Reducing public communication apprehension by boosting self confidence on communication competence

<p><strong><em>Abstrak </em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Latar belakang: </em></strong><em>Dokter harus kompeten dalam berkomunikasi dengan sesame dokter ata dengan profesi lain. Pada Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Mulawarman, beberapa mahasiswa cenderung diam pada saat pelatihan komunikasi public, yang tampaknya disebabkan oleh kecemasan saat berkomunikasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa kemungkinan ‘kepercayaan diri terhadap kemampuan komunikasi’ dan ‘ketrampilan berkomunikasi’ sebagai factor resiko terjadinya ‘kecemasan dalam komunikasi publik’</em></p> <p><strong><em>Metode</em></strong><em>: Penelitian ini dilakukan pada 55 mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Mulawarman. Kecemasan dalam komunikasi public diukur dengan Personal report of communication apprehension (PRCA-24), kepercayaan diri terhadap kemampuan komunikasi dengan Self perceived communication competence scale (SPCC), ketrampilan berkomunikasi didasarkan pada penilaian instruktur saat program pelatihan komunikasi, Data dianaliasa dengan regresi linear untuk mengidentifikasi factor yang dominan, menggunakan STATA 9.0 </em></p> <p><strong><em>Hasil: </em></strong><em>Hasil penelitian menunjukkan hubungan negative antara kecemasan dalam public komunikasi dengan kepercayaan diri terhadap kemampuan komunikasi </em><em>(koefisien regresi (KR) =-0.13</em><strong><em>; </em></strong><em>p=0.000; 95% derajat kepercayaan (DK) =</em><em>-0.20; -0.52</em><em>)</em><em>. Tetapi, terbukti tidak berhubungan dengan ketrampilan komunikasi (p=0.936). Diantara 12 trait kepercayaan diri terhadap kemampuan komunikasi, mahasiswa yang percaya diri saat berkomunikasi dengan sekelompok orang yang masih asing mempunyai tingkat kecemasan paling rendah (KR suaian=-0.13; DK=-0.21; 0.05; p=0.002).</em></p> <p><strong><em>Kesimpulan</em></strong><em>: Semakin tinggi kepercayaan diri mahasiswa terhadap kemampuan komunikasinya akan semakin rendah tingkat kecemasannya. Untuk itu, fakulta kedokteran perlu memberikan kesempatan bagi mahasiswa mempraktekkan komunikasi public, terutama dengan berbicara kepada sekelompok orang asing.</em><em> (</em><strong><em>Health Science Indones 2010; 1: 37 - 42)</em></strong></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><strong><em>Kata kunci:</em></strong><em> berbicara, kelompok, kemampuan komunikasi</em></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>ABSTRACT </strong></p> <p><strong>Background</strong>: A medical doctor should be competent in communicating with others. Some students at the medical faculty Universitas Mulawarman tend to be silent at public communication training, and this is thought to be influenced by communication anxiety. This study aimed to analyze the possibility of self-confidence on communication competence and communication skills are risk factors of communication apprehension.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong>: This study was conducted on 55 students at the medical faculty Universitas Mulawarman. Public communication apprehension was measured using the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24). Confidence in communication competence was determined by the Self Perceived Communication Competence scale (SPCC). Communication skills were based on the instructor’s score during the communication training program. Data were analyzed by linear regression to identify dominant factors using STATA 9.0.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: The study showed a negative association between public communication apprehension and students’ self confidence in communication competence [coefficient regression (CR) =-0.13; p=0.000; 95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.20; -0.52]. However, it was not related to communication skills (p=0.936). Among twelve traits of self confidence on communication competence, students who had confidence to talk to a group of strangers had lower public communication apprehension (adjusted CR=-0.13; CI=-0.21; 0.05; p=0.002).</p> <strong>Conclusions</strong>: Increased confidence in their communication competence will reduce the degree of public communication apprehension by students. Therefore, the faculty should provide more opportunities for students to practice public communication, in particular, talking to a group of strangers more frequently. <em>(<strong>Health Science Indones 2010; 1: 37 - 42)</strong>