An exploratory study of student, speech–language pathologist and emergency worker impressions of speakers with dysarthria

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the influence of listener profession on impressions of speakers with dysarthria with varying intelligibility using semantic differential scales. Method: Three listener groups (undergraduate students, emergency workers, speech–language pathologists (SLPs); n = 38) rated non-speech attributes of six adults with dysarthria that ranged from low to high speech intelligibility. Participants rated 22 bipolar adjective pairs and listening effort on visual analogue scales. Following factor analysis of the semantic differential scales, listener impression and effort ratings were compared across listening groups and speaker intelligibility.

Result

Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that neither impressions nor effort ratings differed across listener groups. However, impressions significantly decreased and listening effort significantly increased with reduced intelligibility. Analysis of the semantic differential scale items revealed two factors (Capability, Personality) that predicted 52% of the variance. Listener impressions were significantly higher for Personality than Capability. Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest that speakers with dysarthria with reduced intelligibility are at risk to be negatively judged, particularly on their physical and mental capability. This study demonstrates the promise of employing semantic differential scales to investigate listener impressions and therefore the daily communication experiences of speakers with dysarthria. SLPs should consider patient experience of negative impressions when designing treatment.

Keywords:

• adults
• dysarthria
• ICF
• attitudes

Declaration of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2020.1768286

Additional information

Funding

This work was conducted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the master’s thesis in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Northeastern University. The study was supported in part by funding from the Ethel & Jack Hausman Clinical Research Scholars Award of the Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation. Finally, this work could not have been completed without the generous contribution of the participants’ time.