CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the study

For several years back, researchers in communication have tried to examine the explanation
encompassing the psychological and physiological parts of public speaking anxiety in order to
proffer considerable remedy that may lessen the adverse influence of anxiety for public speakers.
For some years now researches have been directed towards public speaking anxiety.
McCroskey (1977) reported that invariably twenty percent of students are faced with public
speaking anxiety. Our anxiety and fright before the speech, however, may be caused not by fear
of public speaking but by the audience’s reaction to our performance. Or put simply, we are afraid
that our nervousness will interfere with our ability to perform and we will end up embarrassing
ourselves.

Other likely factor affecting the public speaking anxiety on oral presentation, group discussion or
proposal defense is gender differences. Gender differences will be one area of focus in this study
as there is likelihood that it is not clearly true that gender differences constitute to the level of
public speaking anxiety.

In contrast, Matsuda and Gobel (2004); and Wang (2010) found out that gender does not have a
significant effect on the overall anxiety,

while Levitt (1980) in his study stated that male students felt a higher level of anxiety when they
perceive their spoken anxiety than that of others, whereas such relationship was not observed
among the females. Mejias et al. (1991) discovered in their own study that females are more
prone to speaking anxiety than males.

1.2. Problem Identification of the study

 How to identify the effects of gender differences on public speaking anxiety?

 How to provide necessary advice on how to design a way of coping with or over coming
public speaking anxiety?

1.3. Scope of the study

This study investigates the role of gender in influencing public speaking anxiety. Questionnaire
survey was administered to the samples of the study. Technique of correlation and descriptive
analysis will be further applied to the data collected to determine the relationship between
gender and public speaking anxiety.

1.4. Significance of the study

The Significance of the study is a follows:

1. To find out the best way on How to identify the effects of gender differences on public speaking
anxiety. The result of this study is expected to be able how to advice on how to design a way of
coping with or over coming public speaking anxiety. As a reference to other researchers who
want to study about the role of gender in influencing public speaking anxiety.