Subjective Anxiety Measurements and Cortisol Responses in Adults Who Stutter

Abstract

Anxiety, as measured by self-report inventories and salivary cortisol levels, was examined in 11 males who stutter and 11 males who do not stutter during baseline, low stress, and high stress sessions. During the high stress session salivary cortisol was significantly greater in persons who stutter than in persons who do not stutter. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the State-Anxiety Inventory, Trait-Anxiety Inventory, or the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension. Significant differences in anxiety levels among the baseline, low stress, and high stress sessions for both groups of subjects were found for the State-Anxiety Inventory. No other significant differences or relationships were found between the two groups.