Primary prevention: Immunization of children for speech anxiety

The study examined the effects of psychological immunization, graded preexposure to potentially threatening stimuli, on subjective and behavioral indices of public speaking. Ninth-grade girls were exposed to one of two immunization treatments, systematic desensitization or cognitive rehearsal. In comparison to a control group, only the cognitive rehearsal group showed a significant improvement in self-confidence in a public speaking situation. No differences in behavioral manifestations of anxiety were found for either treatment group relative to the control group. Implications of such findings for preventive and treatment approaches are discussed.