Causes
There are different theories about why we suffer from speech anxiety and this section looks at what may be the basis for the problem. It can be difficult for you to know what contributed to the problem, and you don’t need to know. It’s possible to deal with speech anxiety even if you don’t know the cause.
Evolution
Earlier in human development, it may have been beneficial to withdraw and be careful not to take up too much space in the group, as this may have reduced the risk of offending someone or being seen as a threat and thus reduced the risk of being expelled.
Hereditary factors
We know through research that people inherit personality traits, such as a tendency to worry, from their parents.
Observational learning and social factors
Socially, we can learn to be afraid to speak in front of others by seeing people around us show discomfort in social contexts, or when the speaker receives a negative response from their audience. This can reinforce the idea that social situations involve a risk and contribute to the fear of speaking in front of others.
Negative experiences
Negative experiences can contribute to speech anxiety. For example, it may involve having given a presentation and having experienced unexpected and unpleasant emotions and physical reactions when doing so. This can give rise to anxiety that it will happen again, and the negative feeling can become associated with the situation and continue to be triggered in new public speaking situations.
Perfectionism
Unreasonably high demands on how a performance must be to be good enough can also contribute to speaking anxiety by increasing self-criticism and the idea that there is much at stake when we have to perform in different ways.