Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Effect of Age on Self-Talk, Public Speaking Anxiety, and Resilience

Abstract

Self-talk and resilience are key factors influencing how individuals process and respond to stress, and public speaking anxiety is experienced by individuals across academic, professional, and social settings. Despite the crucial role these variables play in emotional and cognitive functioning, few studies have examined the relationship between these variables. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by exploring how self-talk, resilience, and public speaking anxiety interact with each other. Moreover, we investigate whether age plays a role in shaping these variables. Data are collected from 86 participants using a structured questionnaire, which includes the following scales to measure the respective constructs: the Brinthaupt Self-Talk Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and Public Speaking Anxiety Scale. The participants are divided into three age groups: adolescents (n = 22), young adults (n = 27), and middle-aged adults (n = 37). Statistical analyses are conducted using Pearson’s correlation and a one-way analysis of variance. The results reveal that self-talk and its subdomains of self-critical, self-management, and social assessment self-talk are significantly positively correlated with public speaking anxiety. However, self-reinforcing self-talk is significantly negatively correlated with public speaking anxiety. Moreover, while self-talk is not significantly correlated with resilience, its subdomains of self-critical and social assessment self-talk are significantly negatively correlated with resilience. Conversely, self-reinforcing self-talk has a significant positive correlation with resilience. We observe a significant negative correlation between public speaking anxiety and resilience. Additionally, age significantly affects both public speaking anxiety and resilience, with adolescents and young adults reporting higher anxiety and lower resilience compared with middle-aged adults. Our findings capture the interactions of self-talk, public speaking anxiety, and resilience, contributing to the literature on positive and developmental psychology. These results highlight the potential of self-talk interventions in educational and therapeutic settings to reduce anxiety and build resilience, particularly among younger populations.