Self-efficacy scaling by adult stutterers

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Pathology
• Psychology
• Communication Sciences

Background:

• Stuttering impacts adult confidence in communication.
• Measuring self-efficacy is crucial for understanding stuttering and treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Self-Efficacy Scale for Adult Stutterers (SESAS).
• To assess the scale's ability to differentiate between stutterers and non-stutterers.
• To examine the correlation of SESAS scores with other communication attitude and stuttering perception measures.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Self-Efficacy Scale for Adult Stutterers (SESAS).
• Administered SESAS to 20 adult stutterers and 20 non-stutterers.
• Correlated SESAS scores with Erickson Scale, Perceptions of Stuttering Inventory, and self-rated severity.

Main Results:

• SESAS scores significantly differentiated between stutterers and non-stutterers.
• Strong negative correlations were found between SESAS and the Erickson Scale (-0.71) and Perceptions of Stuttering Inventory (-0.52).
• Test-retest reliability for SESAS averaged 0.89.

Conclusions:

• The SESAS is a reliable and valid measure for assessing adult stutterers' self-efficacy.
• Self-efficacy scaling shows promise as a tool for measuring treatment-related changes in stuttering.
• Further development may enhance its utility in clinical settings.