Making a difference: A quantitative study of communication center and basic course impact on public-speaking anxiety, goal orientation, and motivation

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between visiting a communication center and taking an introductory communication course on student public-speaking anxiety, goal orientation, and motivation. Researchers analyzed pre- and post-course survey data for 1,373 students enrolled in a fundamentals of communication course. Results showed that, for students who reported medium and high levels of public-speaking anxiety at the beginning of the semester and before visiting the communication center, the communication center helped reduce their levels of anxiety, whereas students with low levels of reported public-speaking anxiety did not report as much of a difference in their anxiety levels after visiting the communication center. There was a significant main effect for communication-center visits on the goal-orientation types of mastery approach, performance approach, mastery avoidance, and performance avoidance. However, there were no significant effects for work avoidance. Results indicated a significant effect for communication center visits on motivation types: identified regulation and external motivation. However, there were no significant effects for intrinsic motivation or amotivation.

KEYWORDS:

• basic course
• communication center
• goal orientation
• motivation
• public-speaking anxiety

Notes

1 These numbers are higher than the categories McCroskey (1970) suggests because they were measured on a 7-point Likert scale instead of a 5-point Likert scale.