Identifying demographic and personality correlates of public speaking anxiety among adult workers

This paper examines demographic, self-esteem and personality correlates of Public Speaking Anxiety. In all 1049 working adults indicated how anxious they were in giving speeches in public and they also filled out the High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI). We used correlations and regressions to explore the relationship between the independent variables and Public Speaking Anxiety. Our multiple regression indicated five significant factors that accounted for 15% of the variance: younger more than older; female more than male, and those who scored lower on self-esteem, courage and competitiveness rated their Public Speaking Anxiety higher. Results are discussed in terms of the previous literature and implications for helping people struggling with Public Speaking Anxiety.