Impacts of self-reported communication perception and shyness on the public speaking assessment of university students

Abstract

Purpose: To compare self-assessment when speaking in public, using the Self-Statements During Public Speaking scale, with the communicational perception and self-reported shyness of university students. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study. University students from different areas of knowledge in Brazil were invited to participate in this study. Those who agreed to participate were included. Participants received an electronic invitation and filled out a form created on the Google Forms platform that contained sociodemographic questions, on self-perception as a good speaker, on ease of expression, on shyness, and the Self-Statements During Public Speaking scale. The means of the Self-Statements During Public Speaking scale were compared with the self-perception as a good speaker, the ease of expressing oneself, and shyness. Results: Participants who considered themselves to be good communicators, those who believed they had an ease to express themselves, and those who were not shy had better self-perception of their public speaking skills. Conclusion: positive communicational self-perception, as well as less shyness self-perception, are related to a more favorable self-assessment in relation to public presentations.