In light of inconsistent research findings, a study examined the relationship of traitlike public speaking apprehension to the competence of public speakers, as well as the mediating role of gender in that relationship. Subjects, 105 students from a variety of majors and enrolled in 7 sections of a public speaking fundamentals course at a southern university, completed the Personal Report of Public Speaking Apprehension, while their subsequent speech grades served as a measure of competence. Results confirmed that, as expected, traitlike public speaking apprehension was negatively related to public speaking competence, although no interactive effect was found between gender and public speaking apprehension. In addition, results were suggestive of a nonlinear component to the apprehension-competence relationship. (Contains 41 references and 2 tables of data.) (Author/RS)