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Published on: January 3, 2017
The Topography of Disfluency in Spoken Language: A Scoping Review
Yangfan Xu1,2,3, Yunyi Hu1, Michael C-F Tong1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Summary
Speech disfluency research lacks consistent terminology across speech-language pathology, linguistics, and engineering. This review maps disfluency types and highlights the need for a unified framework to improve cross-disciplinary and cross-linguistic comparisons.
Area of Science:
- Speech and Language Pathology
- Linguistics
- Engineering
Background:
- Speech disfluencies are studied across multiple disciplines, but definitions and parameters vary significantly.
- This interdisciplinary variation hinders a comprehensive understanding of disfluency types and cross-study comparisons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically map all documented speech disfluency types.
- To clarify cross-disciplinary and cross-linguistic inconsistencies in disfluency research.
- To provide an overview of existing classification frameworks for speech disfluencies.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
- Searched major online databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, LLBA, IEEE Xplore, etc.) for papers from 2000-2023.
- Included relevant pre-2000 references cited in eligible studies.
Main Results:
- Identified seven broad categories of disfluencies: repetition, prolongation, revision, pause, filler, incomplete production, and non-verbal behaviors.
- Found significant inconsistencies in terminology and definitions across speech-language pathology, linguistics, and engineering.
- Noted that most classification frameworks are English-centric, with limited application to other languages.
Conclusions:
- A lack of consistent terminology and definitions for speech disfluencies exists across disciplines.
- Developing a unified, cross-disciplinary, and cross-linguistic classification framework is crucial for consistent research.
- Such a framework would enhance comparability of findings and support clinical and technological applications.
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