This chapter discusses various communication obstacles including communicator anxiety, communication technology, vague instructions, jumping to conclusions, bypassing, and sexual harassment. It covers types of anxiety such as situational/state anxiety caused by specific speaking situations and trait anxiety brought by an individual to a speaking situation. The chapter provides tips for dealing with speaker anxiety which include preparing and practicing, using deep breathing, positive imagery, and relaxation. It also discusses maintaining appropriate social media and developing dynamic online profiles.

1. © 2016 Cengage Learning
Eleventh Edition
6 Anxiety, Technology, and
Other Communication
Obstacles

2. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
Covered in this chapter . . .
 Communicator anxiety
 Communication technology
 Vague instructions
 Jumping to conclusions
 Bypassing
 Sexual harassment

3. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
© 2016 Cengage Learning

4. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
An interaction of several factors . . .
 Lack of preparation‒#1 cause
 New or different situations
 Negative experiences
 Genetic endowment
(communibiology)
Jan Schenders/Tetra images/Jupiter images

5. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
Types include . . .
 Situational/State – anxiety caused by
factors
present in a specific speaking situation.
 Trait – internal anxieties an individual
brings to the speaking
situation.
Phovoir/Shutterstock.com

6. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
 Prepare and practice!
 Warm up
 Use deep breathing
 Use a relaxing introduction
 Concentrate on meaning
 Use visual aids
 Use positive imagery

7. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
 Use positive imagery or visualization
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© Annie Dowie

8. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
For speaker anxiety . . .
“Creating a positive, vivid & detailed
mental image of yourself confidently. . .
(giving a successful presentation/or
performing/or competing).”

9. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning

10. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
 Use positive imagery or visualization
 Use your imagination
 See yourself as speaker you want to be
 Picture yourself being successful
 Remember: Words + vivid mental
pictures + feelings = confidence
 Read a positive imagery exercise
(or write your own, pg. 168)
© Annie Dowie

11. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
To train your butterflies, try one of the following (Table 6.1):
 Relaxation with deep breathing
 Cognitive restructuring of self-talk
 Skills training (like this course)
. . . “the widest possible
combination of methods” is often
the most effective in reducing
apprehension (Bodie, 2010, p.
91).

12. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
© 2016 Cengage Learning

13. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
To keep social media from becoming an obstacle . . .
 If I were an employer, how would I react to
posts on my social media sites?
 What should I remove, if anything?
 Why do employers care so much about what I
post on social media?
See page 172 for what to remove
from your social media sites.

14. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
Ques: How do you make your resume stand out from the millions
of profiles and resumes on social media? (Pg. 174)

15. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
Five ways to build a dynamic and searchable profile (pg. 175-6) . . .
 Begin with a clear position or title
 Add quality photo—a head-and-shoulder shot.
 Add work experience and skills.
 Use “real-sounding” language (not jargon).
 Write summary in the first person—show your
personality.
Profiles with a good photo are 11
times more likely to be clicked on
and read (See LinkedIn Activity,
pg. 192).

16. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
Disadvantages to e-mail , IM, & Blogs . . .
 It is legal for employers to inspect employee
e-mail
 Senders seldom proofread for content or tone
 People respond to e-mail, IM’s, & blogs even
when uncertain or angry
 Since e-mail can be read multiple times, its
“tone” is critical.

17. © Phil Boorman/AgeFotostock © 2016 Cengage Learning
© 2016 Cengage Learning

18. © 2016 Cengage Learning
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