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Verbal behaviors of preschool stutterers and conversational partners: Observing reciprocal relationships
331
ABSTRACTS
communication problems, memory deficits, compulsive behaviors, brief attention span, and so on. Individual modifications in standard therapy approaches were profitable, and these included relaxation rate control, easy onset, choral speech, and the Stocker probe.
CONCURRENT COGNITIVE PROCESSING AND LETTER SEQUENCE TRANSCRIPTION DEFICIT IN STUTTERS
Webster, W. G., Carleton University Canadian Journal of Psychology,
Northfield,
Minnesota.
(1990) 44, 1-13.
Eighteen stutterers and matching nonstutterers, average ages 32 and 28 years respectively, performed a letter-sequence transcription task under two counterbalanced experimental conditions. In addition, both groups received a recognition version of the test, being asked to select from among alternatives they had just heard. As a group, stutterers had significantly fewer letters transcribed, had more errors, and more errors occurred earlier in the task. Further testing revealed the deficits were not due to stutterers having any problem with internal parsing of streams of stimuli. The author concluded the problem was not related to memory ability or simple attention, that interference in sequence transcription includes concurrent motor responding and memory recall, and that interference probably is not limited to being an interhemispheric problem. It also was concluded that stutterers have transcription problems from efforts to generate response sequences involving changing or new elements, and is not due to any general inadequacy of motor ability.
VERBAL BEHAVIORS OF PRESCHOOL STUTTERERS AND CONVERSATIONAL PARTNERS: OBSERVING RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Meyers, S. C., California State University, Northridge, California. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, (1990) 55, 706-712. Twelve stutterers, 2 to 6 years of age, were videotaped while playing separately with their own mothers, fathers, and a familiar peer child. Transcribed tapes were analyzed for verbal intent and for total number of words and utterances in exchanges. Results indicated that increases/ decreases in fluency failures by children were not associated with variations in verbal interactions with any of the dyad partners. Overall, parents
ABSTRACTS
332
asked more questions and produced more positive comments. Fathers were highest in words and utterances produced, and peers were significantly more negative and commented more frequently. The variations in verbal exchanges led the author to question therapy counseling when “blanket” advice is given to apply equally to all members of a stutterer’s family. Further research suggestions are offered.
A COMPARISON OF YOUNG STUTTERERS’ FLUENT VERSUS STUTTERED UTTERANCES ON MEASURES LENGTH AND COMPLEXITY
OF
Gaines, N. D., Runyan, C. M., James Madison University; and Myers, S. C., California State University, Northridge, (A.) Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 1991, 34, 37-42. According to the authors, normal disfluency is affected adversely by increments in sentence length and grammatical complexity. Similar research with dysfluent children has been limited, and with conflicting results. Subjects in this study were 12 children, 4-6 years of age, who were rated moderate-to-severe in stuttering severity, and did not posses concomitant speech/language problems. Spontaneous conversational dyads involving a IO-min play period between each mother and her child were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Results indicated that the mean length of utterance (MLU) of dysfluent utterances was significantly greater (0.001) than for fluent utterances. Similarly, stuttered utterances were significantly greater in complexity (0.001) than were fluent utterances. The authors feel their results support therapy programs that emphasize progressive, controlled increments in the length and complexity of client utterances. They suggest further research is needed into the relationship between stuttering and the prompt types eliciting speech, between stuttering and linguistic complexity, between stuttering and response motor complexity, and combinations of the last two aspects.
FAMILY HISTORY AS A BASIS FOR SUBGROUPING PEOPLE WHO STUTTER Poulos, M. G., Ottawa Rehabilitation Center; and Webster,
G., Carleton University, Canada. Journal Hearing Research, 1991, 34, 5-10.
of Speech
and
W.
ABSTRACTS
communication problems, memory deficits, compulsive behaviors, brief attention span, and so on. Individual modifications in standard therapy approaches were profitable, and these included relaxation rate control, easy onset, choral speech, and the Stocker probe.
CONCURRENT COGNITIVE PROCESSING AND LETTER SEQUENCE TRANSCRIPTION DEFICIT IN STUTTERS
Webster, W. G., Carleton University Canadian Journal of Psychology,
Northfield,
Minnesota.
(1990) 44, 1-13.
Eighteen stutterers and matching nonstutterers, average ages 32 and 28 years respectively, performed a letter-sequence transcription task under two counterbalanced experimental conditions. In addition, both groups received a recognition version of the test, being asked to select from among alternatives they had just heard. As a group, stutterers had significantly fewer letters transcribed, had more errors, and more errors occurred earlier in the task. Further testing revealed the deficits were not due to stutterers having any problem with internal parsing of streams of stimuli. The author concluded the problem was not related to memory ability or simple attention, that interference in sequence transcription includes concurrent motor responding and memory recall, and that interference probably is not limited to being an interhemispheric problem. It also was concluded that stutterers have transcription problems from efforts to generate response sequences involving changing or new elements, and is not due to any general inadequacy of motor ability.
VERBAL BEHAVIORS OF PRESCHOOL STUTTERERS AND CONVERSATIONAL PARTNERS: OBSERVING RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Meyers, S. C., California State University, Northridge, California. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, (1990) 55, 706-712. Twelve stutterers, 2 to 6 years of age, were videotaped while playing separately with their own mothers, fathers, and a familiar peer child. Transcribed tapes were analyzed for verbal intent and for total number of words and utterances in exchanges. Results indicated that increases/ decreases in fluency failures by children were not associated with variations in verbal interactions with any of the dyad partners. Overall, parents
ABSTRACTS
332
asked more questions and produced more positive comments. Fathers were highest in words and utterances produced, and peers were significantly more negative and commented more frequently. The variations in verbal exchanges led the author to question therapy counseling when “blanket” advice is given to apply equally to all members of a stutterer’s family. Further research suggestions are offered.
A COMPARISON OF YOUNG STUTTERERS’ FLUENT VERSUS STUTTERED UTTERANCES ON MEASURES LENGTH AND COMPLEXITY
OF
Gaines, N. D., Runyan, C. M., James Madison University; and Myers, S. C., California State University, Northridge, (A.) Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 1991, 34, 37-42. According to the authors, normal disfluency is affected adversely by increments in sentence length and grammatical complexity. Similar research with dysfluent children has been limited, and with conflicting results. Subjects in this study were 12 children, 4-6 years of age, who were rated moderate-to-severe in stuttering severity, and did not posses concomitant speech/language problems. Spontaneous conversational dyads involving a IO-min play period between each mother and her child were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Results indicated that the mean length of utterance (MLU) of dysfluent utterances was significantly greater (0.001) than for fluent utterances. Similarly, stuttered utterances were significantly greater in complexity (0.001) than were fluent utterances. The authors feel their results support therapy programs that emphasize progressive, controlled increments in the length and complexity of client utterances. They suggest further research is needed into the relationship between stuttering and the prompt types eliciting speech, between stuttering and linguistic complexity, between stuttering and response motor complexity, and combinations of the last two aspects.
FAMILY HISTORY AS A BASIS FOR SUBGROUPING PEOPLE WHO STUTTER Poulos, M. G., Ottawa Rehabilitation Center; and Webster,
G., Carleton University, Canada. Journal Hearing Research, 1991, 34, 5-10.
of Speech
and
W.