Observer-rated outcomes of Communication-Centered Treatment (CCT) for adults who stutter: A preliminary study

Abstract

AbstractPrevious studies have reported that adults who stutter demonstrate significant gains in communication competence, per self-ratings and clinician-ratings, upon completion of a communication-centered treatment, or CCT. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether gains in communication competence would also be reported by untrained observers. Eighty-one untrained observers completed an online survey that required each to view one of two videos depicting an adult who stutters during a mock interview recorded prior to CCT or after CCT. Participants were then asked to rate the communication competence of the interviewee on a 100-point visual analog scale and provide additional demographic information. Communication competence of the adult who stutters was rated significantly higher in their post-treatment video. Two observer-based factors were significantly associated with ratings of communication competence: years of education and years the respondent had known an adult who stutters. Upon controlling for these demographic factors, significantly higher ratings of communication competence for the post-treatment video were maintained. Although preliminary, findings suggest gains in communication competence demonstrated in previous studies through clinician and client observations are not limited to the sterile clinical environment, and further emphasizes the ecological validity of CCT. [ClinicalTrials.govNCT05908123;https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT05908123]