Variability of Stuttering: Behavior and Impact. 2021

Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing.

Purpose It has long been known that stuttering behaviors vary across time and situation. Preliminary evidence suggests that this variability negatively affects people who stutter and that stuttering behaviors are more variable than adverse impact associated with stuttering. More information is needed to determine how variability affects people who stutter and what the clinical and research implications of variability may be. Method Two hundred and four adults who stutter participated in a mixed-methods study exploring (a) how variability of stuttering affects people who stutter in comparison to other aspects of the condition and (b) which aspects of the overall experience of stuttering are variable. Results Analyses indicated that variability is very commonly experienced by people who stutter and that it is among the most frustrating aspects of the condition. Qualitative analyses revealed that variability is experienced in all aspects of the stuttering condition, including the observable behavior other affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions; and the adverse impact of stuttering. Notable individual differences were found in terms of which specific aspects of the condition were more variable for different respondents. Overall, analyses revealed that the variability of different aspects of stuttering can be viewed in a hierarchy from most variable to least variable: more external aspects (e.g., frequency, duration), more internal aspects (e.g., covert behaviors, physical tension), and cognitive-affective experiences (e.g., negative thoughts, feelings, and self-image). Discussion These findings suggest that variability is a common and burdensome aspect of the experience of stuttering and underscore the importance of considering variability in stuttering behavior, reactions, and impact in research, assessment, and treatment for adults who stutter.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007206 Individuality Those psychological characteristics which differentiate individuals from one another. Individual Differences,Difference, Individual,Differences, Individual,Individual Difference
D012107 Research Design A plan for collecting and utilizing data so that desired information can be obtained with sufficient precision or so that an hypothesis can be tested properly. Experimental Design,Data Adjustment,Data Reporting,Design, Experimental,Designs, Experimental,Error Sources,Experimental Designs,Matched Groups,Methodology, Research,Problem Formulation,Research Methodology,Research Proposal,Research Strategy,Research Technics,Research Techniques,Scoring Methods,Adjustment, Data,Adjustments, Data,Data Adjustments,Design, Research,Designs, Research,Error Source,Formulation, Problem,Formulations, Problem,Group, Matched,Groups, Matched,Matched Group,Method, Scoring,Methods, Scoring,Problem Formulations,Proposal, Research,Proposals, Research,Reporting, Data,Research Designs,Research Proposals,Research Strategies,Research Technic,Research Technique,Scoring Method,Source, Error,Sources, Error,Strategies, Research,Strategy, Research,Technic, Research,Technics, Research,Technique, Research,Techniques, Research
D004644 Emotions Those affective states which can be experienced and have arousing and motivational properties. Feelings,Regret,Emotion,Feeling,Regrets
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012649 Self Concept Persons' view of themselves. Self Esteem,Self Perception,Self Confidence,Self-Perception,Concept, Self,Confidence, Self,Esteem, Self,Perception, Self,Perceptions, Self,Self Esteems,Self Perceptions,Self-Perceptions
D013342 Stuttering A disturbance in the normal fluency and time patterning of speech that is inappropriate for the individual's age. This disturbance is characterized by frequent repetitions or prolongations of sounds or syllables. Various other types of speech dysfluencies may also be involved including interjections, broken words, audible or silent blocking, circumlocutions, words produced with an excess of physical tension, and monosyllabic whole word repetitions. Stuttering may occur as a developmental condition in childhood or as an acquired disorder which may be associated with BRAIN INFARCTIONS and other BRAIN DISEASES. (From DSM-IV, 1994) Stammering,Stuttering, Acquired,Stuttering, Adult,Stuttering, Childhood,Stuttering, Developmental,Stuttering, Familial Persistent 1,Acquired Stuttering,Adult Stuttering,Childhood Stuttering,Developmental Stuttering

Related Publications

Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
September 2022, JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
January 1972, Folia phoniatrica,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
December 1977, Journal of speech and hearing research,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
September 1979, Journal of speech and hearing research,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
November 1973, The Journal of speech and hearing disorders,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
July 1982, ASHA monographs,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
April 1958, Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
September 1974, Journal of communication disorders,
Seth E Tichenor, and J Scott Yaruss
June 1967, Journal of abnormal psychology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!