Ambaye Biyadu Negeri

Objective : This study aimed to assess the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and public speaking anxiety among students at Mizan-Aman Health Science College, South West Ethiopia. Methods : An institutional-based cross-sectional survey design was employed. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select respondents from each stratum, resulting in a total of 320 participants (154 males and 166 females). Data were collected using the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) scale and the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Percentages, independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to address the study's specific objectives. Results : The analysis revealed that the prevalence of public speaking anxiety was 28.1%. The mean public speaking anxiety scores for female students (M = 54.15, SD = 10.99) were significantly higher than those of male respondents (M = 47.90, SD = 11.04), t(318) = -5.07, p = 0.01. Significant mean differences was reported among students with different year level. A moderate to low negative correlation was observed between the Big Five personality traits and public speaking anxiety, except for agreeableness, which showed a positive correlation. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that 20.5% of the variance in public speaking anxiety could be explained by personality traits. Conclusion : The findings suggest that the Big Five personality traits significantly correlate with public speaking anxiety. Gender differences were also reported in this study. Thus, special consideration should be given to female students in speaking classes.