Arizona State University (ASU) COM225 Public Speaking Final Practice Exam

Speech anxiety is defined as the specific type of communication apprehension that individuals experience when they are required to deliver a speech. This phenomenon can manifest as feelings of nervousness, fear, and apprehension specifically linked to the act of speaking in front of an audience. It is not uncommon for individuals to worry about how they will be perceived, the potential for mistakes, or the overall impact of their performance. As such, speech anxiety is a well-documented area of study within the field of public speaking and communication, highlighting the psychological aspects that can affect a speaker's performance.

While performance anxiety, presentation fear, and public speaking apprehension may all relate to the broader context of anxiety around performance or social situations, they do not specifically isolate the concerns associated with delivering a speech. "Performance anxiety" can encompass various performance scenarios (like acting or musical performance), while "presentation fear" is more general and not solely tied to speechmaking. "Public speaking apprehension" might sound similar but is not the widely accepted term used within academic contexts to refer to the anxiety linked directly to speechmaking. Thus, "speech anxiety" is the most precise term that encapsulates this specific type of apprehension, making it the correct choice.