Difference of Susceptibility to Delayed Auditory Feedback between Stutterers and Nonstutterers

Abstract

Forty stutterers and 40 nonstutterers were tested for susceptibility to delayed auditory feedback (DAF) while reading passages under amplified delay conditions. Susceptibility to DAF of stutterers was significantly higher than that of nonstutterers. In the nonstuttering group, men were more susceptible to DAF than women, but in the stuttering group, there was no significant difference between sexes. There was also no significant difference in DAF susceptibility between stuttering men and nonstuttering men. Nonstuttering women were least susceptible to DAF. A Susceptibility Index (SI) was found to discriminate speaker sensitivity to DAF and was interpreted to suggest that stutterers rely on auditory feedback for speech control more than nonstutterers.