Communication apprehension: causes, effects, and management strategies

Communication Apprehension

Some people are very apprehensive when it comes to communication, and others are much more open and talkative. Those who have apprehension where their communication is concerned tend to be shy and withdrawn, and they often focus on quiet time at home instead of being out and about with friends or in large groups (DeFleur, Kearney, Plax, & DeFleur, 2005). According to DeFleur, Kearney, Plax, & DeFleur (2005), communication apprehension is the "fear experienced in anticipation of or during communication encounters." (pg.276). In other words, many people would call this "stage fright." It may seem silly to those who do not have to deal with it, but for those who are actually truly apprehensive when it comes to communication it can seem very real and highly significant. It can also hurt these people when they attempt social interactions and when they go after jobs for which there is competition with individuals who are not apprehensive about communication (DeFleur, Kearney, Plax, & DeFleur, 2005). Sometimes, the apprehension is something that lessens with time and experience, and it can also be situational in nature.

One individual who focused on communication apprehension in the past was McCroskey (1982). According to his work, and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA) that he created, there was a range of scale, an interpretation of sub-scores, and an overall score that all has to be considered in making a proper determination. In order to understand the issue of communication apprehension clearly, it is necessary to take the test offered by McCroskey (1982) and discuss the results. That way, a person who may be uncertain as to whether he or she is apprehensive about communication can take the test and find enough information to understand his or her thinking and feelings regarding the issue. That can help a person to learn better communication skills and ways he or she can conquer anxiety and other problems related to communication apprehension.

The information from my test did not surprise me. The scores were 15 on group communication, 15 on interpersonal communication, 18 on meeting communication, and 15 on public speaking, for a total of 93. Since I really try to avoid public speaking and talking in groups, I expected to see these kinds of numbers. Actually, I was a bit surprised that these were not higher, because there have been so many times where I have been fearful. These problems are most obvious during public speaking, where I have stammered, blushed, panicked, dropped note cards, and actually had to leave the room once. Naturally, this is not a healthy way to handle things and I realize that work needs to be done in order to help me be more successful at public speaking instead of being so afraid of the issue. Many people speak in public and survive without a problem, so there is no reason that I cannot use information found in the writings of DeFleur, Kearney, Plax, & DeFleur (2005) in order to make my life more comfortable and learn to speak bravely in public.