The perceptions of stutterers by people who stutter

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Pathology
• Psychology
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Stuttering is a complex speech disorder.
• Societal perceptions of stuttering often involve negative stereotypes.
• Understanding these perceptions is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the self-perceptions of individuals who stutter regarding personality traits associated with stuttering.
• To compare the descriptions provided by persons who stutter with those typically reported by fluent individuals.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five persons who stutter participated in the study.
• Participants completed a questionnaire detailing their perceptions.
• Adjectives were collected describing four hypothetical stutterers: female child, male child, female adult, and male adult.

Main Results:

• The majority of adjectives reported by participants described negative stereotypical personality traits.
• Descriptions of stutterers by persons who stutter mirrored those given by fluent subject groups.
• This suggests internalized negative stereotypes about stuttering.

Conclusions:

• Individuals who stutter may internalize societal stereotypes about their condition.
• These findings underscore the psychological impact of stuttering and societal attitudes.
• Further research is needed to explore the implications for treatment and support.