Contagion theory and the communication of public speaking state anxiety

Previous empirical research has shown that speech state anxiety is communicated from a speaker to audience members, at a nominal level, in public speaking settings. This article reports on research into the communication of speech state anxiety between adjacent speakers in the speaking order. Based on classical response contagion theory, the researchers predicted a positive relationship. The findings support that expectation, suggesting that public speaking state anxiety is contagious. The article discusses possible consequences of these findings and advances suggestions for future research.