Assessment of sensitivity to interpersonal stress in stutterers and nonstutterers

The Revised Willoughby Personality Schedule (WPS-R) was used to determine its applicability for assessing social sensitivity in stutterers. Forty-one adult stutterers and 41 nonstutterers completed the WPS-R. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed three dimensions differentiating stutterers from nonstutterers. The dimensions--labeled social isolation, social confidence, and social sensitivity--were similar to dimensions of the WPS-R labeled as sensitivity to interpersonal stress by other investigators. The results suggest that the WPS-R may be useful for evaluating general anxiety and for monitoring changes in emotional reactivity as clinical intervention progresses.