Group Experiences and Individual Differences in Stuttering

Abstract

Purpose This study explored group experiences and individual differences in the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings perceived by adults who stutter. Respondents' goals when speaking and prior participation in self-help/support groups were used to predict individual differences in reported behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Method In this study, 502 adults who stutter completed a survey examining their behaviors, thoughts, and feelings in and around moments of stuttering. Data were analyzed to determine distributions of group and individual experiences. Results Speakers reported experiencing a wide range of both overt behaviors (e.g., repetitions) and covert behaviors (e.g., remaining silent, choosing not to speak). Having the goal of not stuttering when speaking was significantly associated with more covert behaviors and more negative cognitive and affective states, whereas a history of self-help/support group participation was significantly associated with a decreased probability of these behaviors and states. Conclusion Data from this survey suggest that participating in self-help/support groups and having a goal of communicating freely (as opposed to trying not to stutter) are associated with less negative life outcomes due to stuttering. Results further indicate that the behaviors, thoughts, and experiences most commonly reported by speakers may not be those that are most readily observed by listeners.

Understanding the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering Can Improve Stuttering Therapy

“…Larger follow-up studies have replicated and expanded these findings. Tichenor and Yaruss (2019a) surveyed 502 adults who stutter to determine what thoughts, feelings, and behaviors they experience during and around moments of stuttering. Results confirmed that speakers alone are privy to the internal sensation of being stuck or out of control when speaking.…”

Our Choice of Words Matters

“…These "covert" aspects of stuttering are common in persons who stutter. In a survey of persons who stutter, Tichenor and Yaruss (2019a) found that almost 50% of respondents reported that they stuttered covertly at least some of the time-and 10% to 15% reported that they often or always stutter covertly by using coping strategies such as switching words or by avoiding communication altogether. If clinicians view stuttering primarily in terms of observable fluency, there is a risk they might fail to offer treatment simply because they do not witness disfluencies in a person's speech.…”

Consensus Guidelines for the Assessments of Individuals Who Stutter Across the Lifespan

“…Irrespective of the viewpoint that one takes about the nature of stuttering and regardless of the age of the speaker, the person who stutters must be a critical contributor to the assessment process, in part because people who stutter may have widely differing experiences (Tichenor & Yaruss, 2019b) and because they will know what goals they seek (Bothe & Richardson, 2011;Sønsterud et al, 2020). They know themselves and their stuttering best; they therefore have important insights about their stuttering that must be taken into account during the analysis of assessment results and in the development of intervention plans.…”