Psychological Variables In Communication: A Systematic Literature Review On Communication Apprehension Or Anxiety, Willingness To Communicate, And Self-Perceived Communication

Authors

  • Kurdeniansyah Kurdeniansyah Sriwijaya University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32923/psc.v7i2.5946

Keywords:

Communication Anxiety, Willingness to Communicate, Burnout , Psychology of Communication, Self-Perceived Communication

Abstract

Communication functions as a mediating activity that influences individuals’ psychological states, including their psychological well-being, which in turn affects performance and quality of life across various domains. Research on communication anxiety, willingness to communicate, and self-perception in communication forms a core part of communication psychology, a field that examines communicative behaviors in relation to psychological constructs such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, common mental health disorders, grit, growth language mindset, and burnout. This study employs a systematic literature review approach, synthesizing empirical findings from research conducted within the past five to seven years. The review encompasses studies focusing on diverse professional groups, including psychiatrists, students, and educators (such as professors). The results demonstrate a significant association between communication psychology variables and individual performance in professional and academic contexts, with notable implications for psychological well-being. These findings highlight the importance of communication-related psychological factors as a central topic for further research aimed at enhancing individual performance and well-being.

References

Adeyemo, S. O. A. (2023). Self-perceived communication competence to talk in meeting contexts with strangers, friends, and acquaintances for future employment among communication undergraduates in Lagos State, Nigeria. Journal of Global Business and Social Entrepreneurship (GBSE), 9(26), 52-69

Alaa, S., & Faisal, S. M. (2025). Self-perceived communication competence and its relationship with communication apprehension. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(7), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i7.2873

Alexander, V., Ellis, H., & Barrett, B. (2016). Medical-surgical nurses’ perceptions of psychiatric patients: A review of the literature with clinical and practical applications. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 30, 262-270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2015.06.018.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf

Avery, J., Schreier, A., & Swanson, M. (2020). A complex population: Nurse’s professional preparedness to care for medical-surgical patients with mental illness. Applied Nursing Research, 52, 151232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2020.151232

Balouchi, S., & Samad, A. A. (2021). The effect of perceived competence on second language communication frequency: The mediating roles of motivation, willingness to communicate, and international posture. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10579-z

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control (Vol. 11). Freeman.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1986(23-28), 2.

Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.

Chen, L., Zhang, D., & Hou, M. (2022). The influence of perceived social presence on the willingness to communicate in mobile medical consultations: Experimental study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(5), e32979. https://doi.org/10.2196/32979

Clayton, M. F., Iacob, E., Reblin, M., & Ellington, L. (2019). Hospice nurse identification of comfortable and difficult discussion topics: Associations among self-perceived communication effectiveness, nursing stress, life events, and burnout. Patient Education and Counseling, 102(10), 1793–1801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2019.06.013

Dilbeck, K. E., McCroskey, J. C., Richmond, V. P., & McCroskey, L. L. (2009). Self-perceived communication competence in the Thai culture. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 38(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475750903381598

Kartal, G., & Balçikanli, C. (2018). Willingness to communicate and communication anxiety of EFL learners in a virtual world. Educational Technology, 15(3), 7–24.

Lazarus, R. S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping (Vol. 445). Springer.

Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: Explanation and elaboration. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000100. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100

Maciel, C. A., de Medeiros, A. M., & Teixeira, L. C. (2023). Common mental disorders and self-perceived interpersonal communication and vocal symptoms in university professors. Journal of Voice, 39(3), 852.e11–852.e16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2022.12.006

MacIntyre, P. D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K. A. (1998). Conceptualizing willingness to communicate in a L2: A situational model of L2 confidence and affiliation. The Modern Language Journal, 82(4), 545–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb05543.x

Maeda, S. (2023). No differential responsiveness to face-to-face communication and video call in individuals with elevated social anxiety. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 11, 100467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100467

McCroskey, J. C. (1970). Measures of communication bound anxiety. Speech Monographs, 37, 269–277.

McCroskey, J. C., & Richmond, V. P. (1987). Willingness to communicate. In J. C. McCroskey & J. A. Daly (Eds.), Personality and Interpersonal Communication (pp. 129–156). Sage

Mehralian, G., Yusefi, A. R., Dastyar, N., & Bordbar, S. (2023). Communication competence, self-efficacy, and spiritual intelligence: evidence from nurses. BMC Nursing, 22(1), Article 99. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01262-4

Namaziandost, E., Çakmak, F., Heydarnejad, T., & Rezai, A. (2024). The predictive effects of learner autonomy and academic engagement on willingness to communicate, foreign language learning self-esteem, and L2 grit in an EFL context. Acta Psychologica, 250, 104528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104528

Okoli, C., & Schabram, K. (2012). A Guide to Conducting a Systematic Literature Review of Information Systems Research. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/SSRN.1954824

Orui, M., & Yasumura, S. (2019). The association between effective workplace communication with superiors and lower psychological distress among workers in the evacuation area after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Journal of Occupational Health, 61(6), 471–480. https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12074

Rahmani, D., Zeng, C., Chen, M. (Hui), Fletcher, P., & Goke, R. (2023). Investigating the effects of online communication apprehension and digital technology anxiety on organizational dissent in virtual teams. Computers in Human (Maciel et al., 2025)Behavior, 144, 107719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107719 (Wombacher et al., 2019)

Rust, C., Gentry, W. M., & Ford, H. (2020). Assessment of the effect of communication skills training on communication apprehension in first-year pharmacy students: A two-year study. *Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 12*(2), 142–146. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.11.007](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.11.007)

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Organizational behavior (17th ed.). Pearson Education.

Sadoughi, M., & Hejazi, S. Y. (2023). Growth language mindset and willingness to communicate: Contributions of linguistic risk taking and learning experience. System, 114, 103013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103013

Schulenberg, S., Oh, K. M., Goldberg, D. G., & Kreps, G. L. (2023). “Exploring communication apprehension in nursing and healthcare education: A scoping review.” Nursing & Health Sciences, 25(4), 543-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.13064

Trigueros, R., Fernández-Ortega, C., Aguilar-Parra, J. M., & Collado-Soler, R. (2024). Satisfaction of psychological needs, resilience, confidence and willingness to communicate in English of secondary school students. Acta Psychologica, 250, 104529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104529

Wang, J., Fan, C., & Wang, X. (2025). Teacher support, task design, and ICT integration: Unraveling the mediating role of communication anxiety in second language students’ willingness to communicate. Acta Psychologica. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105427

Wombacher, K., Harrington, N. G., Scott, A. M., Helme, D. W., & Martin, C. (2019). Communication apprehension mediates the effects of past experience discussing substance use on child and adolescent psychiatrists’ self-efficacy. Patient Education and Counseling, 102(4), 651–655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2018.10.020

Yuan, L. (2024). EFL teacher–student interaction, teacher immediacy, and students’ academic engagement in the Chinese higher learning context. Acta Psychologica, 244, 104185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104185

Zarrinabadi, N. (2014). Communicating in a second language: Investigating the effect of teacher on learners’ willingness to communicate. System, 42, 288–295. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.system.2013.12.014

Zhang, Q., Song, Y., & Zhao, C. (2024). Foreign language enjoyment and willingness to communicate: The mediating roles of communication confidence and motivation. System, 125, 103346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103346

Published

2025-11-12

Issue

Section

Psychological Research

How to Cite

Psychological Variables In Communication: A Systematic Literature Review On Communication Apprehension Or Anxiety, Willingness To Communicate, And Self-Perceived Communication. (2025). Psychosophia: Journal of Psychology, Religion, and Humanity, 7(2), 46-63. https://doi.org/10.32923/psc.v7i2.5946