Communication Apprehension: Intervention Techniques

Communication apprehension (CA) intervention techniques are systematic, empirically grounded methods employed in a variety of settings to reduce communication-related anxiety, most commonly in public speaking contexts, where many speakers experience → stage fright. Communication scholars have developed, adapted, and tested a variety of effective methods to treat → speech anxiety due to its pervasive nature and deleterious effects. Although most contemporary CA theories view → communication apprehension as being a multidimensional construct comprised of interrelated cognitive, affective/physiological, and behavioral components, different interventions emphasize one component over the others. That is, some theorists viewed speech anxiety as stemming primarily from thoughts, internal dialogue, and/or images associated with public speaking (e.g., Ellis 2001). Others emphasized the physiological consequences of autonomic nervous system activation. And still others underscored the lack of public speaking skills as the primary reason people experience speech anxiety (e.g., Kelly 1997). Thus, treatments are typically categorized as cognitive, affective, or behavioral in nature, and instructors and counselors employ either one or a combination of the treatments outlined below.