The Influence of Confidence and Worry on Fear of Public Speaking: A PLS-SEM Analysis

Abstract

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is widely recognized as one of the most common fears among university students and can significantly affect academic performance, communication effectiveness, and confidence in learning environments. This study investigates the influence of confidence and worry on fear of public speaking by examining how these psychological factors relate to behavioural and physiological fear responses. Grounded in Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory, the study proposes that confidence serves as a protective factor that can reduce fear, whereas worry intensifies anxiety and heightens fear responses during speaking situations. A quantitative research design was employed, involving 446 respondents, and data were collected using a questionnaire adapted from the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale, which included 17 items measuring cognitive (confidence and worry), behavioural, and physiological dimensions of public speaking anxiety. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 4 to assess both measurement and structural models. The measurement model demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity, with satisfactory values for factor loadings, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and average variance extracted. Structural model results revealed significant relationships between confidence and both behavioural and physiological fear, as well as significant relationships between worry and both fear dimensions. Effect size analysis indicated that confidence had small effects on behavioural and physiological fear, while worry had a small effect on behavioural fear and a medium effect on physiological fear. These findings suggest that although confidence helps mitigate fear-related responses, worry plays a stronger role in intensifying physiological symptoms associated with public speaking anxiety. Overall, the study highlights the importance of strengthening confidence while addressing worry in order to reduce fear of public speaking among students and enhance their communication competence in academic settings.