Jones, S., Thornton, J., Andrews, H. · Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment · 2011
A randomized controlled trial found EFT produced significantly greater reductions in public speaking anxiety than a waitlist control.
If tapping keeps beating a simple wait-and-see approach for public speaking anxiety, it could offer nervous speakers — students prepping for a big talk, professionals facing a presentation — a low-cost, learn-it-yourself option to practice the night before, without a therapist's referral. It's a technique they teach themselves and keep using for every speech afterward, with no recurring cost and no one else required to be in the room.
Public speaking anxiety comes with clear physiological signatures worth measuring directly — heart rate, skin conductance, and cortisol during an actual speaking task, not just before-and-after questionnaires. Testing durability across repeated real-world speeches, rather than a single lab session, and adding EEG to see whether anticipatory anxiety patterns change, would show whether this is a lasting skill or a one-time calming effect.
| Design | Randomized trial |
|---|---|
| Participants | 36 people |
| Population | adults with public speaking anxiety |
| Comparison group | waitlist |
| Outcome measures | public speaking anxiety self-report measures |
| Journal | Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment |
| Year | 2011 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Method | EFT / tapping |
| Publication type | Study / trial |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Jones, S., Thornton, J., & Andrews, H. (2011). Efficacy of EFT in Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment. https://doi.org/10.9769/EPJ.2011.3.1.SJJ.JAT.HBA
This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on Anxiety · Test Anxiety & Students
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