Personal Assessment of Communication Apprehension 103 The following questions are about your….
Personal Assessment of Communication Apprehension103
The following questions are about your feelings toward communication with other people. Indicate the degree to which each statement applies to you by marking (5) Agree Strongly, (4) Agree, (3) Undecided, (2) Disagree, or (1) Disagree Strongly. There are no right or wrong answers. Many of the statements are similar to other statements. Do not be concerned about their similarities. Work quickly, recording just your first impressions.
Disagree Strongly 1 2 3 4 5 Agree Strongly
1. When talking in a small group of acquaintances, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
2. When presenting a talk to a group of strangers, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
3. When conversing with a friend or colleague, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
4. When talking in a large meeting of acquaintances, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
5. When presenting a talk to a group of friends or colleagues, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
6. When conversing with an acquaintance or colleague, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
7. When talking in a large meeting of strangers, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
8. When talking in a small group of strangers, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
9. When talking in a small group of friends and colleagues, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
10. When presenting a talk to a group of acquaintances, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
11. When I am conversing with a stranger, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
12. When talking in a large meeting of friends, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
13. When presenting a talk to a group of strangers, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
14. When conversing with a friend or colleague, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
15. When talking in a large meeting of acquaintances, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
16. When talking in a small group of acquaintances, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
17. When talking in a small group of strangers, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
18. When presenting a talk to a group of friends, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
19. When conversing with an acquaintance or colleague, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
20. When talking in a large meeting of strangers, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
21. When presenting a talk to a group of acquaintances, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
22. When conversing with a stranger, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
23. When talking in a large meeting of friends or colleagues, I am calm and relaxed.
1 2 3 4 5
24. When talking in a small group of friends or colleagues, I am tense and nervous.
1 2 3 4 5
Scoring and Interpretation
This questionnaire includes the computation of four subscores and one total score. Subscores relate to communication apprehension in four common situations—public speaking, meetings, group discussions, and interpersonal conversations. To compute your scores, add or subtract your scores for each item as indicated next.
Subscore/Scoring Formula
For each subscore, start with 18 points, and then add the scores for the plus (+) items and subtract the scores for the minus (–) items.
Public Speaking
18 + scores for items 2, 5, and 21; – scores for items 10, 13, and 18. Score = ______
Meetings
18 + scores for items 7, 12, and 15; – scores for items 4, 20, and 23. Score = ______
Group Discussions
18 + scores for items 1, 8, and 24; – scores for items 9, 16, and 17. Score = ______
Interpersonal Conversations
18 + scores for items 14, 19, and 22; – scores for items 3, 6, and 11. Score = ______
Total Score
Sum the four subscores to get the Total Score ______ This personal assessment provides an indication of how much apprehension (fear or anxiety) you feel in a variety of communication settings. Total scores may range from 24 to 120. Scores above 72 indicate that you are more apprehensive about communication than the average person. Scores above 85 indicate a high level of communication apprehension. Scores below 59 indicate a low level of apprehension. These extreme scores (below 59 and above 85) are generally outside the norm. They suggest that the degree of apprehension that you may experience in any given communication situation may not be associated with a realistic response to that situation.
Scores on the subscales can range from a low of 6 to a high of 30. Any score above 18 indicates some degree of apprehension. If you score above 18 for the public speaking context, you are like the overwhelming majority of people. To be an effective communication champion, you should work to overcome your communication anxiety. Interpersonal conversations create the least apprehension for most people, followed by group discussions, larger meetings, and finally public speaking. Compare your scores with another student’s. What aspect of communication creates the most apprehension for you? How do you plan to improve it?
Personal Assessment of Communication Apprehension 103 The following questions are about your…
