A phenomenological exploration of stuttering anticipation

This investigation sought to develop a dynamic, human-centered understanding of how people who stutter conceptualize and experience anticipation via in-depth reflections on: a) beliefs regarding potential modulators of anticipation (e.g., factors impacting its presence and/or intensity); b) whether anticipation could be a contributor to stuttering variability; and c) the breadth/depth of impact that anticipation can exert on quality of life.

Ten adults who stutter participated in phenomenological interviews. Constructivist approaches to data collection, reflexive procedures, and coding ascertained that participants' accounts of anticipation directly informed creation of experiential themes/subthemes.

Participants described anticipation as a prevailing feature of stuttering spanning cognitive, physical, and emotional realms of experience. Anticipation was additionally depicted across several timescales: from spur-of-the-moment and situational occurrences (i.e., "detection" and "assessment," respectively) to long-term "forecasting," all of which prompted an array of adaptive responses (e.g., use of strategies, "avoidance," stuttering openly and/or advocacy). The far-reaching impacts of stuttering anticipation on quality of life and well-being were further contextualized through various participant-identified factors (e.g., internal states, linguistic/situational cues, perceived judgment).

The current study highlights anticipation as a central, multifaceted aspect of stuttering. Findings grounded within participants' perspectives can enrich theoretical models of anticipation through integration of predictive and realized forms of stuttering shaped by lived experiences. Taken together, results advocate for use of converging evidence to account for experiences of anticipation in therapy, create learning/communication opportunities conducive to empowerment, and equip individuals with resources to explore their autonomy via adaptive approaches to authentic communication, on their terms.