Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-15-2020

Abstract

Stuttering is a neurologically based speech impairment often defined by listener-oriented parameters (i.e., its overt characteristics). These fail to encompass contextual variability and anticipation, two facets of the speaker’s experience which, though frequently encountered by people who stutter (PWS), remain poorly understood and largely under-researched. To better understand the subjective underpinnings of these phenomena, as well as how PWS conceptualize and relate to their stuttering, the present study sought to explore a) the experiences of PWS with the unpredictable and/or variable nature of their stuttering, as well as their beliefs surrounding potential contributors to its variability; b) the experiences of PWS with anticipation, and whether they believe that anticipation has a role in the variability of their stuttering across contexts; and c) the ways in which experiences of contextual variability and/or the anticipation of stuttering may impact levels of self-acceptance, quality of life, and life satisfaction of PWS.

Degree Name

Speech-Language Pathology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Speech and Hearing Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Richard M. Arenas

Second Committee Member

Cathy A. Binger

Third Committee Member

Amy T. Neel

Language

English

Keywords

stuttering, anticipation, contextual variability, phenomenology, lived experiences, people who stutter

Document Type

Thesis

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