|
| Public Speaking for Behavior Analysts: Advancements in Applied and Translational Public Speaking Research |
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM–9:50 AM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 146 B |
| Area: OBM/EDC; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Matthew M Laske (University of North Texas) |
| CE Instructor: Matthew M Laske, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: This symposium includes three talks exploring interventions and analyses aimed at improving public speaking performance and understanding the variables that contribute to effective communication. Goben will describe the effects of remotely delivered group training, which included video-based behavioral skills, training on professional conference presentation behaviors. This study will highlight improvements in public speaking skills and the generalization of those skills to larger audiences and longer presentations. Fu will describe the results of an establishing operation analysis that identifies contextual variables influencing the use of speech disfluencies (e.g., um, ah, er) during public speaking. These variables include audience size, audience type, and the difficulty of the topic. Lastly, Laske will share experimental findings from a parametric evaluation of speech disfluencies, investigating how varying rates of filler sounds (e.g., um, er, ah) and words (e.g., like, so, you know) impact perceived speaker effectiveness. Together, these talks will provide valuable insights into effective public speaking training methods and the influence of different contextual factors on communication success. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): filler sounds, group-based training, public speaking, speech disfluencies |
| Target Audience: Prerequisite experience attendees should have are an understanding of single-case design, consequence-based interventions, and conditioned motivating operations. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Explain the effects of remote group-based training and video-based BST on public speaking performance and generalization to professional conference settings
2. Discuss how audience size, audience type, and topic difficulty can function as antecedents influencing speech disfluency rates
3. Describe how varying rates of filler sounds and words impact perceptions of public speaking effectiveness and discuss acceptable thresholds for disfluencies in speeches |
| |
| The Effects of Remote Group Training and Video-Based Training on Professional Conference Presenting Behaviors |
| (Applied Research) |
| Matthew M Laske (University of North Texas), ELIZA GOBEN (University of Kansas), Grace Elizabeth Bartle (University of Kansas), Florence D. DiGennaro Reed (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) |
| Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of remote group training and video-based behavioral skills training (BST) on conference presentation behaviors across five graduate students. A concurrent multiple-baseline design across participants was used to systematically evaluate training effects. The results demonstrated clear improvements in public speaking behaviors following the remote group training sessions, with all participants achieving high levels of performance during follow-up presentations. Additionally, the generalization of these newly acquired skills to larger audiences and presentations of longer duration was observed during post-training assessments. Social validity measures indicated further benefits of the training package. Participants reported satisfaction with the training and particularly reported value with the group format of the training. Participants reported improved self-efficacy of public speaking skills, reduced self-reported public speaking anxiety, and expressed a high likelihood of using the trained behaviors in future professional presentations. The findings support the efficacy of remote group-based BST for improving public speaking performance for professional presentations. |
| |
| An Establishing Operation Analysis of Speech Disfluencies in College Students |
| (Basic Research) |
| Carolina Hernandez Arevalo (California State University, Sacramento), MEGAN R. HEINICKE (California State University, Sacramento) |
| Abstract: Past research has shown that speakers are perceived as less credible if they emit high levels of speech disfluencies. Recently, researchers have replicated the effects of simplified habit reversal to treat speech disfluencies for adults. To our knowledge, an antecedent analysis has not been conducted to identify the public speaking conditions that might influence disfluency rates. Therefore, we piloted an establishing operation analysis for idiosyncratic speech disfluencies emitted by five college students by manipulating common stimulus dimensions — audience size, audience type, and topic difficulty — in mock public speaking scenarios. We used a pairwise design and measured speech disfluencies, silent pauses, covariation, and speech rate. The results indicated that a larger audience and an audience including an authority figure functioned as reflexive conditioned motivating operations (CMO-Rs) that increased the reinforcing value of avoiding or escaping silence for most participants, and presenting on academic topics functioned as a CMO-R for one participant. |
| |
| Um, So, Like, Do Speech Disfluencies Matter? A Parametric Evaluation of Filler Sounds and Words |
| (Basic Research) |
| MATTHEW M LASKE (University of North Texas), Florence D. DiGennaro Reed (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) |
| Abstract: This study evaluated how varying levels of speech disfluencies, specifically filler sounds (e.g., um, er, ah) and filler words (e.g., like, so, you know), affect perceived speaker effectiveness. Speeches with differing rates of disfluencies—0, 2, 5, and 12 per minute—were created and evaluated by participants recruited through a crowdsourcing service for survey research. These participants provided ratings on various aspects of the speaker’s public speaking performance. The findings indicated that as the rate of disfluencies, particularly filler sounds, increased, perceptions of the speaker’s effectiveness declined significantly across most rating categories. Notably, the speech containing 12 filler sounds per minute resulted in the most negative ratings compared to a fluent speech with 0 filler sounds per minute. A low, but nonzero, rate of disfluencies, such as 5 per minute, did not adversely affect perceived effectiveness when compared to a fluent speech, suggesting that a small number of disfluencies may be tolerable to an audience. These findings suggest that although reducing filler sounds is crucial for optimizing perceived speaking effectiveness, a rate of five or fewer disfluencies per minute may be acceptable. |
|
| |