I consider it part of my role to serve as a translator for my clients and readers — to place academic or technical jargon related to how we communicate into an everyday framework.
Such is the case with a public speaking concept known as the "illusion of transparency."
Sticking to the Basics
What is the illusion of transparency? Let's keep things as simple as possible for starters:
- Public speaking can be an anxiety inducing notion for some people, even the most experienced executives.
- Speakers tend to view their apprehension as more apparent to the audience than it is in reality.
- The audience has little sense when the speaker is a bundle of nerves.
- When told of this fact, speakers tend to perform better.
- Importantly, speakers also tend to rate their performance higher when reminded of this fact, resulting in calmer and more effective presentations.
How You Can Use this Illusion
Now let's bring it down yet another notch, focusing on what this means to you when you step to the front a room to deliver a presentation.
I have counseled many a jittery speaker over the years. For them, the illusion of transparency becomes a reassuring influence. They are able to take to the stage with the knowledge that, no matter how many butterflies may be flitting about in their stomach, the audience has little sense of that — unless a speaker emits obvious signals of distress.
As regular readers here know, I am not one for muttering motivational claptrap. I wouldn't waste your time discussing the illusion of transparency if that is all it was. However, there is research to back up this phenomenon (see below).
So the next time you step on stage and feel that nervous twinge, take comfort by reminding yourself that your listeners may have no idea of your discomfort. As an aside, it's also helpful to remember that, in the vast majority of cases, your audience is on your side. They want to learn from you, and to see you do a good job.
What the Research Says
I've kept this article fairly brief, realizing that not everyone holds interest in the research behind the curtain. If you want to dig deeper into the whys and wherefores, here are some recommended sources:
- Jackson, Ben, Josh Compton, et al. "Re-Thinking Anxiety: Using Inoculation Messages to Reduce and Reinterpret Public Speaking Fears." PLOS ONE. January 26, 2017. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0169972.
- Jones, Christopher R., Russell H. Fazio, and Michael W. Vasey. "Attentional Control Buffers the Effect of Public Speaking Anxiety on Performance." Social Psychological and Personality Science. Published online December 5, 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3424620.
- MacInnis , Cara C., Sean P. Mackinnon, Peter D. MacIntyre. "The Illusion of Transparency and Normative Beliefs About Anxiety During Public Speaking." Current Research in Social Psychology. January 2010. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239587874_The_illusion_of_transparency_and_normative_beliefs_about_anxiety_during_public_speaking.
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