Editing Glossophobia (section)

== Causes ==
{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2020}}

Considerable research has been conducted into the causes of glossophobia, with a number of potential causes being suggested. One proposed explanation is that these anxieties are a specific symptom of [[social anxiety]] produced by fearfulness related to the [[fight-or-flight response]], which is produced by a perceived threat;<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Panayiotou|first1=Georgia|last2=Karekla|first2=Maria|last3=Georgiou|first3=Dora|last4=Constantinou|first4=Elena|last5=Paraskeva-Siamata|first5=Michaela|date=1 June 2017|title=Psychophysiological and self-reported reactivity associated with social anxiety and public speaking fear symptoms: Effects of fear versus distress|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28599192/|journal=Psychiatry Research|volume=255|pages=278–286|doi=10.1016/j.psychres.2017.05.044|issn=1872-7123|pmid=28599192|s2cid=4632246}}</ref> this triggers an elevated defense reaction in the [[sympathetic nervous system]] to be alert, to run, hide or freeze.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} It is linked to the psychiatric condition known as [[social anxiety disorder]] (SAD) which is a mental predisposition to believe that social interactions will result in harsh negative judgement from others and poor outcomes because of such judgement;<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Costache|first1=Mădălina Elena|last2=Frick|first2=Andreas|last3=Månsson|first3=Kristoffer|last4=Engman|first4=Jonas|last5=Faria|first5=Vanda|last6=Hjorth|first6=Olof|last7=Hoppe|first7=Johanna M.|last8=Gingnell|first8=Malin|last9=Frans|first9=Örjan|last10=Björkstrand|first10=Johannes|last11=Rosén|first11=Jörgen|date=29 April 2020|title=Higher- and lower-order personality traits and cluster subtypes in social anxiety disorder|journal=PLOS ONE|language=en|volume=15|issue=4|pages=e0232187|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0232187|issn=1932-6203|pmc=7190155|pmid=32348331|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1532187C|doi-access=free}}</ref> thus, before the social interaction occurs such as a public speech, the individual creates negative thoughts of failure, dread and the idea of being incapable, producing negative feelings and physiological responses.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Daly |first1=John A. |last2=Vangelisti |first2=Anita L. |last3=Lawrence |first3=Samuel G. |date=January 1989 |title=Self-focused attention and public speaking anxiety |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(89)90025-1 |journal=Personality and Individual Differences |language=en |volume=10 |issue=8 |pages=903–913 |doi=10.1016/0191-8869(89)90025-1 |issn=0191-8869}}</ref>

Individuals who suffer from SAD engage in negative visualization and self-talk which halt their attention and ability to stay focused and drain their cognitive power and physical energy. People suffering from SAD believe they are just not good at public speaking, setting a belief as a fact and falling victim to a popular psychological phenomenon known as [[self-fulfilling prophecy]]. Moreover, individuals with SAD add more mental pressure because they commonly expect others to like them or accept them, measure their self-worth by their social interaction performance, and believe that showing emotions is the same as showing weakness.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

A study with 59 individuals diagnosed with SAD and 63 non-anxious individuals in which they were engaged in an unexpected public speech, received standardized positive or neutral feedback and were asked to recall their positive feedback five minutes later and one week after their unexpected performance. Individuals suffering from SAD recalled their feedback less positively than what it had been, whereas some non-anxious individuals even recalled their feedback more positively suggesting a self-protective drive to maintain their self-esteem.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Glazier|first1=Brianne L|last2=Lynn|first2=E. Alden|date=31 January 2019|title=Social Anxiety Disorder and Memory for Positive Feedback|url=https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-04754-001|journal=Journal of Abnormal Psychology|volume=128| issue = 3|pages=228–233|doi=10.1037/abn0000407|pmid=30702303|s2cid=73414029|via=Ebsco}}</ref>

In addition, other key causes of this anxiety have been identified as the novelty of the experience, the characteristics of the audience, the [[illusion of transparency]] and the degree to which the speaker identifies public speaking as a performance as opposed to an act of [[communication]].