San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research Spring 2013 The Actor Within: An Exploration of Present Moment Awareness in Business Presentations Billie Shepard San Jose State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses Recommended Citation Shepard, Billie, "The Actor Within: An Exploration of Present Moment Awareness in Business Presentations" (2013). Master's Theses. 4313. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.r3z3-ggsb https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4313 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses and Graduate Research at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ACTOR WITHIN: AN EXPLORATION OF PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS IN BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Theatre, Radio-Television-Film, Animation & Illustration San José State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Billie Shepard May 2013 © 2013 Billie Shepard ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled THE ACTOR WITHIN: AN EXPLORATION OF PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS IN BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS by Billie Shepard APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE, RADIO-TELEVISION-FILM, ANIMATION & ILLUSTRATION SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY May 2013 Dr. Alison McKee Department of Theatre, Radio-TV-Film, Animation & Illustration Dr. Kathie Kratochvil Department of Theatre, Radio-TV-Film, Animation & Illustration Dr. David Price Terry Department of Communication Studies ABSTRACT THE ACTOR WITHIN: AN EXPLORATION OF PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS IN BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS by Billie Shepard This thesis explores incorporating the use of acting skills in business presentations using present moment awareness techniques. Present moment awareness is defined in this study as the use of improvisation, intention, voice, and body/sensory awareness and is drawn primarily from the theoretical work of Patsy Rodenburg. The research project followed nine adult student-participants through a five-week course of study in business presentation methods, which incorporated the present moment awareness acting techniques. Data were collected throughout the five weeks and included a pre and post survey, participant journaling prompts, a researcher journal, peer reviews, and participant interviews. The study concluded that the practice of present moment awareness has great potential in offering business speakers very specific tools to calm their nerves, improve their focus, connect fully with their audience, and deliver their message successfully. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with immense gratitude that I acknowledge my advisor, Dr. Kathie Kratochvil. Without her continuous support, enthusiasm and herculean efforts, this thesis would not have been possible. I am forever indebted to her. I would like to thank the rest of my thesis committee: Dr. David Price Terry, for believing in this project from the beginning, and his insightful comments. I thank Dr. Alison McKee, for her unending support during my entire graduate experience, and her direct feedback. She could be counted on, always. Thanks also to Dr. David Kahn, who became a mentor by example, and was ever supportive. I thank my graduate school colleagues, especially Kimberly Peterson and Elissa Mondschein, for sharing their individual talents, expertise, and support so generously. I wish to thank Dr. William Starbuck for his insights, solid support, and devotion. Last but not least, I thank my family and friends, most especially my extraordinary daughters Brenden and Kendall, my loving sisters Patty and Carol, my father who taught me to be brave, and my friend Heidi. These people gave me a consistent, solid place to land while completing this project. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 I. Statement of the Problem ......................................................................................................... 1 II. Purpose and Significance ....................................................................................................... 3 III. Inspiration for this Study ....................................................................................................... 5 IV. Terminology ........................................................................................................................... 6 V. Structure of Thesis .................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 10 I. Business Presentation Trainers .............................................................................................. 10 II. The Elements of Present Moment Awareness ....................................................................... 12 Improvisation ........................................................................................................................ 12 Intention ................................................................................................................................ 22 Voice ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Body/Sensory Awareness ...................................................................................................... 25 III. Present Moment Awareness in Other Fields ....................................................................... 29 IV. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 38 I. Overview ................................................................................................................................. 38 II. Research Question ................................................................................................................ 38 III. Approach to the Study .......................................................................................................... 38 IV. Role of the Researcher ........................................................................................................ 39 V. Site Selection for the Study ................................................................................................... 40 VI. Course and Course Curriculum .......................................................................................... 41 VII. The Participants ................................................................................................................. 44 VIII. Data Collection and Analysis ........................................................................................... 45 Pre and Post Surveys ............................................................................................................. 46 Participant Journal Prompts .................................................................................................. 46 Researcher Field Notes, Observations/Journal ...................................................................... 49 Peer Review .......................................................................................................................... 49 Participant Interviews ............................................................................................................ 50 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ......................................................................................... 52 I. Pre and Post Survey Results ................................................................................................... 52 II. Case Studies .......................................................................................................................... 55 Case Study Participant 1: Imee ............................................................................................. 55 Case Study Participant 2: Chun ............................................................................................. 58 Case Study Participant 3: Karen ........................................................................................... 61 Case Study, Participant 4: Jane ............................................................................................. 63 Case Study, Participant 5: Alicia .......................................................................................... 70 Case Study, Participant 6: Chandra ....................................................................................... 73 Case Study, Participant 7: Robert ......................................................................................... 78 vi Case Study, Participant 9: Katarina ...................................................................................... 85 Case Study, Participant 10: Analyn ...................................................................................... 88