| Summary: | This study surveys the effectiveness of impromptu speaking exercises used in college level speech courses. It also explores the effects of Feedback and Instruction to ascertain if these variables enhance the impromptu experience. Furthermore, this study examines how the overall effectiveness of impromptu speeches is affected by trait and situational communication apprehension. This study also explores the effects of impromptu speeches on trait and situational communication apprehension. === Subjects were 202 students enrolled in a public speaking course at a large southeastern university. Subjects gave an ungraded impromptu speech. Some subjects received special in-depth instruction on how to give an effective impromptu speech while others were given no instruction. In addition, after delivering the impromptu speech, some subjects received written feedback from the instructor while other subjects received no feedback. A survey which measured the effectiveness of the impromptu speech was given to subjects after they completed the impromptu speeches. Subjects also completed questionnaires which measured trait communication apprehension and questionnaires which measured situational communication apprehension. === Results indicated that the majority of subjects reported that the impromptu speech is an effective learning tool. Impromptu speeches were significantly more effective for the subjects who received instruction than for the subjects who did not receive instruction. There was no significant difference in the effectiveness of impromptu speeches for subjects who received written feedback and those who did not. There was no evidence that the impromptu speech lowered trait communication apprehension. There was, however, evidence that the impromptu speech may have helped reduce situational communication apprehension. === Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-07, Section: A, page: 2387. === Major Professors: Theodore Clevenger; John Payne. === Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.
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