Attention Bias in School-Age Children Who Stutter: Evidence From a Dot-Probe Task

Cognitive models of anxiety attribute anxiety and ruminative thought patterns to selective processing of threat-related stimuli that automatically capture attention. We explored whether stuttering was associated with similar attentional biases by examining: (a) whether school-age children who stutter (CWS) differed from controls in selective processing of threat-related and neutral stimuli and (b) whether attentional biases in CWS were specific to threat stimuli that reflected stuttering-related experience.

Participants included 39 children (19 CWS), ages 8 to 15 years. Children completed a dot-probe task in which they responded as quickly as possible to on-screen probes that replaced threat-related or neutral words. Three types of threat words were presented: (a) general threat words; (b) words related to stuttering; and (c) personalized words on which participants anticipated stuttering. Attention bias (AB) was computed based on reaction times for congruent conditions (probe replaced threat stimuli) relative to incongruent conditions (probe replaced neutral stimuli) and compared across groups and stimulus types.

Strong evidence for an AB effect was observed for CWS but not for controls, as demonstrated by faster responses to congruent relative to incongruent trials. Within the stuttering group, AB effects were driven primarily by stuttering-related and personal words but not general threat words.

Findings indicate that CWS preferentially allocate attention toward stimuli relevant to stuttering experiences. Further research is needed to clarify how such selective processing may contribute to the development of stuttering-related concerns, psycho-emotional reactions to stuttering, and associated behaviors, such as avoidance of sounds, words, or speaking situations.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.29231180.