Public Speaking Phobia Reduction for Japanese University Students through Virtual Reality-based Training and Exposure to Simulated Audiences

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13266
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Aichi Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Brunotte Josh 愛知県立大学, 外国語学部, 講師 (50816105)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: パブリックスピーキング / 不安軽減 / 心理教育 / バーチャルリアリティ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through this research I was able to achieve my aims of exploring new and more effective ways of helping Japanese university students reduce their public speaking anxiety. Public speaking phobia appears to be wide-spread in this population and directly affects students’ ability to reach their academic goals. Through conducting this public speaking anxiety reduction program for four years I was able to show that significant reductions to anxiety were possible using the techniques from this program (presentation skills training, virtual reality-based practice, image training, psychology education, and more) and were consistent across each year of the program. In addition, when compared to a control group of students at the same university, the program participants reduced their anxiety to significant degrees. This demonstrates that typical university course contents are not enough to help Japanese students with this issue, and programs aimed at anxiety reduction are required.

Free Research Field

英語教育、社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

言語教育や不安軽減を目的としたバーチャルリアリティの利用は、まだ研究が始まったばかりであり、特に日本の大学生の場合は、この技術の有効性はまだ模索中です。本研究では、バーチャルリアリティが、すでに確立された形の不安軽減方法やプレゼンテーションスキルのトレーニング手法と同様に有効であり、大学生が自宅や実際に人前で話す練習へのやる気を高めるきっかけになる可能性があることを示すことができました。そのため、本研究は文献にすることで、特に日本での学生が授業評価目的でプレゼンテーションを行うことが多い科目で成功するためにどのような支援ができるかということに示唆を与えていると考えています。