A Comparison of Stutterers' and Nonstutterers' Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Self-Reports

Abstract

This study compared stutterers' and nonstutterers' communication attitudes. A self-report inventory based on a tripartite attitudinal model was administered to 75 adult stutterers and 81 adult nonstutterers. Ratings of 39 items representing 13 situational subseales, or types of speaking situations, on four response scales reflecting behavioral, affective, and cognitive components and a frequency scale were obtained. Self-ratings of speech enjoyment and speech skills best discriminated stutterers and nonstutterers. However, these self-ratings were related for both stutterers and nonstutterers. Frequency of encountering speaking situations was related to enjoyment of speech for stutterers, but not for nonstutterers. Moreover, stutterers, unlike nonstutterers, believed that most people's enjoyment of speech was not related to most people's speech skills. Similarities and differences in stutterers' and nonstutterers' ratings of specific speaking situations were identified.