The effects of stuttering upon perceived social acceptance in adults who stutter

Abstract

This study addresses the effects of stuttering upon the extent to which people who stutter may perceive themselves as accepted in social speech situations. Twelve females and 48 males participated in the study. Their perceptions of coping with the reactions from others during episodes of stuttering, as well as with their own reactions in social speech situations, were assessed. The subjects were classified into three groups on the basis of the degree to which they perceived themselves as agent in social interaction with respect to their experiences as persons who stutter. The three groups differed with respect to the extent to which they put themselves into social roles or situations which afford perceptions of being accepted in social speech situations. While subjects who regard themselves as agents of their experiences as persons who stutter appeared to succeed in these endeavours, the two other groups did not. Subjects who do not perceive themselves as agents of their experiences as persons who stutter appeared to perceive acceptance in social speech situations as dependent upon how fluently they spoke. Subjects who have resigned from attempts at being the agent of their experiences as persons who stutter appeared to identify with the social stereotypes and burdens placed upon them by their stuttering. The results are generally consistent with the hypothesis that perceived social acceptance in adults who stutter is a function of how they have coped with being persons who stutter.

Key Words:

• stuttering
• communication
• self-perceptions
• agency