Factors Influencing Attitudes of Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students Toward Stuttering: A Nationwide Survey

This study examined attitudes toward stuttering among graduate students enrolled in U.S. speech-language pathology programs and tested whether three educational experiences-fluency-related coursework, clinical experience (simulated-only vs. real/both), and extracurricular engagement-were associated with distinct components of attitudes.

A total of 145 speech-language pathology graduate students from 32 U.S. states completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) and a 12-item educational questionnaire. POSHA-S descriptive statistics were generated using the scoring workbook and referenced to the global POSHA-S database. Summary independent t tests compared current scores with the most recent U.S. speech-language pathology student benchmark. Two multiple linear regression models examined associations between educational experiences and POSHA-S subscores: Beliefs (cognitive) and Self-Reactions (affective-behavioral).

Participants demonstrated highly positive attitudes toward stuttering relative to global norms, with mean Overall Stuttering score (OSS), Beliefs score, and Self-Reactions score in the highest quartile (97th, 94th, and 97th percentiles, respectively). Compared with the 2014 sample, while no statistically significant differences were observed for OSS, Beliefs, or Self-Reactions, mean scores were numerically higher by approximately five to six units. In regression analyses, coursework completion significantly predicted higher Beliefs. The Self-Reactions model was significant; simulated-only clinical experience, real/both clinical experience, and extracurricular engagement were each associated with higher Self-Reactions.

Speech-language pathology graduate students reported generally positive attitudes toward stuttering, with patterns suggesting that coursework relates most strongly to cognitive beliefs, whereas clinical (including simulated) and extracurricular experiences relate to affective-behavioral reactions. Findings support multimodal fluency education that integrates didactic instruction with opportunities for direct or simulated contact and community-based engagement.