The Comparative Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization and an Integrative Approach in Treating Public Speaking Anxiety: A Literature Review and a Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

An analysis of the literature related to public speaking anxiety (PSA) and various treatments of it are discussed. PSA is a state or situational type of anxiety which can have tremendous effects on those who suffer from it. Two of the major treatments-systematic desensitization (SD) and the integrative approach (IA)-are reviewed and then experimentally tested to determine which is the more effective in treating PSA. The results are somewhat inclusive, but there is strong evidence to suggest that both SD and IA reduce trait and state anxiety. It was found, however, that IA is more effective in decreasing the symptoms associated with PSA. Public speaking anxiety or stage fright has been investigated and studied since the mid-1930s [1]. It wasn't until the 1973 release of the Bruskin Report, which indicated that the number one fear of the American people was speaking in public, that researchers and scholars realized how pervasive and powerful was the fear of speaking in public in our society [2]. Public speaking anxiety (PSA) has also been referred to as state or situational type of anxiety. PSA has been described as a transitory emotional reaction triggered by a specific situation, such as performing before an audience [3]. It is therefore, a specific term used to