Instructional interventions for reducing situational anxiety and avoidance

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Abstract
Instructors can manipulate situational variables to help reduce situational anxiety and avoidance in their students. Research reported here tests variations in motivation (percent of grade for communication activity), acquaintance (communication partner as friend or stranger), and context of assignment for their effect on dispositional anxiety and avoidance. Each factor was varied in a cover story which students read and then responded to with a report of their likely anxiety and avoidance behavior. Results indicate that context strongly influences anxiety and avoidance, that motivation reduces reported anxiety for low and high CA students in public assignments, and that acquaintance influences low CA, but not high CA students.