Research2 min read
You Feel More Nervous Than You Look
You feel every heartbeat. Your audience sees far less of that anxiety than you think.
cognitive bias · speech anxiety · psychology
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Showing 15 research notes.
Research2 min
Why 'Calm Down' Is the Worst Pre-Speech Advice
Speakers who said “I am excited” before presenting received better ratings than those who said “I am calm.”
speech anxiety · psychology · public speaking
Research3 min
Are 'Um' and 'Uh' Always Bad? What One Paper Found
In one listening study, “uh” helped people recognize the next word. “Um” did not. Filled pauses are not all the same.
filler words · communication · public speaking
Research3 min
Your Audience Thinks You're 46% Better Than You Think
Speakers scored themselves 17.7 points below trained observers. Your inner critic is not an objective evaluator.
speech anxiety · public speaking · psychology
Research2 min
The Fast-Talker Advantage: Why Speaking Quickly Makes You Sound More Confident
Fast speech can signal confidence. Slow down when clarity needs it, not because authority is supposed to sound slow.
persuasion · public speaking · communication
Research2 min
Your Job Interview Starts Before the First Question
Strangers saw only the entrance and greeting. Their ratings still tracked trained interviewers' judgments after the full interview.
job interviews · first impressions · communication
Research2 min
Why Power Posing Doesn't Work: What Actually Builds Speaking Confidence
Expansive poses did not raise testosterone or lower cortisol in a controlled test. The famous hormone promise did not survive.
body language · psychology · public speaking
Research2 min
Your Video Interview Is Rigged Against You: The Hidden Penalty of Zoom
Same questions. Same structured interview. Candidates interviewed by video still received lower live ratings.
job interviews · video calls · first impressions
Research3 min
The Paradox of Perfect Speech: Why 'Um' Makes Your Message More Memorable
Six 'um' and 'uh' fillers made short stories easier to remember than perfectly fluent versions. That does not mean you should add them.
filler words · communication · public speaking
Research2 min
The Hostile Audience Is In Your Head: Why Anxious Speakers See Judgment That Isn't There
People with higher social anxiety watched the same neutral audience and saw less interest, warmth, and friendliness.
speech anxiety · cognitive bias · public speaking
Research2 min
You've Already Won (Or Lost) in 100 Milliseconds
A tenth of a second was enough to judge a face for trustworthiness and competence. More time raised confidence without changing the group impression.
first impressions · psychology · communication
Research2 min
Your Audience Decides If You're Worth Listening To in 6 Seconds
Three silent two-second clips were enough to predict how students rated a teacher after an entire semester.
first impressions · nonverbal communication · public speaking
Research2 min
The Vocal Fry Penalty: How Your Voice Affects Hirability
Same speaker. Same sentence. Listeners still rated the version with vocal fry as less competent and less hireable.
job interviews · communication · first impressions
Research2 min
Why Gesturing Makes You Smarter (And More Memorable)
When speakers kept their hands still during a demanding explanation, they remembered less. Gesture can free working memory.
body language · psychology · public speaking
Research2 min
The Science of Zoom Fatigue: Why Video Calls Drain You
Close-up faces, constant self-view, restricted movement, and extra signalling work may explain why video calls feel so draining.
video calls · psychology · communication