Degree of reported speech anxiety under two descriptive conditions

Previous research has suggested that Ss' responses to fear questionnaires may vary with the degree of descriptive detail provided. In a recent study, rather wide variation in the parameters of a situational test of speech anxiety produced little difference in behavioral-physiological measures. In the present study, 263 male and female undergraduates were asked to rate their degree of discomfort about public speaking under two levels of descriptive detail. Results indicated that self-report measures were not affected by the degree of detail, at least for public speaking anxiety. In addition, data tended to support the contention that large, live audiences may not be needed in analogue research on speech anxiety.