Jessica
12/ 10/ 2013
Critique #2 (on experiment)
Critique an experimental study of an example of An Experiment on
Public Speaking Anxiety in Response to Three Different Types of Virtual
Audience
Introduction
An experimental study is an orderly procedure carried out with the
study of verifying and refuting. In simply saying is to examine the
validity of a hypothesis. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate
if the type of virtual audience (static, friendly, or hostile) would affect the
emotional response of the speaker.
Summary
People are fear of speaking in public in different degrees of anxiety. In
this experiment research is using three types of virtual audience to assess
anxiety of speaking in public. The result turned out in differently. In short,
for subjects who spoke to the neutral or positive audiences, their response
could be predicted from their normal level of anxiety about speaking in
public. On the other hand, for the subjects speaking to the negative
audience, their response tended to higher anxiety than the other subjects.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The strengths of the experiment would be using virtual avatars. Using
high technology in this experiment is truly cut down the budget, which is
no needing to pay for respondents and easy to implement the hypothesis.
Speakers fear to address speeches on public were treated by virtual
reality exposure therapy; the avatar audience in the positive and negative
responded to the speakers using two types of communications (verbal,
non-verbal). Two types of expression were programmed and in exactly
time to give responses. It is perfect to record and rate the anxiety degree
due to the avatars gave reaction of responses on spot. This virtual reality
exposure therapy has appeared the subjects, who have reduced some
degrees of fears. Indeed, some of them did sustain six months less fear
addressing in public.
The weaknesses in this experimental study would be using machinery
to speak to a monitor in darker room which was locked. The speaker
probably feels safe in concealed room to deliver a five-minute long talk
while watching and communication with the avatars from the virtual
environment. The speakers left the virtual environment to the reality, and
they need to face people from real society as well. However, they are not
just hiding behind the scenes.
Humans are not robots which press the buttons and implement the
mission. Besides, people who fear to give a speech or presentation in
public are not only facing fake reaction, but also needing practicing with
real life. In different circumstances, uncontrollable potential questions or
problems need people’s knowledge to define and feedback. Use virtual
reality exposure therapy from the beginning of the experiment (include
verbal and non verbal reactions), and then the subjects need to move to
next step (in front of small scale of people), after that subjects can
experience in public. Any experiment, the idea is a big element, and time
is the great issue.