Perceptions of speaking ability: An explanation for stage fright

Abstract

This article presents and tests an explanation for stage fright. It is argued that stage fright emerges from a perception that one's public speaking ability falls short of audience expectations in ways that are important to the speaker. Three studies are reported that offer support for central elements in the explanatory framework. The first two studies provide evidence in support of the expected relationships between perceptions in inadequacy, importance, and stage fright. The third study demonstrates that shifts in speakers’ perceptions of audience expectations are accompanied by attenuate shifts in self‐reports of stage fright. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the general theoretical framework for future investigations and interventions.