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Communication apprehension is far more than the first stage fright frequently found in speech classrooms, school assemblies, and drama productions. It is a pattern of anxiety, established often in the elementary grades, which can profoundly affect much or all of a students oral communication, social skills, and self-esteem. Preventing or alleviating communication apprehension for every student is a monumental if not impossible task. This paper examines some causes and consequences of communication apprehension and ways in which it can be diminished.Nearly everybody loves attention. When we were little we liked it when our parents paid attention to us. If a friend asks for our advice on a pressing personal decision and listens carefully to our ideas, we feel good or important. Strangely enough somehow the lines get blurred as some become afraid when they must communicateJames McCrosky first defined communication apprehension as an "individuals level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons" (Trenholm and Jensen, 000). This is an ever-pressing issue that deserves the attentions of teachers and researchers the like. In the United States alone, 0 percent of the population is suffering from a high level of communication apprehensiveness (Trenholm and Jensen, 000).
Communication Apprehension comes in many forms. For some, it is associated with interacting with others in interpersonal and small group settings. Most that suffer are more likely to experience communication apprehension while speaking in public.When exactly does communication apprehension begin and when can you notice signs? There are two sides of this argument, the biological or environmental perspectives. Professionals argue the physiological response associated with the anxiety feeling is attributed to the environment. On the other token we may be predisposed to communication apprehension, the nature side believes it is as innate as eye color. I believe there is a medium where the nature and nurture sides meet; we are predisposed to the high or low anxiety and our environment embraces or rejects these tendencies. Trenholm and Jensen argue communication apprehension is caused by the bodies' reaction to the environment rather than an innate problem. When an individual is in a situation where they must communicate in a new context they experience apprehension. We become aroused; palms sweaty, and we feel a burst of energy with an increase in our heart rate. The problem is we misinterpret the reaction as fear placing it with a negative emphasis. It makes sense that when placed in a similar situation, the person would go through the exact labeling process increasing their apprehension instead of reducing it (000). A contrasting approach to dealing with communication apprehension that had received little attention is the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator perspective. Those who believe in this theory view the severe speech anxiety is not a problem to overcome, yet a preference to not communicate. This indicates why some avoid communication and why these choices should be accepted rather than looked down upon. This gives new light given personality type preferences are innate and biological leading a connection perhaps communication is biologically based. A study was tested on the types of preferences across the four contexts of communication; public, group, dyadic and meeting. Major preferences deal with how we view our inner and outer world, introversion and extroversion. Extroverts get their strength from people and the outside world, they prefer to communicate and seek opportunities to do so. Introverts adversely introverts are more likely to be apprehensive as they draw from themselves, they have completely parallel focuses. (Opt & Loffredo, 000) it made sense that during the study finding shown introverts scored significantly high in their levels of communication apprehension across all four contexts. The relationship between how we perceive information is divided into two categories, sensing and intuition. Sensors could be prone to high levels of anxiety because they could be focused on the immediate experience of communicating and relying on their surroundings (Opt &Lofferedo 000). Sensors predictably scored high for communication apprehension. The last preference examined is how we process information we take in. thinkers have the ability to detach themselves emotionally from situations, leaving them less likely to be affected by anxiety. Feelers are highly apprehensive in communication situations because they may feel as if they could threaten their relationship with the person (Opt &Lofferedo 000). Feelers only showed high anxiety versus thinkers in the public speaking context. Opt and Lofferedo believes this could be explained by the less interpersonal nature of the public setting that produces anxiety. The tendency and need to avoid communication is only a problem through the eyes of an extrovert or intuitor's eyes. It is normal for the introvert to hold back, interacting as an extrovert only drains their energy. Our society places value on traits extroverts exemplifies. Communication apprehensions happens once introverts are forced to act as extroverts. Introverts use communication apprehension as a way to protect themselves against evaluation from others (Opt &Lofferedo 000). Comparable conclusions can be made for sensors; communication interactions place a threat onto their grounded world creating ambiguity. Apprehension again will arise when communicating puts them in a speculative situation going in contradiction of their instinctive preferences. Our culture stresses progress and intuitiveness characteristics more capable of the intuitor (Opt &Lofferedo 000).Nearly everybody loves attention. When we were little we liked it when our parents paid attention to us. If a friend asks for our advice on a pressing personal decision and listens carefully to our ideas, we feel good or important. Strangely enough somehow the lines get blurred as some become afraid when they must communicateThis severe anxiety towards communicating affects all aspects of the individuals' life, not only their interactions. Depending on the level of anxiety about communicating, CA can impact a person's entire life, from success in educational programs, careers, social groups to family life and friendships. So, it is an important problem to address. Watson and Bossley (15) state that 0 percent of people face some type of communication anxiety. We also know that many highly apprehensive students choose to drop out of school rather then face the fear of communication (Ericson & Gardner, 1). This intense fear also leads to students selecting college majors where they foresee less time communicating with less threatening audiences (Ericson & Gardner, 1). This apprehension has also been proven to hurt apprehensive students academically. Besides dropouts mentioned earlier Bourhis and Allen (1) did a meta-analysis of manuscripts that revealed a relationship between CA and measures of cognitive performance such as IQ, GPA, course and assignment grades, and standardized tests.Effective communication skill may not have developed because childrens parents seldom converse with them or they have not had much opportunity to interact with peers (Brophy, 16). This circumstance may explain some of the shyness seen in kindergarten and first grade or children starting school for the first time or changing schools may exhibit school phobia (Brophy, 16).Social anxiety can also develop as an ongoing reaction to repeated failure, mistreatment, or rejection from adults or peers (Brophy, 16). Some students adjust well and show good peer group adjustment and ability to interact socially with the teacher, but they might display CA when they are asked to answer academic questions, perform in public, or engage in an activity that they know will be evaluated (Brophy, 16).One last factor I will discuss which relates to CA is embarrassment. The reason most people get anxious when required to speak to a group is that they are afraid of looking foolish or stupid in front of many of their peers and important people (Kurtis, 000). Kurtus says the fear of their mind going blank or their lack of speaking skills will lower the opinion others have of them. This could ultimately lead to embarrassment. The underlying fear with shy people that makes them avoid communication is the fear of being negatively evaluated by others or humiliated. (Business Week, 1) So, someone who holds negative views of themselves and assumes others will too has set themselves up, unconsciously for social anxiety.It should be noted that while the effects of CA for the individual generally tends to be negative CA is not always detrimental. Low levels of fear can energize us to try harder and learn more. However, as CA is heightened, feelings of discomfort tend to increase and the willingness to communicate declines (McCroskey & Richmond, 10).As the behavioral response of CA is to avoid andor discourage interaction with others it is not surprising that CA has been linked to feelings of loneliness, isolation, low self esteem and the ability to discuss personal problems (Scott & Rockwell, 17). High communication apprehensive individuals have difficulty in forming and maintaining close relationships and when they are formed will try to 'hang on to the relationship for dear life'However, CA may still play a part when different cultural groups come together. When individuals find themselves in situations where their culture or sub?culture is in the minority they are said to be 'culturally divergent' (McCroskey & Richmond, 10). To be effective communicators in another culture the onus is generally on the culturally divergent individual to adjust to the communicative norms of the dominant group. Culturally divergent individuals may be likened to people who have deficit communication skills. Because they do not have effective communication skills, they tend to be much less willing to communicate at all for fear of failure and possible negative consequences. This may be particularly so when speaking a second language. Therefore, the difference between the culturally divergent person and the skill?deficit one is that a culturally divergent individual may have excellent communication skills in their own culture and within the confines of their own culture CA may not be a problem "Consequently remaining silent is considered a problem and silent cultures are interpreted as representing a high prevalence of communication apprehension." (McCroskey & Richmond, 10).The conclusion that we can draw from the research and studies that have been conducted so far is that communication is an ongoing process that involves constant changes within the people involved and their environment. When communicating with others, individuals are influenced and affected by many variables and CA may be the result of any number of different causes. The degree of CA that an individual will experience can vary depending on their personality type and the context of situation. Nonetheless, the notion that a high level of CA negatively affects an individual's success both academically and socially appears to be supported by the research.
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