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Disruptions in auditory and temporal processing in adults who stutter
1Department of Communication Disorders, College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|February 1, 1996
Summary
This study found that people who stutter have more difficulty perceiving prosodic information, like stress and emotion, compared to non-stutterers. These auditory processing differences may impact speech fluency.
Area of Science:
- Speech and Hearing Sciences
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Stuttering is a complex speech disorder.
- Auditory processing abilities may be linked to speech fluency.
- Prosodic information is crucial for effective communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory processing of prosodic information in individuals who stutter.
- To compare the perception of linguistic and non-linguistic auditory stimuli between stutterers and non-stutterers.
Main Methods:
- Ten individuals who stutter and ten non-stutterers participated.
- Participants completed tasks assessing perception of stress, contrast, and emotion.
- Stimuli included time-staggered linguistic sounds and non-speech tone bursts.
Main Results:
- Significant differences were observed between stutterers and non-stutterers on the Staggered Spondaic Word Test.
- Stutterers performed significantly worse on a stress perception subtest.
- A majority of stuttering participants (70%) showed poorer performance on auditory measures.
Conclusions:
- Individuals who stutter may have deficits in processing prosodic elements of speech.
- Auditory processing challenges could be a contributing factor to stuttering.
- Further research is needed to explore the relationship between auditory processing and stuttering.
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