Abstract

Communication anxiety is both common and potentially debilitating; a negative relationship between the level of communication apprehension and communication skills has been consistently described in both communication and psychology research. After decades of studies on communication apprehension, researchers are favoring a communiobiological approach. This raises a challenging question for educators: if our speech anxiety is inherited, how are classroom techniques or therapy treatments, other than drugs, possible? Most researchers recommend the use of multiple coping strategies, none of which explore or address spirituality. The proposed pilot study explores the relationship between measures of communication apprehension and spiritual well-being. Subjects are 20 students enrolled in an interviewing communication course at a public institution in the Southeastern United States during the summer of 2010. The pilot study utilizes two measurements: the Communication Anxiety Inventory Form Trait (Booth-Butterfield and Gould, 1986) and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (Paloutzian and Ellison, 1982). If there is a correlation between communication anxiety and spiritual well-being, further exploration may provide more possibilities for educators and students in developing individual coping strategies.