COMMUNICATION ANXIETY AND THE ACQUISITION OF MESSAGE-PRODUCTION SKILL

There is reason to believe that the interfering, off-task thoughts tha t accompany anxiety may place anxious individuals at a disadvantage in the skill-acquisition process. Previous research indicates that the c ourse of skill acquisition is characterized by the power function P = BN alpha. This study sought to examine the relationship between state anxiety and three parameters defining individuals' learning curves: al pha, the learning-rate parameter; B, the y-intercept of the learning c urve; and r(2), a measure of the fluctuations in performance quality f rom trial to trial. The results indicated that communication anxiety i s associated with lower values of alpha, higher B values, and lower r( 2) values.