Exposure reduces negative bias in self-rated performance in public speaking fearful participants

Escala de ansiedade ao falar em público (EAFP)

Este estudo objetiva adaptar a Escala de Ansiedade ao Falar em Público (EAFP) para o contexto brasileiro, reunindo evidências de sua validade fatorial e consistência interna. Dois estudos foram realizados com amostra de universitários. O Estudo 1 participaram 211 pessoas (Midade = 25 anos; DPidade = 9,18; 58,8% homens), tendo os resultados sugerido uma estrutura unifatorial constituída pelos 14 itens que se mostraram discriminativos. No Estudo 2 participaram 208 pessoas (Midade = 25 anos; DPidade = 7,79; 79% mulheres), confirmando a estrutura unifatorial, que se demonstrou invariante quanto ao sexo, apresentando validade convergente com indicadores de saúde geral e confiança de falar em público. Concluiu-se que a versão brasileira da EAFP reuniu evidências psicométricas adequadas, apoiando seu uso em pesquisas que avaliem ansiedade de falar em público.

Sense of Coherence and the fear of public speaking in university students

PURPOSE

To test the association between the Sense of Coherence (SOC) and the fear of public speaking in university students.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 1124 undergraduate students of a Brazilian public university. An online questionnaire was used divided into three blocks: the first evaluated the sociodemographic data and the somatic symptoms of the fear of public speaking; the second evaluated the SOC, through the SOC-13 questionnaire; and the third was composed by the Scale for Self-Assessment in Public Speaking (SSPS), with questions that point out cognitive aspects of this activity. The students were divided into two groups (high SOC and low SOC) through the Two-step Cluster analysis. Data were analyzed descriptively and by the Mann-Whitney test and bi and multivariate logistic regression models, with significance set at 5%.

RESULTS

The students who reported not being afraid to speak in public were more likely to belong to the high SOC group (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 2.30-4.42). Students from the high SOC group self-assessed more positively on the SSPS scale (p <0.001).

CONCLUSION

College students over 30 years old, on the second half of graduation, with breathing discomfort, who do not report fear of public speaking and who perceive themselves more positively for public speaking, they have the highest SOC. Thus, it is observed the importance of considering the SOC as an important coping resource, given the great interference of emotional aspects in public speech.

Experience Versus Report: Where Are Changes Seen After Exposure-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy? A Randomized Controlled Group Treatment of Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder

A considerable number of children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder (SAD) do not benefit from treatment as much as expected. However, treatment success should not be measured with social anxiety reports alone; the cognitive, behavioral, and physiological components of social stress should also be assessed. The authors examined an exposure-based SAD-specific group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in a randomized controlled trial (N = 67, age 9-13 years, blind randomized allocation to treatment [CBT; n = 31] and waitlist control [WLC; n = 36] groups). Success was operationalized as a clinically significant reduction of symptoms measured with SAD-specific questionnaires, structured interviews, and changes in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). In the CBT group, there was a trend toward a significant increase in positive cognitions in the TSST after treatment (d = 0.37), whereas these positive cognitions decreased in the WLC group (d = 0.40). No significant results involving group appeared for negative cognitions, behavior and physiology. Children in the CBT group, but not parents, further reported less social anxiety in one questionnaire from pre- to post-treatment (d = 0.89). A structured interview confirmed a decrease in severity of SAD in the CBT group. While the gold standard of a blind interview showed efficacy of treatment, not all trait and state measures demonstrated similar success patterns.Trial registration Eligibility criteria and some of the dependent variables (cognitions, physiology) for treatment success were registered with the German Research Foundation (TU 78/5-2, HE 3342/4-2) prior to recruitment. Clinical assessment of diagnosis and behavioral data were not a priori planned as outcome measures for this trial and therefore analyzed in a post-hoc approach.

Feasibility of autism-focused public speech training using a simple virtual audience for autism spectrum disorder

AIM

Public speaking seems to be one of the most anxiety-provoking situations for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there are few evidence-based interventions. We developed Autism-Focused Public Speech Training using Simple Virtual Audiences (APSV), which differs from a general virtual audience in terms of its simple facial expressions and emphasis on the importance of the eyes. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of APSV as an educational method for individuals with ASD.

METHODS

Fifteen male individuals with ASD were randomly assigned to two groups: one group received APSV (n = 8), and the other group (n = 7) received independent study (IS). From Days 2 to 6, participants in the APSV and IS groups were encouraged to read and answer questions often asked in actual public speaking events. Participants in the APSV study group performed this activity in front of the APSV system, while those in the IS group performed in an empty room. Before and after the intervention (Days 1 and 7), the participants in the two groups had a mock public speaking experience in front of 10 people for approximately 10 min.

RESULTS

After the training sessions, the participants' self-confidence had improved and salivary cortisol levels were significantly decreased in the APSV group as compared to those in the IS group. APSV improved self-confidence and decreased public speaking stress in individuals with ASD.

CONCLUSION

APSV appears to be useful in improving self-confidence and decreasing public speaking stress in individuals with ASD.