User:Jdoriscar/sandbox

This sandbox is for the Wikipedia Assignment for the group containing Jonathan and Rebekah.

Education
Research regarding speech anxiety and its effects on the education system is currently inconclusive, as results have been somewhat ambiguous. Some studies support the argument that students in educational environments experiencing high communication apprehension (CA) are disadvantaged. Communication apprehension is similar to "shyness, speech anxiety, reticence, unwillingness to communicate or avoidance". Other studies have indicated that the student's environment has a certain effect on CA and student's cognitive performance. Research has suggested that CA is negatively affecting students' willingness to take on leadership opportunities and how to adapt to new situations. In particular, research suggest that glossphobia or CA holds students back from leading group projects or partaking in high school activities would better their application to colleges. Students' cognitive performance within public speaking is something that is also highly affected. Public speaking is also often required in higher education. Research suggest that glossophobia puts students at an unfair disadvantage. Considering that communication is an essential behavior, students who suffer from glossophobia are put in a tough place academically. Research suggest college students are less affected since elementary and high school individuals have to attend school daily. For college students, it is usually voluntary to participate and attend most classes.

Help and relief

It has been clinically shown that symptoms of Glossophobia, more commonly known as, speech anxiety can be treated through differing methods of clinical therapy. Allen et al. (1989) in a meta-analyses found three treatment methods to be the most effective in clinical settings. The three treatment methods can be broken down more profoundly as follows: "(1) systematic desensitization (SO), (2) cognitive modification (CM), (3) skills training through education (SK), (4) cognitive modification and skills training combined, (5) systematic desensitization and skills training combined, (6) systematic desensitization and cognitive modification combined, (7) cognitive modification, systematic desensitization". Of the seven aforementioned techniques, the last four are combinations of the first three techniques which differ in terms of impact. Out of the seven techniques, the most effective is systematic desensitization combined with cognitive modification and skills training through education. Ayres and Hopf (1992) found that an alternative form of treatment, termed performance visualization, was also effective in treating speech anxiety.

Systematic Desensitization

In this method of treatment the patient is placed in a context where they are exposed to their phobia in a method that embraces more positive associations with the phobia. The patient is first told to relax after having visualized a "mildly anxious" situation and consequently is presented with statements termed "hierarchies" that progressively increase in terms of eliciting speech anxiety related symptoms.

Cognitive Modification
In cognitive modification, the goal is to correct the patients maladaptive beliefs, in an effort to cure the patients speech anxiety. In each session the instructor ask the patient to speak aloud their "fears" as they correct each maladaptive belief. The patient is "cured" when most of their irrational beliefs are replaced with healthier rational ones.

Skills training
Skills training is a form of treatment that focuses on correcting the patients skills as opposed to their maladaptive beliefs. Skills training believes that anxiety is the result of a deficiency in public speaking skills. The treatment focuses on "giving practice speeches" and having patients "outline and organize" their speeches prior to giving them. The expectation is that once these skills are corrected that speech anxiety will follow suit.

Performance visualization
This form of treatment is often utilized within the classroom setting, in an effort, to treat adolescent symptoms of Glossophobia. Performance visualization has a clear goal of improving "public speaking performance" and reducing Glossophobia symptoms. The treatment focuses on the client visualizing a coming public speaking performance and imagining a positive result as opposed to a negative result. Performance visualization is a method of treatment that was originally created to treat athletes for excessive worry prior to sporting events, but has been adapted to treat individuals with glossophobia.