Predicting communication anxiety through motivational variables

The construct of anxiety has long been a subject of investigation in the professional literature. The focus of the present study was communication anxiety. Research has provided evidence of the detrimental effects of communication anxiety on students' performance in the classroom. However, a void exists in the literature related to identifying the factors that may be related to communication anxiety. By utilizing goal orientation theory, the study reported here sought to examine the relationship between students' personal goals and/or classroom goal structures and their reported level of communication anxiety. Previous research has identified personal mastery goals as being positively related to various academic outcomes, whereas personal performance goals in particular performance-avoid goals have had a negative relation with academic outcomes. Another unique feature in the present investigation was the inclusion of other motivational variables to examine their possible relation to communication anxiety. Furthermore, the study examined any possible interactions that emerged between variables that may have been related to communication anxiety.; Participants for this study were college students enrolled in a professional communications course at a small, southeastern liberal arts institution of higher education. Participants were required to complete a survey intended to measure their motivational tendencies in the classroom. Additionally, they completed a second survey immediately after they gave a speech in class as a means of measuring their levels of communication anxiety.; The final investigation was based on sample of 103 participants. The sample included 53 females and 50 males. Data analysis revealed that expectancy for success was significantly related to communication anxiety. Students who did not expect to do well in the class also reported higher levels of communication anxiety. In addition, a three-way interaction occurred between personal mastery goals, task values and expectancy for success variables. Further analyses found that gender differences occurred in variables anxiety and task values. The findings suggested some variables, particularly a certain combination of variables, were related to communication anxiety. Further research with more diverse backgrounds and larger samples is warranted to corroborate the results in the current study and to gain more insight into the relation motivational variables have with communication anxiety.