What do people think causes stage fright?: Naive attributions about the reasons for public speaking anxiety

This article reports on a two-phase study of the "naive" explanations peopl e have for stage fright. People without any formal background in communicat ion or in research on stage fright were asked to offer explanations for why people may experience stage fright. A questionnaire based on their respons es was administered to a second sample. Nine factors emerged: Mistakes, Unf amiliar Role, Humiliation, Negative Results, Rigid Rules, Personality Trait s, Preparation, Audience Interest, and Physical Appearance. Respondents' ow n previous public speaking experience impacted their ratings of these facto rs, but their personal level of public speaking anxiety was unrelated. The implications for stage fright treatment and future research endeavors are d iscussed.