Students? responses suggested their teacher?s verbal and nonverbal immediacy helped decrease their public speaking anxiety. In particular, students indicated when a teacher demonstrated positive verbal and nonverbal behaviors, the students? public speaking anxiety decreased. In addition, new themes emerged on the matter: the teacher self-disclosing about their own public speaking anxiety, mistakes, and current status, classroom activities, peer-to-peer interactions, timely detailed feedback, and class-wide feedback. Some students noted that being graded and the using of timecards did increase their public speaking at times. Even though some students? public speaking anxiety increased during those specific circumstances, all the students stated their public speaking anxiety decreased during the semester. This study concludes with recommendations for how public speaking teachers can address students? concerns about public speaking anxiety by applying verbal and nonverbal immediacy strategies in their public speaking courses.
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Jazan, Alejandro. "ADDRESSING PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY THROUGH THE CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION: A MINDFULNESS APPROACH." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/799.
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Public speaking has been found to be one of the greatest fears people face in their lifetime. Students, in particular, may feel extremely nervous about public speaking or the anticipated event of speaking to an audience. The purpose of this research study is twofold: (1) investigate the contemplative practice of mindfulness meditation, and (2) to understand the experiences of students who practice mindfulness meditation while enrolled (or previously enrolled) in a Public Speaking course at a community college. Data was collected using a Transcendental Phenomenology methodological approach. Moreover, methods used included open-ended, semi-structured interviews as well as descriptive field notes. Qualitative data was transcribed, coded and categorized into salient thematic findings. The findings of this study detail students’ perceptions about the use of mindfulness meditation. This study informs Public Speaking practitioners about how to proactively manage anxiety and uncertainty by employing contemplative practices to increase successful communication outcomes.
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Schmidt, Nancy Li. "Self administered tactile therapy : a proposed intervention for the treatment of public speaking apprehension." Online access for everyone, 2006. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Dissertations/Spring2006/n%5Fschmidt%5F050306.pdf.
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Gilchrist, Elizabeth Marie Cleland. "Effects of video self-modelling as an intervention for teenagers with public speaking anxiety." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Health Sciences, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/8199.
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Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) arises from the real or anticipated performance of an oral presentation. People with PSA experience an increase in Heart Rate (HR), negative self- focused thoughts and observable behaviours such as, trembling or non-fluent speech. In this study Video Self-Modelling (VSM), an intervention based on observational learning, was used to increase performance fluency and decrease cognitive, behavioural, and physiological anxiety. Ten high school students with high PSA participated from an English class in a New Zealand school. Video self-models were created for each student through editing to depict confident speaking and then viewed by the students 5 to 8 times over a fortnight. Results indicated from pre-intervention to post-intervention that all students decreased their level of behavioural anxiety. Seven of the ten students decreased their level of self-reported speech anxiety and six students self-reported more positive thoughts about public speaking. There was a decrease in HR for two of the four students, who wore HR monitors during the study.
These results suggest that VSM could be used as an intervention, within a high school setting, to reduce anxiety and improve public speaking performance.
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Stevens, Charmaine. "The efficacy of Hayes Anxiety Relief Technique versus the Self Control Triad in the treatment of public speaking anxiety." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq22811.pdf.
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Kemper, Matthew Thomas. "An assessment of curricular methods to reduce communication apprehension among public speaking students." Scholarly Commons, 2007. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/674.
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This study investigated curricular methods to reduce communication apprehension among public speaking students. Previous research has found many intervention strategies to be successful in reducing levels of communication apprehension, including both visualization and cognitive restructuring. However, prior research has failed to examine the efficacy of such techniques within the context of teaching a public speaking course that has limited time to devote to these techniques. Consequently, an experiment was conducted which examined whether a one hour instructional unit using cognitive restructuring and visualization can reduce levels of communication apprehension among public speaking students. The results of the study indicate that a one hour instructional unit does not reduce the anxiety of high communication apprehensive students in a public speaking course.
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Finn, Amber N. "Widening the lens: An interdisciplinary approach to examining the effect of exposure therapy on public speaking state anxiety." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2007. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3975/.
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This study used an interdisciplinary approach to examine an intervention for reducing public speaking state anxiety. A quasi-experiment was conducted to determine if a multiple-exposure treatment technique (TRIPLESPEAK) would help to attenuate public speaking anxiety. The treatment group reported experiencing significantly less state anxiety during their post-test presentation than did the control group. This lead to the conclusion that exposure therapy can be used to help students enrolled in basic communication classes begin to overcome their fear of speaking in front of an audience. Follow-up analysis of the treatment group's reported anxiety levels during all five presentations (pre-test, Treatment Presentation 1, Treatment Presentation 2, Treatment Presentation 3, and post-test) revealed an increase in anxiety from the last treatment presentation to the post-test presentation. In order to explore this issue, Shannon's entropy was utilized to calculate the amount of information in each speaking environment. Anderson's functional ontology construction approach served as a model to explain the role of the environment in shaping speakers' current and future behaviors and reports of anxiety. The exploratory analysis revealed a functional relationship between information and anxiety. In addition, a qualitative study was conducted to determine which environmental stimuli speakers perceived contributed to their anxiety levels. Students reported experiencing anxiety based on four categories, which included speaker concerns, audience characteristics, contextual factors and assignment criteria. Students' reports of anxiety were dependent upon their previous speaking experiences, and students suggested differences existed between the traditional presentations and the treatment presentations. Pedagogical and theoretical implications are discussed.
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Finn, Amber N. O'Connor Brian C. "Widening the lens an interdisciplinary approach to examining the effect of exposure therapy on public speaking state anxiety /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2007. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-3975.
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Stratton, Crystal Havely. "The component theory of communication apprehension in the public speaking course grade-evaluation anxiety as a form of negative evaluation /." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1594494191&sid=3&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Smith, Tony E. "KEEPING IT “REAL”: DOES PRACTICING SPEECHES BEFORE AN AUDIENCE IMPROVE PERFORMANCE?" Miami University / OhioLINK, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1058484247.
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Dogan, Seyla. "Investigating the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment skills training for people with moderate public speaking anxiety via a randomised controlled trial of group versus self-help format." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/620461.
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Public speaking anxiety (PSA), widespread amongst students and also the general population, is associated with substantial distress and interferes with a person’s ability to give a presentation or speech. This can lead to difficulties in social, occupational and academic areas of functioning. Despite its pervasiveness, very few individuals will seek help, most will tend to avoid the anxiety-provoking situations. This can be a serious issue if left untreated, leading to negative impacts on quality of life, for example dropping out of education early and subsequently having limited job opportunities. The literature review explored the existing body of work regarding PSA and presented the rationale for the current research, beginning with a conceptual framework and the manner in which PSA is related to Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This was followed by a detailed investigation of existing influential models and treatment modalities for both PSA and SAD. It identified that CBT has been the most effective treatment and has been delivered via different formats; however some individuals with SAD/PSA did not respond to a mainstream CBT approach and continued presenting residual symptoms after therapy. Thus, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was introduced, with an examination of its model and potential to help PSA. Preliminary research employing acceptance-based strategies have provided promising results. The literature review indicated a need for investigation of (i) more readily disseminated, briefer formats of ACT and (ii) whether differences exist in efficacy and sustainability between non-guided self-help and group-led therapies format. Given the large number of individuals experience PSA/SAD and the limited availability of resources, there is a need to consider ways of improving access. Thus, development of ultra-brief interventions would potentially reduce delivery cost and enhance dissemination to a larger population. Keywords: public speaking anxiety, social anxiety, interventions, experiential avoidance, fear of negative evaluation, acceptance.
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Donaldson, Christine M. "Communication apprehension vs. social phobia and related conditions a correlational study." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4755.
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Of all social situations, public speaking is the most prevalent fear in both the general population and among social phobic individuals (Mannuzza, Schneier, Chapman, & Liebowitz, 1995; Stein, Walker, & Forde, 1996). The fear of public speaking is referred to as communication apprehension (CA) by members of the communication field; in other programs of study, this condition has been categorized and conceptualized in a wide variety of ways ranging from stage fright to reticence. Several scholarly fields including communication, social psychology, the health sciences and the social sciences, seek to find an explanation and effective intervention for this prevalent condition. This study sought to examine relationships between several constructs, each associated with well-established and tested measurement instruments: The first construct, communication apprehension, was thought by communication scholars to be a generalized personality trait and was measured by the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24). The second communication instrument employed was the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (SPCC). Generalized social anxiety pertaining to public speaking was measured by the Self-Statements during Public Speaking (SSPS) scale developed within the field of social psychology. Finally, a popular tool within social psychology was utilized, the Brief Version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE). An analysis of data utilizing Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation illustrated that there was a moderate relationship between the constructs being tested through the SPSS and the BFNE and the PRCA-24 and the SPCC.ID: 030646227; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-57).
M.A.
Masters
Communication
Sciences
Communication; Interpersonal Communications Track
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Priestley, Joseph. "Acceptance and commitment therapy for public speaking anxiety : a case series study of effects on self-reported, implicit, imaginal, and in-vivo outcomes." Thesis, University of Lincoln, 2016. http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/24204/.
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Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a common problem, and in some cases can lead to significant social and occupational difficulties. While exposure therapy combined with cognitive restructuring is currently the most effective treatment available, approximately 25% of individuals fail to respond. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a third-wave behavioural approach predicated on supposed different mechanisms of change, may have additional benefits to more traditional interventions, and may be more acceptable to those individuals with PSA who find exposure based therapy too difficult. A multiple single-case design was used to examine the effects of a self-help ACT intervention for PSA on self-reported, implicit, imaginal, and in-vivo outcomes, across six replications. All participants reported a reduction in speech anxiety, with evidence of reliable change in three cases. The four participants who reported an increase in willingness to approach a feared public speaking scenario, also completed an in-vivo voluntary speech task. Triangulation of quantitative (daily and weekly measures) and qualitative data (change-interview) indicate that mindfulness (self-as-context and present-moment awareness) may be a key mechanism of change in ACT for individuals with PSA. The findings offer support for ACT delivered in a self-help format to treat speech anxiety, however, further research is needed to generalise these findings and examine the long term effects.
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Obasaju, Mayowa. "Can I Talk to You? Sociopolitical Factors and their Relation to Symptoms and Treatments of Social Anxiety in a Sample of African Americans with Social Anxiety." unrestricted, 2009. http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-06182009-101014/.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2009.Title from file title page. Page Anderson, committee chair; Julia Perilla, Roderick Watts, Leslie Jackson, committee members. Description based on contents viewed Sept. 14, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-83).
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Osorio, Flavia de Lima. "Transtorno de ansiedade social: validação de instrumentos de avaliação." Universidade de São Paulo, 2008. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17148/tde-02082010-095542/.
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O Transtorno de Ansiedade Social (TAS) é um distúrbio de início precoce, com prevalência e comorbidades significativas, favorecendo prejuízos importantes no funcionamento laboral, familiar, social e acadêmico, especialmente em pessoas jovens. Dada tais características, faz-se necessária a identificação precoce e o diagnóstico preciso do TAS, o que requer instrumentos validados. Objetivou-se a avaliação sistemática do TAS, por meio de um conjunto de instrumentos validados quanto às suas qualidades psicométricas de fidedignidade e validade, em uma população de adultos jovens brasileiros, estudantes universitários, sob a perspectiva da auto e hetero-avaliação. Para tal, realizou-se a validação transcultural dos instrumentos auto-avaliativos: Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) e Self Statements During Public Speaking Scale (SSPS versão traço e estado) e do instrumento hetero-avaliativo Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS), com aprovação prévia dos autores das versões originais. O delineamento metodológico envolveu três etapas. Na primeira, a amostra utilizada para avaliação dos instrumentos SPIN e SSPS foi composta por 2314 estudantes universitários da população geral. Na segunda etapa, para a validação dos instrumentos SPIN, SSPS e BSPS, utilizou-se de uma amostra de 178 estudantes universitários identificados como casos (N = 88) e não-casos (N = 90) de TAS, através da Entrevista Clínica Estruturada para o DSM-IV (SCID-IV). Na terceira etapa, 45 estudantes universitários também classificados como casos (N = 24) e não-casos (N = 21) de TAS compuseram a amostra para validação da SSPS-estado no contexto de um modelo experimental de falar em público. O SPIN apresentou boa consistência interna (=0,63- 0,90), validade concorrente com o Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck (BAI) (r = 0,10-0,63) e SSPS-traço (r = 0,22-0,65), validade discriminativa (sensibilidade = 0,84, especificidade = 0,87) e validade de construto. A análise fatorial indicou a presença de um número variável de fatores em função da amostra estudada. Destaca-se a versão reduzida deste instrumento, o Mini-SPIN, que também apresentou ótimos indicadores psicométricos (sensibilidade = 0,77, especificidade = 0,67). A SSPS-traço mostrou-se bastante adequada quanto à consistência interna ( = 0,64-0,94), validade concorrente com o BAI (r = 0,18-0,53) e SPIN (r = 0,22-0,65) e validade discriminativa entre casos e não-casos de TAS. A análise fatorial evidenciou a presença de dois fatores: auto-avaliação positiva e negativa. A BSPS aplicada com o suporte de um roteiro de perguntas-guia, apresentou excelentes confiabilidade inter-avaliadores (0,86-1,00) e validade discriminativa (sensibilidade = 0,84, especificidade = 0,83); adequadas consistência interna ( = 0,48-0,88), validade concorrente com o BAI (r = 0,21-0,62), SPIN (r = 0,24-0,82) e SSPS-traço (r = 0,23-0,31) e validade de construto. A análise fatorial apontou a presença de seis fatores que explicam 71,8% da variância dos dados. A SSPS-estado mostrou-se apropriada para avaliação dos aspectos cognitivos associados ao falar em público no contexto de um modelo experimental de simulação de falar em público, apresentando excelente validade discriminativa entre casos e não-casos de TAS, além de sensibilidade para discriminar os diferentes níveis de ansiedade nas fases do procedimento. Todos os instrumentos mostraram boas qualidades psicométricas, o que recomenda o uso na população de universitários brasileiros, podendo ser aplicados tanto em contextos experimentais como clínicos, favorecendo a detecção mais precisa do TAS, especialmente nos contextos de atenção primária à saúde.Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a condition of early onset and of significant prevalence and comorbidity, greatly impairing the functioning of young people in terms of job, family, social life and academic performance. In view of these characteristics, an early identification and precise diagnosis of SAD are necessary, requiring validated instruments. The objective of the present study was to perform a systematic evaluation of SAD by means of a set of instruments tested in a population of young Brazilian adults, college students, from the perspective of self- and hetero-evaluation. For this purpose, transcultural validation was performed of the self-evaluation instruments Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and Self Statements During Public Speaking Scale (SSPS trait and state version) and of the hetero-evaluation instrument Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS), after approval by the authors of the original versions. The methodological design involved three stages. In the first, the sample used for evaluation of the SPIN and SSPS instruments consisted of 2314 college students from the general population. In the second stage, a sample of 178 college students identified as cases (N = 88) and non-cases (N = 90) of SAD, confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) was used for the evaluation of the SPIN, SSPS and BSPS instruments. In the third stage, 45 college students, also classified as cases (N = 24) and non-cases (N = 21) of SAD, formed the sample for the evaluation of the SSPS-state within the context of an experimental public speaking model. SPIN presented good internal consistency ( = 0,63-0,90), validity in agreement with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) (r = 0,10-0,63) and SSPS-trait (r = 0,22-0,65), discriminative validity (sensitivity = 0,84, specificity = 0,87) and construct validity. Factorial analysis indicated the presence of a variable number of factors as a function of the sample studied. The reduced version of this instrument, the Mini-SPIN, is emphasized, also presenting excellent psychometric indicators (sensitivity = 0,77, specificity = 0,67). SSPS-trait proved to be quite adequate regarding internal consistency ( = 0,64-0,94), validity in agreement with the BAI (r = 0,18-0,53) and SPIN (r = 0,22-0,65), and discriminative validity between cases and non-cases of SAD. Factorial analysis demonstrated the presence of two factors, i.e., positive and negative self-evaluation. The BSPS applied with the support of a guidingquestion list, presented excellent inter-rater reliability (0,86-1,00) and discriminative validity (sensitivity = 0,84, specificity = 0,83), adequate internal consistency ( = 0,48- 0,88), validity in agreement with the BAI (r = 0,21-0,62), SPIN (r = 0,24-0,82) and SSPStrait (r = 0,23-0,31), and construct validity. Factorial analysis indicated the presence of six factors that explained 71,8% of the variance of the data. The SSPS-state proved to be appropriate for the evaluation of cognitive aspects associated with public speaking, presenting excellent discriminative validity between cases and non-cases of SAD, as well as sensitivity in the discrimination of the different levels of anxiety during the phases of the procedure. All instruments showed good psychometric qualities, a fact that recommends their use in the population of Brazilian college students, with the possibility of application both in the clinical and experimental context, favoring a more precise detection of SAD, especially within the context of primary health care.
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Barbosa, Herculano Roberto Ricordi. "Situações de ansiedade aumentam a frequência e a gravidade do espasmo hemifacial?" Universidade de São Paulo, 2018. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17161/tde-09012019-132943/.
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O espasmo hemifacial (EHF) é caracterizado por movimentos involuntários que acometem músculos inervados pelo nervo facial. O EHF primário é mais comum, e ocorre geralmente devido o contato entre o nervo facial e um vaso da fossa posterior do crânio. Os espasmos faciais causam embaraço social e podem comprometer funções da vida diária. Situações de ansiedade são descritas com frequência como fator de piora da gravidade dos espasmos faciais. Apesar disso, não há estudos que tenham avaliado de forma objetiva a influência da ansiedade aguda no EHF. Objetivos: Avaliar se há aumento na gravidade dos espasmos faciais, quando pacientes com EHF primário são submetidos a uma situação experimental que induz ansiedade. Casuística e Métodos: Foram avaliados 60 pacientes com EHF primário, de um serviço terciário de distúrbio de movimento. Inicialmente, foi realizada a caracterização clínica e epidemiológica, incluindo investigação da presença de sintomas psiquiátricos como ansiedade não específica e ansiedade social. Posteriormente, os pacientes foram submetidos a uma situação experimental que induz ansiedade de forma controlada, o teste de simulação ao falar em público (TSFP), com filmagem da face durante o procedimento, para avaliação dos espasmos faciais. Resultados: O TSFP foi um instrumento eficiente para indução de ansiedade na amostra de indivíduos com EHF primário. Os maiores níveis de ansiedade foram observados durante o desempenho do discurso. Os participantes relataram piora subjetiva dos espasmos faciais com o teste, e esse desconforto se manteve mesmo após o fim do discurso. A avaliação objetiva dos espasmos demonstrou aumento significativo na intensidade dos movimentos involuntários, sobretudo na primeira fase do discurso. Conclusões: Pacientes com EHF primário apresentam aumento na gravidade dos espasmos faciais em situações agudas de ansiedade. Ademais, esse comportamento ocorre independente das características psíquicas de base dos pacientes que apresentam a patologiaHemifacial Spasm (HFS) is an involuntary movement disorder that affects muscles innervated by the facial nerve. Primary HFS is more common and usually occurs due to the conflict between facial nerve and a vessel of the posterior fossa of the skull. Facial spasms cause social embarrassment and may compromise functions of daily living. HFS patients often describe an increase in facial spasms during anxiety situations. Nevertheless, previous studies have not assessed the influence of acute anxiety on HFS. Objectives: To evaluate if facial spasms worse when patients with primary HFS take part in an experimental situation that induces controlled anxiety. Casuistic and Methods: The research evaluated sixty patients with primary HFS from a tertiary movement disorder service. First, we performed a clinical and epidemiological description of patients, including the investigation of psychiatric symptoms such as nonspecific anxiety and social anxiety. After that, we submitted patients to an experimental situation that induces anxiety in a controlled way, the simulated public speaking test. We filmed the face of de patients during the procedure to evaluate facial spasms. Results: The simulated public speaking test efficiently induces anxiety in the sample individuals with primary HFS. There were higher levels of anxiety during the speech performance. Patients reported a subjective worsening of facial spasms during the test, and the symptoms remained severe even after the end of the speech. There was a significant increase in the degree of involuntary movements in objective evaluation of spasms, especially in the first phase of speech. Conclusions: Patients with primary HFS show worsening of facial spasms in acute anxiety situations. In addition, the increase in involuntary movements does not depend on psychic features of the subjects with HFS
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Chaves, Danielle Igreja. "Efeito da ocitocina sobre a ansiedade experimental induzida em voluntários saudáveis." Universidade de São Paulo, 2007. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/60/60134/tde-21052007-100039/.
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Introdução: A ocitocina (OT) é um nonapeptídeo sintetizado nos núcleos paraventricular e supraóptico do hipotálamo. Quando liberada perifericamente pela neurohipófise, a OT atua como um hormônio e promove a liberação do leite durante a lactação e a contração uterina no parto. No entanto, quando liberada centralmente, a OT age como um neurotransmissor ou neuromodulador de diversos processos, tal como na modulação da ansiedade e na regulação das respostas neuroendócrina e cardiovascular. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar os efeitos agudos da administração intranasal da OT na ansiedade em voluntários saudáveis submetidos ao Teste de Simulação de Falar em Público (TSFP), bem como seu papel na modulação das respostas neuroendócrina e hemodinâmica. Métodos: Ocitocina ou veículo foram administrados intranasalmente em voluntários saudáveis (n=14) 50 minutos antes do TSFP. Durante a sessão experimental foram realizadas as seguintes medidas: (1) basal (t = -30 min)), (2) pré-teste (t = -15 min), (3) preparação (t = +50 min), (4) desempenho (t = +1:03 h) , pós-teste 1 (t = 1:26 h) e pós-teste 2 (t = 1:46 h). Para a avaliação dos estados subjetivos de ansiedade foram utilizadas as seguintes escalas de auto-avaliação: 1.Escala Analógica de Humor; 2.Escala de Sintomas Corporais; 3. Versão de ?estado? da escala de auto-avaliação ao falar em público. Para a dosagem de cortisol sérico e ACTH plasmático foi utilizada a técnica de radioimunoensaio. Também foram realizadas as medidas de freqüência cardíaca, pressão arterial, condutância da pele e número de flutuações espontâneas da condutância da pele. Resultados: O grupo OT apresentou-se menos ansioso nas fases PT (p-valor = 0,03), com maior sedação nas fases PT (p-valor = 0,003), Pr (p-valor = 0,01) e S (p-valor = 0,02) e com nível de condutância da pele menor nas fases PT (p-valor = 0,02), Pr (p-valor = 0,02), S (p-valor = 0,03) e F2 (p-valor = 0,02). Nos outros parâmetros mensurados não foram encontradas diferenças intergrupos. Conclusão: O presente estudo sugere que a OT na dose de 24 UI possui ação na ansiedade antecipatória em voluntários saudáveis. Espera-se que este estudo contribua com o desenvolvimento de intervenções terapêuticas em transtornos de ansiedade e com o desenvolvimento de possíveis fármacos agonistas.Introduction: Oxytocin is a nonapeptide that is synthesized in the hypothalamus paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. When released peripherally by the neurohypophysis, it acts as a hormone that will promote milk ejection during lactation and uterine smooth muscle contraction during labor. However, when centrally released, OT acts as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator of several processes, such as anxiety modulation and regulation of cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses. The objective of this study was to assess the acute effect of OT, intranasally administered, on anxiety levels of healthy volunteers who submitted themselves to the Public Speaking Simulation Test as well as its role in the modulation of neuroendocrine and hemodynanic responses. Methods: Oxytocin, or vehicle, was intranasally administered to healthy volunteers (n= 14) fifty minutes before the Test. During the experimental session, the following assessments were performed: 1) Baseline (t = - 30 minutes); 2) Pre test (t = -15 minutes) ;3) Preparation ( t = + 50 minutes) ; 4) Performance ( t = + 1:03 hours) , and post test 1 ( t = 1:26 hours) and post test 2 ( t = 1:46 hours ). In order to evaluate anxiety subjective states, the following self-assessment scales were used: 1) Mood Analogical Scale, 2) Bodily Symptoms Scale, and 3) ?State? Self-Assessment Version of Public Speaking Scale. A radio immune assay was used for cortisol serum level and plasmatic ACTH measurements. Additionally, heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and number of spontaneous fluctuations of skin conductance were checked. Results: The OT group was less anxious during the PT (p value =0, 03), with a higher sedation during the PT (p value = 0,003), Pr (p value = 0, 01), and S phases (p value = 0, 02) and a lower level of skin conductance during the PT (p value = 0,02), Pr ( p value = 0,02), S (p value = 0,03), and F2 phases ( p value = 0,02). As for the other parameters evaluated, no differences were found between the groups. Conclusions: The present study suggests that an OT dose of 24 UI acts on the anticipation anxiety of healthy volunteers. This study is expected to contribute to the development of therapeutical interventions in anxiety disorders as well as possible agonist drugs.
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Braga, João Euclides Fernandes. "Ensaios farmacológicos clínicos com o extrato das raízes do Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer no controle da ansiedade." Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 2011. http://tede.biblioteca.ufpb.br:8080/handle/tede/6708.
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Previous issue date: 2011-10-21Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
Anxiety is an adaptive response of organism to situations that life presents, and driving performance with personal and psychological as well as physiological components. It is considered pathological when it causes suffering to the individual, bringing him damage in terms of injury avoidance behaviors and avoidance important situations in his academic, social and professional life. The pathological manifestations of anxiety are grouped as Anxiety Disorders. Several pharmacological classes are used to treat this group of disorders, especially benzodiazepines and antidepressants. However, the pattern of adverse reactions, the possibility of tolerance and dependence as well as abuse potential of benzodiazepines, added to slow response of antidepressant treatment, justify the search for new therapeutic possibilities. Preclinical studies have attested the anxiety-relieving activity of the roots extract of Panax ginseng C. A Meyer. Its ethnopharmacological use for anxiety is evident worldwide. The aim of this study was to test the therapeutic efficacy of the extract of the roots of P. ginseng in the acute treatment of experimentally induced anxiety in healthy volunteers and identify adverse effects caused by its use. The study population consisted of university students, aged between 18 and 30 years. We selected 60 healthy volunteers who met the study inclusion criteria. We developed a clinical double-blind, randomized, controlled, acute essay. The substances used were: P. ginseng (200 mg), diazepam (10 mg) and placebo. Anxiety was experimentally elicited through Simulation Test of Public Speaking, and evaluated through the use of physiological measures (blood pressure, heart pulse rate, ends temperature and skin electrical conductance) and psychometric scales (trait-state anxiety inventory and analog mood scale). The results were analyzed using several statistical, parametric and nonparametric methods. They showed that the extract of the roots of P. ginseng intensifies anxiety, especially during performance test and has a minor ability to reduce it in the final phase, with greater significance demonstrated through psychological measures. Although well tolerated, P. ginseng has not demonstrated effectiveness in controlling anxiety and subjective signs and symptoms associated with it.
A ansiedade é uma resposta adaptativa do organismo às situações que a vida apresenta, sendo propulsora do desempenho pessoal e com componentes psicológicos e fisiológicos. É considerada patológica quando provoca sofrimento ao indivíduo, trazendo-lhe prejuízo em função dos comportamentos de fuga e esquiva de situações importantes da vida acadêmica, social e profissional. As manifestações da ansiedade patológica são agrupadas nos transtornos de Ansiedade. Várias classes farmacológicas são utilizadas no tratamento deste grupo de transtorno, destacando-se os benzodiazepínicos e antidepressivos. Entretanto, o padrão de reações adversas, a possibilidade de dependência e tolerância e o potencial de abuso dos benzodiazepínicos, adicionado a lenta resposta terapêutica dos antidepressivos, justificam a busca de novas possibilidades terapêuticas. Estudos pré-clínicos atestaram a atividade ansiolítica do extrato das raízes do Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. Seu uso etnofarmacológico para ansiedade é evidenciado em todo mundo. O objetivo deste estudo foi testar a eficácia terapêutica do extrato das raízes do P. ginseng no tratamento agudo da ansiedade induzida de maneira experimental em voluntários saudáveis e identificar os efeitos adversos provocados pelo seu uso. A população do estudo foi constituída por estudantes universitários, com idade entre 18 e 30 anos. Foram selecionados 60 voluntários saudáveis, que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão do estudo. Foi desenvolvido um ensaio clínico duplo-cego, randômico, controlado e agudo. As substâncias utilizadas foram: P. ginseng (200 mg), Diazepam (10 mg) e Placebo. A ansiedade foi produzida de modo experimental, através do Teste de Simulação de Falar em Público e avaliada mediante o uso de medidas fisiológicas (pressão arterial, frequência cardíaca, temperatura de extremidades e condutância elétrica da pele) e escalas psicométricas (Inventário de ansiedade traço-estado e escala analógica do humor). Os resultados foram analisados utilizando vários métodos estatísticos paramétricos e não-paramétricos. Eles demonstraram que o extrato das raízes de P. ginseng intensifica a ansiedade, principalmente na fase de performance do Teste e apresenta menor capacidade de reduzi-lá na fase final, demonstrado com maior significância através das medidas psicológicas. Embora bem tolerado, P. ginseng não demonstrou eficácia no controle subjetivo da ansiedade e de alguns sinais e sintomas a ela associados.
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Owens, Maryann. "Does Virtual Reality Elicit Physiological Arousal in Social Anxiety Disorder." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2013. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/5832.
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The present study examined the ability of a Virtual Reality (VR) public speaking task to elicit physiological arousal in adults with SAD (n=25) and Controls (n=25). A behavioral assessment paradigm was employed to address three study objectives: (a) to determine whether the VR task can elicit significant increases in physiological response over baseline resting conditions (b) to determine if individuals with SAD have a greater increase from baseline levels of physiological and self-reported arousal during the in vivo speech task as opposed to the VR speech task and (c) to determine whether individuals with SAD experience greater changes in physiological and self-reported arousal during each speech task compared to controls. Results demonstrated that the VR task was able to elicit significant increases in heart rate, skin conductance, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, but did not elicit as much physiological or self-reported arousal as the in vivo speech task. In addition, no differences were found between groups. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.M.S.
Masters
Psychology
Sciences
Psychology Clinical
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Bergamaschi, Mateus Machado. "Subjecffve effects of cannabidiol in anxiety disorder and canabinoid excretion in chronic daily cannabis smokers during sustained abstinence." Universidade de São Paulo, 2012. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/60/60134/tde-11012013-102122/.
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This dissertation is divided into three parts. The first part aimed to investigate the cannabidiol anxiolytic effect in treatment-naïve individuals with social anxiety disorder through simulation of public speaking. Twenty-four never-treated social anxiety disorder subjects were allocated to receive 0 or 600 mg cannabidiol (CBD; n=12) in a double-blind randomized design. The same number of controls performed the simulation of a public speaking test without receiving any medication. Pretreatment with CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in speech performance and significantly decreased alertness in their anticipatory speech. The placebo group displayed higher anxiety, cognitive impairment, discomfort, and alertness when compared with controls as assessed with the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS). The SSPS-N scores showed significant increases during testing of the placebo group that was almost abolished in the cannabidiol group. No significant differences were observed between the cannabidiol and control groups in SSPS-N scores or in cognitive impairment, discomfort, and alertness factors of the VAMS. The second part evaluated healthy subjects\' x y during a public speaking test following a high rimonabant oral dose, to understand better the possible pharmacological approaches for anxiety disorder treatment. Twenty four participants were randomly allocated to receive 0 or 90 mg rimonabant (n=12) in a double-blind design. No significant adverse effects were reported in either group. Participants who received rimonabant showed increased anxiety levels compared to placebo during anticipatory speech and performance measurements. Rimonabant treatment did not affect sedation, cognitive impairment, discomfort, blood pressure, heart rate, self-statements during public speaking, or bodily symptoms scales. Increased anxiety may reflect lower endocannabinoid activity in CB1 receptors and CB1 p \' possible role in modulation of anxiety and anxiety disorders. The third part aimed to monitor cannabinoid blood concentrations during sustained abstinence from chronic daily cannabis smoking. Thirty male chronic daily cannabis smokers resided on a secure clinical research unit for up to 33 days, with blood collected once daily. ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH) whole blood concentrations were quantified by two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Twenty-seven of 30 participants were THC-positive on admission, with a median (range) concentration 1.4 ng/mL (0.3-6.3). THC decreased gradually with only 1 of 11 participants negative at 26 days; 2 of 5 participants remained THC-positive (0.3 ng/mL) for 30 days. 5.0% f p p h TH >=1 0 g/ L f 12 y M 11-OH-THC w 1 1 g/ L w h >=1 0 g/ L 24h THCCOOH detection rates were 96.7 on admission, decreasing slowly to 95.7 and 85.7% on days 8 and 22, respectively; four of 5 participants remained THCCOOH positive (0.6-2.7 ng/mL) after 30 days and one remained positive on discharge at 33 days. THC was quantified in some participants for 30 days, albeit in low concentrations, due to the large cannabinoid body burden from extended exposureEsta tese é dividida em três partes. A primeira parte consiste em investigar o efeito ansiolítico do canabidiol na ansiedade social através do teste de simulação de falar em público. Vinte e quatro sujeitos com ansiedade social, nunca tratados, receberam placebo ou canabidiol (CBD) 600 mg (n=12) em um estudo randomizado e duplo-cego. O mesmo número de indivíduos saudáveis realizaram o teste de simulação de falar em público sem receber medicação. A administração do CBD reduziu significativamente a ansiedade, sedação física e outros sentimentos e atitudes durante a fase de estresse, e diminui o nível de alerta na fase pré-estresse. O grupo placebo apresentou níveis elevado de ansiedade, sedação física, outros sentimentos e atitudes, e alerta comparado com o grupo controle. A pontuação do SSPS-N evidenciou aumento significativo durante o teste no grupo placebo, enquanto que o CBD reduziu estes níveis. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos CBD e controle na SSPS-N e nos fatores sedação física, outros sentimentos e atitudes e alerta, da Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS). A segunda parte do estudo avaliou a ansiedade em indivíduos saudáveis que receberam alta dose oral de rimonabanto e submetidos ao teste de simulação de falar em público, para melhor entendimento do possível mecanismo farmacológico para tratamento de transtornos de ansiedade. Vinte e quatro sujeitos saudáveis receberam placebo ou rimonabanto 90 mg (n=12) em um randomizado e duplo-cego. Não foi observado efeitos adversos significativo em ambos grupos. O grupo rimonabanto apresentou maiores níveis de ansiedade na fase pré-estresse e durante o estresse. Não houve diferença significativa quanto aos demais fatores avaliados entre os grupos. O aumento na ansiedade após administração do rimonabanto pode-se ao fato de haver diminuição no sistema endocanabinóide nos receptores CB1 e a possível modulação na ansiedade clínica e patológica. A terceira parte objetivou quantificar canabinóides no sangue total em usuários crônicos de cannabis durante abstinência supervisionada. Trinta usuários crônicos de cannabis, do sexo masculino, permaneceram no centro de pesquisa por até 33 dias, com coleta de sangue uma vez ao dia. ?9-tetrahidrocanabinol (THC), 11-hidróxi-THC (11-OH-THC) e 11-nor-9-carbóxi-THC (THCCOOH) foram quantificados no sangue por meio da cromatografia gasosa-espectrometria de massa bidimensional. Vinte e sete de 30 usuários foram positivos para THC no ingresso do estudo, com concentração mediana (variação) de 1.4 ng/mL (0.3-6.3). Níveis de THC diminuíram gradativamente com somente 1 de 11 participantes negativo no dia 26; 2 de 5 indivíduos permaneceram positivos para THC (0.3 g/ L p 30 5 0% j TH >=1 0 g/ L p 12 ç mediana de 11-OH-TH f 1 1 g/ L g >=1 0 g/ L pó 24h. A taxa de detecção de THCCOOH foi 96.7% no ingresso, diminuindo gradativamente para 95.7 e 85.7% nos dias 8 e 22, respectivamente; 4 de 5 sujeitos permaneceram positivo para THCCOOH (0.6-2.7 ng/mL) após 30 dias e um permaneceu positivo no 33º dia. Foi detectado THC em alguns indivíduos por 30 dias, porém em baixas concentrações, devido a extensa eliminação do canabinóide em decorrência da exposição crônica
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Angelico, Antonio Paulo. "Transtorno de ansiedade social e habilidades sociais: estudo psicométrico e empírico." Universidade de São Paulo, 2009. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17148/tde-02112009-151551/.
Full textAbstract:
O Transtorno de Ansiedade Social (TAS) tem sido considerado um grave problema de saúde mental pela sua alta prevalência em pessoas jovens e pelas incapacidades decorrentes no desempenho e interações sociais. É fundamental que se disponha de instrumentos validados e abrangentes que avaliem tanto os recursos e déficits comportamentais quanto os prejuízos sociais e funcionais destas pessoas. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, verificar as associações entre as manifestações comportamentais e clínicas do TAS por meio de dois estudos, um psicométrico e outro empírico, visando: (a) aferir as propriedades psicométricas do Inventário de Habilidades Sociais (IHS-Del-Prette), enquanto medida do repertório comportamental de habilidades sociais, em relação à avaliação das manifestações clínicas próprias do TAS, medidas pelo Inventário da Fobia Social (SPIN); e (b) comparar e caracterizar o repertório de habilidades sociais apresentado por universitários brasileiros portadores de TAS e não portadores frente a uma situação experimental estruturada, o Teste de Simulação de Falar em Público (TSFP). Do estudo psicométrico, participaram 1006 universitários, na faixa etária entre 17 e 35 anos, de ambos os gêneros, provindos de duas instituições de ensino superior. Posteriormente, 86 participantes foram randomicamente selecionados desta amostra inicial e agrupados como casos e não-casos de TAS a partir de avaliação clínica sistemática por meio da Entrevista Clínica Estruturada para o DSM-IV. Do delineamento empírico, participaram 26 universitários, sendo 13 com diagnóstico de TAS e 13 não portadores de transtornos psiquiátricos. Quanto aos resultados, o IHS apresentou boa consistência interna para o escore total, reforçando a sua validade de construto. Observou-se boa validade concorrente entre o IHS e o SPIN, com um coeficiente altamente significativo de correlação negativa entre eles, indicando que quanto mais elaborado for o repertório de habilidades sociais de um indivíduo, menor é a sua probabilidade de satisfazer os critérios de rastreamento de indicadores para o TAS. O IHS demonstrou distinguir significativamente indivíduos com e sem TAS, atestando sua validade discriminativa e preditiva para esse diagnóstico, evidenciando-se assim a sua validade clínica e a possibilidade do seu uso em estudos empíricos que testem a eficácia terapêutica de programas de intervenção. No TSFP, os grupos caso e não-caso de TAS não demonstraram diferenças significativas, em termos de freqüência, para a maioria dos marcadores comportamentais de ansiedade avaliados. Um número maior de sujeitos do grupo não-caso foi avaliado como apresentando um nível de habilidades sociais apropriadas para falar em público, que variou de moderado a alto, em comparação ao grupo caso. Ao longo do TSFP, a freqüência de emissão dos marcadores comportamentais de ansiedade pelos sujeitos de ambos os grupos manteve-se estável. Os grupos diferiram significativamente na maioria dos itens indicativos da habilidade de falar em público do IHS e quanto ao escore geral desta habilidade. A análise dos resultados do estudo empírico aponta para a necessidade de novos estudos com amostras clínicas de indivíduos com TAS dos subtipos generalizado e circunscrito, e não-clínica, com maior número de sujeitos, previamente avaliados quanto ao medo de falar em público, e também para a possibilidade de uso do TSFP em programas de Treinamento em Habilidades Sociais.Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) has been considered a serious mental health problem for its high prevalence in young people and for the resulting disabilities in the performance and social interactions. It stands out, thus, as being fundamental to have comprehensive and validated instruments which evaluate both the resources and the social and functional impairments of these people. In this work, we aimed at verifying the associations between the behavioral and clinical manifestations of SAD by means of two studies, a psychometric study and an empirical one, in order to: (a) check the psychometric properties of the Social Skills Inventory (HIS-Del-Prette), as a measure of the social skills behavioral repertoire in relation to the evaluation of the typical clinical manifestations of SAD, measured by the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN); (b) compare and characterize the social skills repertoire shown by Brazilian undergraduates with and without SAD in a structured experimental situation, the Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPST). A total of 1006 undergraduates of both genders participated in the psychometric study, with ages between 17 and 35, from two universities. Subsequently, 86 participants were randomly selected from this initial sample and grouped as SAD case and non-case from the systematic clinical evaluation. In the empirical outline, 26 undergraduates participated, 13 with a SAD diagnosis and 13 without the disorder. According to the results, IHS showed good internal consistency for the total score, reinforcing its construct validity. Good concurrent validity was demonstrated between IHS and SPIN, with a highly significant negative correlation coefficient between them, indicating that the more elaborate the social skills repertoire of an individual is, the smaller the probability that he or she will meet the screening criteria for the indicators of SAD. IHS proved to significantly distinguish individuals with and without SAD, attesting thus, discriminative and predictive validity for this diagnosis, showing its clinical validity for the diagnosis of this disorder and yet the possibility of using it in empirical studies testing the therapeutical efficacy in programs of intervention. In the SPST, the case and non-case groups of SAD did not show significant differences in terms of frequency for most of the social anxiety markers, except in relation to facial movements of discomfort, and the class of non-verbal markers, in which the non-case group presented higher values. A higher number of individuals from this group were evaluated as showing a level of appropriate social skills for speaking in public which varied from moderate to high, in comparison with the other group. Throughout SPST, the frequency of emission of anxiety behavioral markers by the participants of both groups was stable. The groups differed significantly in most items of IHS indicative of abilities to speak in public, as well as in the general score of this ability. The analysis of the results of the empirical study points to the necessity of new studies with clinical samples of individuals with SAD of the generalized and circumscribed subtypes and non-clinical, with a larger number of participants, previously evaluated as to the fear of speaking in public, and also to the possibility of using SPST in Social Skills Training.
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Cheek, Griffin. "The Impact of Social and Cognitive Variables on Communication Competence." Scholarly Commons, 2019. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3627.
Full textAbstract:
College students are increasingly engaged in watching online videos and using social media. Therefore, researchers should attempt to better understand how these variables as well as other social and cognitive variables, affect the communication competence of students. The researcher administered a questionnaire to 392 college students from a private medium-sized West Coast university using various modified scales examining student-to-student confirmation, social support through social media, online video viewing, self-esteem, personal reports of public speaking anxiety, and communication competence. Student-to-student confirmation and online video viewing were measured using new sets of scales developed by the researcher. The data from the surveys was analyzed to determine which independent variables have the greatest influence on communication competence. Student-to-student confirmation, social support through social media, online video viewing, and self-esteem all have a significant positive relationship with communication competence. The correlation analysis also found a significant negative correlation between personal reports of public speaking anxiety and communication competence. A regression analysis showed that the combination of social support through social media, online video viewing, self-esteem, and personal reports of public speaking anxiety demonstrated predictive power regarding communication competence. These results suggest that there are important relationships between both social and cognitive variables and communication competence.
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Rezende, Marcos Gonçalves de. "Efeito do sumatriptano no teste da simulação de falar em público." Universidade de São Paulo, 2012. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17148/tde-15022012-113246/.
Full textAbstract:
O Teste da Simulação de Falar em Público (SFP) é um teste sensível a drogas que interferem com a neurotransmissão mediada por serotonina (5-HT), e algumas evidências sugerem que ele possa recrutar os mesmos sistemas neuronais envolvidos na fisiopatogenia do Transtorno do Pânico (TP). Diferentes fármacos que, direta ou indiretamente, modulam receptores serotoninérgicos, já foram testados em voluntários saudáveis submetidos ao SFP, mas nenhum estudo, até o momento, utilizou drogas que permitissem avaliar o papel de receptores do tipo 5-HT1D na ansiedade. O sumatriptano, um agonista específico de receptores 5-HT1D, parece ser um bom candidato como sonda farmacológica, tendo em vista sua ampla utilização na prática clínica para o tratamento de enxaqueca, com segurança e boa tolerabilidade. A hipótese testada neste estudo foi a de que, devido à ativação de receptores pré-sinápticos 5-HT1D e conseqüente redução na liberação de 5-HT, o sumatriptano aumentaria o medo provocado pelo SFP. Para tanto, foi conduzido um estudo duplo cego, randomizado, utilizando 36 voluntários saudáveis do sexo masculino, distribuídos em três grupos de tratamento: placebo (n = 12), 50mg (n = 12) ou 100mg (n = 12) de sumatriptano, administrado duas horas antes do SFP. Antes, durante, e após o SFP, medidas subjetivas de ansiedade foram registradas através da Escala Analógica Visual do Humor (VAMS) e da Escala dos Sintomas Somáticos (ESS). Também foram tomadas medidas fisiológicas de ansiedade (pressão arterial, freqüência cardíaca, dosagem hormonal e eletrocondutância da pele). Os resultados foram submetidos à análise multivariada de variância, sendo a medida basal utilizada como covariada (MANCOVA). O grupo tratado com 100mg de sumatriptano apresentou aumento mais pronunciado da ansiedade subjetiva do que os grupos tratados com 50mg de sumatriptano e com placebo durante as fases de preparação e de desempenho. O grupo tratado com 100 mg de sumatriptano também mostrou-se mais alerta na fase de preparação e desempenho do que o grupo placebo. Não foram observados efeitos significativos do tratamento sobre as medidas de pressão arterial, freqüência cardíaca e eletrocondutância da pele. O sumatriptano provocou redução dos níveis de prolactina, independentemente da fase da sessão experimental, mas não interferiu nos níveis de cortisol plasmático. Por outro lado, observou-se um amento dos níveis de cortisol plasmático imediatamente após o SPF, em comparação com os níveis pré-teste, independente do grupo de tratamento. A redução da disponibilidade de 5-HT levou a um aumento do medo provocado pelo SFP, o que está de acordo com a proposição de que a diminuição de 5-HT na matéria cinzenta periaquedutal dorsal (MCPD) aumenta o medo incondicionado. Devido a esse efeito ansiogênico do uso agudo do sumatriptano também poder ocorrer na prática clínica, em pacientes com migrânea, deve-se atentar para a possibilidade da manifestação de sintomas semelhantes aos de ataque de pânico em pacientes ansiosos. A diminuição da função 5-HT também provocou redução dos níveis plasmáticos de prolactina, provavelmente pela facilitação da transmissão dopaminérgica. Por sua vez, embora discreto, o aumento dos níveis plasmáticos do cortisol sugerem uma atuação do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-adrenal (HHA) pelo SFP. A interpretação da resposta do cortisol ao estresse psicológico é complexa e depende de vários fatores, como tema do discurso, tipo de avaliação social, falta de controle da situação, tamanho amostral e estratégias de regulação emocional do voluntário. Mais estudos são necessários para elucidar o papel dos receptores 5-HT1D na ansiedade e para compreender a resposta do cortisol ao estresse psicológico.The Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPS) is an experimental model sensitive to drugs that interfere with the neurotransmission mediated by serotonin (5-HT). It has been proposed that the SPS recruits the same neural systems involved in the pathophysiology of panic disorder (PD). Different drugs that directly or indirectly modulate serotonin receptors, have been tested in healthy volunteers submitted to the SFP, but no study have been carried out so far for assessing the role of 5-HT1D receptors in anxiety. Sumatriptan, a specific agonist of 5-HT1D receptors, seems to be a good candidate as a probe drug, given its wide use in clinical practice for the treatment of migraine, with good safety and tolerability. The hypothesis tested in this study was that, due to the activation of presynaptic 5-HT1D receptors and consequent reduction in the release of 5-HT, sumatriptan would increase the fear caused by the SPS. To that end, we conducted a double-blind, randomized study using 36 healthy male volunteers who were divided into three treatment groups: placebo (n = 12), 50mg (n = 12) or 100mg (n = 12) of sumatriptan, administered two hours before the SFP. Before, during, and after the SPS, subjective measures of anxiety were recorded by Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS) and the Bodily Symptom Scale (BSS). Physiological measures were also taken for anxiety (blood pressure, heart rate, hormone dosage and skin conductance). The results were submitted to multivariate analysis of variance (MANCOVA) with the baseline measures as covariate. The group treated with 100 mg of sumatriptan was more anxious than, respectively, 50mg and placebo groups during the test, and also proved to be more alert in preparation and performance than the placebo group. There were no significant effects of treatment on measures of blood pressure, heart rate and skin eletrocondutance. Sumatriptan caused a reduction of prolactin levels, independently of the experimental phase of the session, but did not interfere with plasma cortisol levels. On the other hand, there was an increased of plasma cortisol levels immediately after the SPF, compared with the pre-test, independently of treatment group. The reduced availability of 5-HT led to an increase of fear caused by the SFP, which is consistent with the proposition that a reduction of 5-HT in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (MCPD) increases unconditioned fear. Because of this anxiogenic effect of acute use of sumatriptan also can occur in clinical practice in patients with migraine should be alert to the possibility of manifestation of symptoms similar to panic attacks in patients anxious. The decreased function of 5-HT also caused a reduction in plasma levels of prolactin, probably by facilitating dopamine transmission. In turn, although slight, the increase in plasma cortisol levels suggest a role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) for the SFP.The interpretation of the cortisol response to psychological stress is complex and depends on several factors, such as theme of the discourse, type of social assessment, lack of control of the situation, sample size, emotional regulation strategies of the volunteer. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of 5-HT1D receptors in anxiety and to understand the cortisol response to psychological stress.
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Faustino, Alessandra Fernandes. "\"Alterações na imunidade inespecifica subsequentes à indução de estresse agudo em indivíduos com fobia social e pessoas sem patologias psiquiátricas\"." Universidade de São Paulo, 2005. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/42/42136/tde-30012007-210006/.
Full textAbstract:
As interações entre o sistema nervoso central e os sistemas imune e endócrino são o objeto de estudo da psiconeuroimunologia. Protocolos de indução de estresse têm sido amplamente utilizados como métodos confiáveis de investigação da relação entre transtornos psiquiátricos, aspectos psicológicos, traços de personalidade, ansiedade e a resposta imune. O procedimento de simulação de falar em público (SFP) é um protocolo experimental validado que reconhecidamente é capaz de ativar o eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-adrenal (HPA) e produzir respostas de estresse em sujeitos humanos. Esse método foi utilizado para: 1) Comparar a reatividade imunológica de indivíduos com diagnóstico de fobia social com a de indivíduos sem qualquer diagnóstico psiquiátrico; 2) Investigar se ocorrem alterações imunes subseqüentes à exposição a um estressor agudo induzido em laboratório e 3) identificar e correlacionar parâmetros imunológicos com traços de personalidade, humor, níveis de ansiedade e medidas fisiológicas. Os traços de personalidade foram investigados por meio dos seguintes instrumentos: Inventário de Temperamento e Caráter (TCI), Escala de Afeto Positivo e Negativo (PANAS), Inventário de Ansiedade Traço (IDATE-T), Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI), Inventário de Estratégias de ?Coping? de Folkman e Lazarus e Adaptação da Escala de Percepção de Estresse (PSS). Os sintomas de ansiedade foram avaliados por meio da Escala Analógica Visual de Humor (VAMS), da Escala de Sintomas Somáticos (ESS) e do IDATE-Estado. As variáveis psicofisiológicas avaliadas foram pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), diastólica (PAD), batimentos cardíacos (BPM), resposta galvânica da pele (GSR) e temperatura. Os níveis plasmáticos de catecolaminas (adrenalina, noradrenalina e dopamina) e hormônios do eixo HPA (cortisol e ACTH) também foram dosados. Realizou-se a contagem de células imunes polimorfonucleares e mononucleares no sangue periférico e mediu-se a atividade citotóxica de células NK e neutrófilos. Dosou-se proteínas de fase aguda e imunoglobulinas (A, D, G, M e E) a produção de citocinas no sangue por ELISA e RT-PCR. Os dados foram submetidos a análises de variância para dados com medidas repetidas testando efeitos de grupo, sexo, momento experimental e interações. As correlações entre as variáveis foram testadas por regressões múltiplas e coeficientes de correlação de Pearson. Os resultados apontam que o SFP foi eficiente para induzir estresse e produzir alterações detectáveis em diversos dos parâmetros investigados. As diferenças entre fóbicos sociais e controles são significativas para traços de personalidade e atuam ao longo do tempo para as medidas psicofisiológicas. Alterações imunes e hormonais estiveram mais frequentemente associadas ao gênero do que ao grupo experimental, e afetaram mais homens. Além disso, as alterações imunes foram de pequena magnitude afetando componentes inespecíficos da resposta imune. Conjuntamente, os resultados apontam uma relativa ativação do eixo HPA em fóbicos mas que não corresponde a alterações imunes de mesma magnitude. Mais estudos com uma amostra maior e a investigação de outros parâmetros são necessários para compreender melhor como a fobia social afeta o sistema imune de homens e mulheres e investigar se as alterações podem aumentar a susceptibilidade a doenças nesse grupo de sujeitos. Uma vez que essa interação seja melhor compreendida poderá subsidiar estratégias mais adequadas para abordar e elaborar estratégias de prevenção e intervenção capazes de promover comportamentos saudáveis.Interactions among the nervous, immune and endocrine systems are the object of study of Psychoneuroimmunology. Stress protocols have been broadly used as reliable means to investigate the relationship among psychiatric disorders, psychological aspects, personality traits, anxiety and immune response has been studied using these interactions. The Simulated Public Speaking (SPS) is a validated experimental procedure known to activate the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and produce stress responses in human subjects. This method was used to: 1) compare the immune reactions of individuals with a diagnosis of social phobia to that of individuals without any psychiatric diagnosis; 2) investigate if immune alterations occur subsequent to the exposure to an acute laboratory induced stressor; 3) identify and correlate immune parameters with personality traits, mood, anxiety levels and physiologic measures. Personality traits were investigated with Cloninger?s Temperament and Character?s Inventory (TCI), Positive and Negative Affects Scale (PANAS), State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI?T), Beck?s Depression Inventory (BDI), Lazarus?s Coping Strategies Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Anxiety symptoms were investigated along the procedure with the Bodily Symptoms Scale (ESS), STAI-E and the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS). Psychophysiologic variables assessed were Systolic (PAS) and Diastolic (PAD) Blood Pressure, Heart Rate (BPM), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and temperature. Plasmatic circulating levels of cathecolamines (Adrenaline, Noradrenaline and Dopamine) and HPA axis hormones (Cortisol, ACTH) were assessed. Peripheral blood cell population counts were obtained for polymorphonuclear (PMN) and mononuclear cells. Cytotoxic activity of neutrophils and NK cells was assessed, as well as cytokine production by ELISA and RT-PCR. Acute phase proteins and immunoglobulins (A, D, G, M, and E) were dosed on peripheral blood. Data was submitted to variance analysis for data with repeated measures testing effects of group, sex, experimental moment and interactions on variables. Correlations among variables were tested by multiple regressions and Pearson?s correlation deltas. The results show SPS was efficient in inducing stress and produce detectable alterations in several of the parameters investigated. Differences between social phobics and controls are significant for personality traits and, along time for psychophysiologic measures. Hormonal and immune alterations were more often associated to gender rather than to the group subjects belonged to, with men being more susceptible to the procedure. Also, immune changes were of small magnitude, usually affecting inespecific components of the response. Together, the results point to a relatively higher activation of the HPA-axis in social phobics, but one that does not correspond to immune responses of the same magnitude. Further studies with a larger sample and investigation of other parameters are necessary to better understand how social phobia affects the immune system of men and women and to investigate if the alterations can increase susceptibility to diseases in this group of individuals. Once this interaction is better understood it may provide the basis for an improved design to approach and elaborate prevention/intervention strategies and promote healthy behaviours.
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Liu, Tzu-Hsin, and 劉子歆. "A Study of EFL Students’ Public Speaking Anxiety in Taiwan." Thesis, 2016. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/41226930036591206489.
Full textAbstract:
碩士靜宜大學
英國語文學系
104
The aims of the thesis are as follows. First, it investigates the levels of public speaking anxiety of Taiwanese college students who are majoring in English. Second, it studies the relationship between students’ public speaking anxiety and their oral proficiency levels and gender differences. Third, it explores the reasons of public speaking anxiety and the ways to deal with it. The participants were two groups of students who study in a university in central Taiwan. They were freshmen and juniors who were majoring in English in an environment of English as a foreign language (EFL). The students’ grades of their English proficiency tests were drawn as the reference of their oral proficiency levels. The participants were given a questionnaire of public speaking anxiety developed by McCroskey (1970, 1992), a survey of their background information of their English proficiency tests, and later-on interviews according to the results of the questionnaire. These are the results. First, the means of the two groups of participants’ public speaking anxiety levels are moderate. Second, their oral proficiency levels and public speaking anxiety levels did not show a significant correlation. Third, there is a correlation between genders and public speaking anxiety levels. Fourth, there are variety of reasons for public speaking anxiety and the ways to deal with the public speaking anxiety. There are some implications provided based on the results of the study for the teachers of English public speaking. Furthermore, there is a limitation due to not enough males as the participants. Therefore, future researchers could recruit more males as the participants in order to know more about their thoughts toward public speaking anxiety.
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Smits, Jasper Antonius Telch Michael Joseph. "Facilitating public speaking fear reduction by increasing the salience of disconfirmatory evidence." 2004. http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/2211/smitsja042.pdf.
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Smits, Jasper Antonius. "Facilitating public speaking fear reduction by increasing the salience of disconfirmatory evidence." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/2211.
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Aiken, Roseanne. "Perfectionism and public speaking anxiety : social self-efficacy and proactive coping as mediators /." 2008. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38740.
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Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Higher Education.Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-126). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38740
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Pelletier, Marie-Helene. "Cognitive-behavioral therapy efficacy via videoconferencing for social (public speaking) anxiety disorder : a single case design." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/13503.
Full textAbstract:
Social (public speaking) anxiety disorder is the most prevalent of all anxiety
disorders, and it often impairs social and occupational functioning. Intervention studies
indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious treatment for social
anxiety. However, access to therapists skilled in CBT for social anxiety is often difficult.
In order to respond to the problem of access, the use of videoconferencing for mental
health care has developed. No published study has investigated the efficacy of CBT for
social anxiety when provided via videoconferencing.
The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the efficacy of CBT for
social anxiety when provided via videoconferencing. A single-case replication design
was employed that included a baseline period of 3 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of .
treatment, 1-week post-intervention period, and 3-month follow-up. Five participants
completed treatment. It was hypothesized that participants would reduce their social
anxiety symptoms (i.e., decrease anxiety during speech task, increase duration of speech
task, and decrease public speaking anxiety) assessed on standardized measures of social
anxiety. Exploratory analyses of changes in self-monitored social anxiety, negative
cognitions (public self-consciousness, fear of negative evaluation, internal attributions),
working alliance, client satisfaction with treatment, and client comfort with
videoconferencing were also performed. Analyses included visual and statistical
significance, as well as clinical significance (i.e., endstate functioning, social phobia
diagnostic status).
The results indicated that two of three hypotheses were supported (i.e., anxiety
during speech task reduced and duration of speech task increased over time). At 3-month
follow-up, treatment gains were maintained or improved further; 3 participants no longer
met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for social anxiety disorder, and 4 participants met criteria
for moderate or high level of endstate functioning (i.e., clinical significance). Exploratory
analyses revealed that self-monitored social anxiety decreased for 3 of 5 participants, and
that a decrease in negative cognitions was associated with a decrease in social anxiety.
Working alliance ratings remained high throughout treatment. Satisfaction with
videoconferencing decreased over treatment for the participant who did not improve.
Generally, comfort with videoconferencing increased over time. The results offer
preliminary support for further research about the efficacy of the intervention.
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Lin, Yan-zhen, and 林嬿甄. "Public Speaking State Anxiety as a Function of Anticipatory Trait Anxiety and Gender Difference — A Case Study in a Junior High School in Taiwan." Thesis, 2011. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/95057670445153831544.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣師範大學
英語學系在職進修碩士班
99
This study examined the functions of different levels of trait anxiety and gender difference on the distributions of the state anxiety during different stages of a public speech in a foreign language environment. The subjects were the 66 participants who joined in a public speech contest in a junior high school in the northern Taiwan. Before the contest, they filled out the A-Trait scale adapted from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and then immediately after the contest, they completed the A-State scale adapted from the STAI. The fluctuations of the state anxiety were observed during three different stages of the public speech: (1) the anticipation stage (one minute before the speech), (2) the confrontation stage (the first minute of the speech), and (3) the release stage (one minute after the speech). The following are the summary of the results. First, both high- and low-trait anxious groups showed the sensitization pattern. That is, their anxiety was relatively lower at the anticipation stage, climaxed at the confrontation stage, and then descended at the release stage. Second, both the two gender groups revealed the same sensitization pattern. Furthermore, females were found to have higher levels of state anxiety at all stages than males even though there was no significance between gender difference. Third, the overall means of all the participants' state anxiety narrow-banded for the three stages also exhibited the sensitization pattern. The findings suggest that the preparation process before the English speech contest may help the students lower their anxiety. On the other hand, the English speech contest in this study seems to be a strong stimulus for the speakers. Future researchers are recommended to conduct more studies on the effects of different pedagogical strategies in a foreign language environment to facilitate students’ anxiety reduction.
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Perez, Magdalena 1977. "The efficacy of video feedback on self-evaluation of performance and treatment of bilingual participants : a linguistically and culturally sensitive intervention for public speaking anxiet." 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/12990.
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Mentoor, Zelda Michel. "An analysis of the relationship between communication skills, communication apprehension and academic achievement of secondary phase learners / Zelda Michel Mentoor." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/16266.
Full textAbstract:
This study indicates that communication skills and communication apprehension of English First
Additional Language (EFAL) learners are important aspects in teaching and learning, as well as for
academic performance. A learner‘s major hurdle to overcome in communication in a second
language classroom is a fear of failure. Communication skills and communication apprehension are
challenges teachers have to face in language classrooms. Communication barriers that may lead to
fear, distress and poor performance should be identified at an early stage. Therefore, it is critical for
teachers to know about the communication process, communication skills, and communication
apprehension to design positive solutions and teaching strategies to assist learners to overcome fear
of communication, especially in the area of second and additional languages. A sample of 779 male
and female learners in the secondary phase in Kannaland District, Western Cape participated in the
study. For this non-experimental quantitative study, data were gathered using two questionnaires,
Communication Skills Scale, and the Personal Report Communication Apprehension questionnaire.
To explore the relationship between communication skills, communication apprehension and
academic achievement, the first and second term EFAL marks of grades 7-9 learners were used. The
data were presented as descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlations and
comparisons. Results distinguished no differences between males, females, or grades. Findings
were discussed with regard to communication skills and the academic achievement, as well as
communication apprehension and academic achievement of the learners. Results indicate that there
is no significant relationship between communication skills and academic achievement.
Nevertheless, distinct relationships between communication skills and communication apprehension
(group work, meetings and public speaking) were established and discussed. Communication
apprehension (group work, conversations and in the classroom) and academic achievement
presented clear relationships that were reported in detail. The factors identified may have a negative
impact on learners‘ academic achievement in EFAL. Insight generated by the research in Kannaland
District, Western Cape will help to develop an understanding of the situations that affect the degree of
communication apprehension of secondary phase EFAL learners. It will allow for a better
understanding of the influence of communication skills and could assist teachers to understand EFAL
learners‘ fear, distress or ability to communicate.MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015