This study reports two experiments designed to further our understanding of the effects of systematic desensitization (SD) training on college students. Experiment 1 demonstrates that students who participate in SD report significantly higher self-esteem after doing so. Experiment 2 provides behavioral support for SD. Using Mulac and Sherman's BASA scale, it was discovered that students who successfully completed the SD program exhibited more verbal fluency and less rigidity in their speeches than did those students who were originally as anxious but did not join the program. Also iccluded was the measurement of a student's predisposition towards verbal behavior. Mortensen, Amtson, and Lustig's scale was used to measure this predisposition. The results showed, however, that students in SD did not differ significantly from those who chose not to join SD.Communication researchers and teachers need little reminder that excessive speech anxiety inhibits one's communication performance. Speech fright is a topic that has received much attention in the last 20 years. Basic speech texts often speak about the problem but typically do not offer viable solutions. The purpose of this paper is to report two experiments using systematic desensitization as a treatment method for communication anxiety Recent research shows a trend away from the simple construct of public speaking anxiety to dealing with anxiety in a number of communication contexts. In fact, the term "communication apprehension" has replaced stage fright in the literature. As McCroskey et al. note, "communication apprehension is a broad based, personality-type characteristic that is characterized by withdrawal from and avoidance of communication, as well as feelings of discomfort and tension while com-
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