An analysis of the relationship among stuttering behaviors

J Speech Hear Res. 1981 Jun;24(2):247-56. doi: 10.1044/jshr.2402.247.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether different topographies of disfluent behavior form a response class. A within-subject, repeated reversals (ABAB) design was used to analyze the stuttering behavior of three adult stuttering speakers. A single type of stuttering behavior was punished for each subject while frequencies of occurrence of other types were concurrently measured. The results showed that: (1) stuttering behaviors displayed direct behavioral covariation for all subjects, illustrating the existence of a response class; and (2) the response classes observed included both kernel and accessory features of stuttering. The results are discussed in terms of the literature on response classes and two-factor learning theory of stuttering with special emphasis on the implications of these results for our understanding of the development of stuttering.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Speech*
  • Stuttering / psychology*