Thinking Paper

So You’re Glossophobic?

Dynisha Lorient

Course/Number

WEEK 3

8/30/11

Debbie Haughton

So You’re Glossophobic?

Sara has been taking biology for a few weeks and her last week is a few days away. She notices in her syllabus that she would have to do a PowerPoint presentation on human reproduction in the end of her term. She has dreads knowing she would have stand in front of people and literally speak in front of people. She’s done it before but it never ends well or sometimes never even starts. The day has come, takes a deep breathe and she walks up to give her presentation. As soon as she looked up her palms are sweaty, her stomach tied in knots, her breath is hurried and her heart feels as if it is thumping in her chest. Running is not an option, neither is fighting, so what will Sara do? How can she work through something like this?

These are some of the symptoms that people have to go through when they have to speak to an audience. I know this because I have been through the same experience. I’m not really the shy type I can speak out loud to people I’m comfortable with like family and friends. When it comes to presentations or giving a speech I start to black out and go into a complete freeze. It’s embarrassing sometime but it’s me learning how to cope with that type of anxiety.

A classical condition for me would be practice more in front large groups of people I don’t know and getting the hang of doing so, but in Sara’s case it seem more serious then that. Her unconditioned stimulus and unconditioned response; she sees a group a people and starts to shut down. Over the years of trying everything to help with her glossophobic, she simple couldn’t come up with a conditioned stimulus and conditioned response.

I was so use to not caring how my grades look at the end of that week. Then but at the end of class term I had seen how it made a big effect on my final grade and my GPA were not where it needed to be. Therefore I...