Written Work 1

Public Speaking First Quarter

The following pages contain questions that you need to answer for your First Written Work this quarter.
This paper is due on Monday, 13 July 2015, 12:20pm (hard/printed copy) and 11:59pm (soft copy). Submit
the soft copy of this paper in .docx, or .pdf format to my email at jayson_zabala@outlook.com. Your goal
is to achieve the highest possible score of 50 points.

Final Paper
Guidelines
Select only three (3)

Public Speaking First Quarter

CASE ANALYSIS. The Case of Barbara G. (20 points)
I hope I dont come off sounding like a complete jerk! My
temples are throbbing Im not sure my opening joke is going
to go over I can barely breathe why dont they just call me
up there now? Forget these endless announcements and
introductions maybe it wont be so bad this time and I
wont forget all the oh, no theres the regional manager.

your paper.
For case analysis/es
questions, try to identify

the 1) The cycle of stage

fright the
speaker/performer
underwent and 2) the
direct experience,
indirect experience and
direct observation the
speaker may have had

Recently promoted from chemist to manager, Barbara

was usually very confident. Speech giving was the task
she disliked the most about her new managerial
position. She believed that with each new leadership
meeting she ran, there was a greater chance shed
expose her poor communications skills.

that affected his/her

Ive got to focus on my first three points theyre the key to my

talk Oh God, theres Richard hes been salivating over my
job he looks so smug please dont let me forget my
opening

analyze, please provide

When Barbaras name was announced, a new wave of

panic swept over her. She thought of her opening joke
and decided it wouldnt get any laughs. As she rose
from her chair, her attention wavered between her
shaking knees, the people in the audience, and how
important this talk would be for her career. Suddenly
concerned she had forgotten her opening points, she
tried to run through them in her head. Then, as she
reached the podium, she heard a flashback of the
disastrous talk shed given at last years promo
meeting.

Since this is a major

performance. Granted
that you are to give

Written Work 1

Written Work
1

questions to answer in

advice to these people

whose cases you

research-based evidence
to support your claims.

paper, it is highly
unlikely that a 2-page
paper may merit a good
grade.
Please observe the
guidelines I have given
previously.

Why is Richard smirking? Look at my hands; theyre shaking whats Richard whispering to the
regional manager? My throat feels like its closing up Ive got to calm down! I cant remember
anything are the two of them laughing? My throat is so tight
Although Barbara looked calm on the outside, her insides were in knots and her
thoughts were scattered. As she attempted to present the three basic points of her
speech, she realized she was already discussing the third point but had failed to mention
two. When she tried to go back to the other points, she tripped over her words. Poor
Barbara!
CASE ANALYSIS. The Case of Johnny B. (15 points)

Written Work 1

Johnny B. is a successful studio guitar player. After the trip to Detroit, he told his friend
that he had played at the Pontiac Dome without experiencing any fear whatsoever. Can
you imagine playing of 50,000 people and not being afraid?
Then came the strange part. The following week, he performed at a local club in Los
Angeles with an audience of 300. He told his friend he was so nervous that he could
hardly hold on to his guitar pick.
CASE ANALYSIS. The Case of Sally C. (15 points)
Sally C. was a music student who was performing at her senior recital. In the middle of
her performance, she blanked out on the piece she was playing and couldnt pick it up.
Humiliated, she ran off the stage in tears.
Based on that incident, Sally was sure she would never be able to remember her music
under pressure again.
QUESTION 4. Kindly look at the following research:
http://www.uh.edu/~tkoozin/cognition/LehrerStageFright.pdf
(A Review of the Approaches to the Management of Tension and Stage Fright in Music
Performance). How can this be modified and applied to Public Speaking? (20 points)
QUESTION 5. How does the Fight or Flight response affect Public Speaking ability?
(10 points)

QUESTION 6. Connections. Provide a scientific explanation as to how anxiety occurs.

What are the physiological and psychological bases of anxiety? (15 points)

PERFORMANCE TASK 3. (Groupwork deadline is on 24 July, 2015, Friday)

Form groups of five people.
Read the following:
McCarthy, J., & Goffin, R. (2004). Measuring job interview anxiety: Beyond weak
knees and sweaty palms. Personnel Psychology, 57(3), 607-637.
Google Scholar link: https://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/PPSYCH.pdf
Look at Appendix A (Items for the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Interviews (MASI)).

This is to be submitted on the indicated date above. For any related technical assistance,
you may contact me through facebook or my mobile phone.

Written Work 1

From the given example, try to create a prototype scale measuring Public Speaking
Anxiety and administer the scale to at least 50 Scientian students. Conduct a local
study (and a research paper) identifying what type of anxiety Scientians
experience based on the data you have gathered.