Describes systematic desensitization as a form of behavior therapy for reducing anxiety. Examines its rationale and clinical practice and explores two features of the technique (relaxation and anxiety hierarchy) as they may be applied to classroom speech instruction for reticent students. (JMF)

A study investigated the relationship of trait emotion to Communication Apprehension (CA). It was hypothesized that (1) persons with high CA scores will have lower trait pleasure, arousal, dominance, and arousal seeking tendencies; and (2) a regression equation could be produced in which communication apprehension scores may be explained in terms…

To determine the criterion related validity of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA), 156 college students enrolled in a beginning public speaking course were administered the PRCA and asked to evaluate peers' speeches using a standard evaluation form. Offering support for the PRCA's validity, results showed a correlation…