2.2 Stages, Symptoms, and Causes of PSA

Stages of PSA

Now that public speaking anxiety has been defined, let’s discuss the stages it is associated with. These stages are commonly described as pre-preparation, preparation, pre-performance, performance, and post-performance (Beebe & Beebe, 2018). This is fear or nervousness that sets in during the different steps of the speech making process.

Pre-preparation– Moment you find out you have to do a presentation

Preparation– While preparing, making notes, researching, etc.

Pre-performance– Before you face your audience, waiting to go up to the podium

Performance– “Stage Fright” During your presentation

Post- Performance– After your presentation, you sit back down and then it hits you

Symptoms

There are many different symptoms of PSA. The ones listed below are the most common. Notice that some of these are opposite. This is because everyone handles anxiety differently. Some people get hot and sweat when they are nervous; other people get cold. Other symptoms can include (but are not limited to):

Nausea

Cold hands

Sweaty hands

Shaky voice, legs, hands

Trembling lips

Stuttering

Stumbling over words

Breaking out in hives

Using Fillers, “Um, uh, like, you know”

Forgetting the speech

Playing with hair

Elevated heart rate

Talking too fast

Repeating yourself

Dry Mouth

Upset stomach

Smiling uncontrollably

Laughing uncontrollably

Not swallowing

Not breathing

Causes of PSA

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) can stem from several distinct causes rooted in individual experiences and dispositions. For some, trait-anxiety reflects a personality-based tendency toward shyness and avoidance of judgment, making public expression feel threatening (McCroskey et al., 1976). Others develop state-anxiety, which arises from negative past experiences such as public embarrassment or failure, conditioning them to fear similar situations in the future (Beatty, 1988). A third contributor, scrutiny fear, is linked to discomfort with being observed or evaluated by others (Mattick et al., 1989). Negative self-talk is one of the biggest culprits. Get rid of any negative self-talk. Do not cut yourself down. You can do this! You might not like it and you might not enjoy it, but that’s ok. You can still be successful.

Other causes include:

Lack of experience

Lack of confidence

Being the center of attention

Fear of being judged

Fear of Failure

Licenses and Attribution

CC Licensed Content, Original

Speech Communication was created by Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres. Independently created original and AI-assisted content developed specifically for this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This educational material includes content generated or revised with the assistance of large language models. Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres reviewed, edited, and take responsibility for the final published content.

The descriptions of the stages of public speaking anxiety, the list of common symptoms, the discussion of negative self-talk, and the additional causes listed in this section were developed or organized specifically for Speech Communication, except where a source is identified below.

CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared

“Stages, Symptoms, and Causes of PSA” includes content adapted from “2.2 Classifying PSA” by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network.

The source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The material was revised, reorganized, condensed, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.

Adapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication are licensed under the book’s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Other Content Included

Stages of public speaking anxiety

Beebe, S. A., & Beebe, S. J. (2018). Public speaking handbook (6th ed.). Pearson.
This source supports the discussion of anxiety occurring during pre-preparation, preparation, pre-performance, performance, and post-performance stages. The publication remains subject to the rights of its authors and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to this book.

Trait anxiety and communication apprehension

McCroskey, J. C., & Anderson, J. F. (1976). The relationship between communication apprehension and academic achievement among college students. Human Communication Research, 3, 73–81.
This work supports the discussion of trait-based communication apprehension and its relationship to individual dispositions and academic experiences. The publication remains subject to the rights of its authors and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to this book.

State anxiety and previous speaking experiences

Beatty, M. J. (1988). Public speaking apprehension, decision-making errors in the selection of speech introduction strategies, and adherence to strategy. Communication Education, 37, 297–311.
This article supports the discussion of anxiety associated with particular speaking situations and previous negative experiences. The publication remains subject to the rights of its author and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to this book.

Scrutiny fear and social anxiety

Mattick, R. P., Peters, L., & Clarke, J. C. (1989). Exposure and cognitive restructuring for social phobia: A controlled study. Behavior Therapy, 20, 3–23.
This article supports the discussion of discomfort related to observation, evaluation, and scrutiny by others. The publication remains subject to the rights of its authors and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to this book.

Third-Party References and Links

Scholarly publications, theories, quotations, trademarks, and other third-party materials cited in this section remain the property of their respective authors, publishers, organizations, and copyright holders. Their inclusion as citations, intellectual foundations, or examples does not place the underlying publications under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication.

Unless a separate license is specifically identified, third-party content may not be copied, redistributed, or adapted independently of the permissions provided by its copyright holder or applicable law.