Public Opinion Survey Of Human Attributes-Stuttering Research Articles

Attitudes of Teachers, Students, and the Public Toward Stuttering in India: A Comparison

Purpose: People who stutter experience societal misconceptions and negative stereotypes due to cultural prejudices. The present study aimed to compare attitudes toward stuttering of Indian teachers, students, and members of the public and to further compare their attitudes to comparable samples regionally and internationally. Method: Five hundred eighteen adults completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA-S), translated into Kannada, which was analyzed according to standard protocol. Summary and selected item scores were compared from samples of teachers ( n = 125), students ( n = 233), and the public ( n = 160). Additionally, the scores were compared to those from South Asian samples and an international POSHA-S database. Results: Teachers in the current study had the most positive stuttering attitudes, followed by the public and then by students. The summary attitude scores obtained by all three groups were more positive attitudes compared to other South Asian samples and either similar to or slightly less positive than the international POSHA-S database average sample rating. Education and income were small but significant predictors of more—or less—positive attitudes, but gender, age, and familiarity with stuttering were not. Conclusions: While teachers demonstrated a greater understanding of stuttering compared to the public and students, the lack of understanding among the latter groups highlights the need for increased awareness and education about stuttering across various segments of society. Negative social reactions toward stuttering, observed in different cultural contexts, further emphasize the need for awareness about stuttering. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27855195

Schoolteachers’ beliefs and self reactions towards stuttering in Israel

ABSTRACT This study aims to: (a) examine beliefs and self reactions of schoolteachers towards stuttering and people who stutter using the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire and (b) examine how background variables (age, gender, education, and marital status) affected teachers’ attitudes, beliefs and knowledge. A total of 202 teachers from Israel filled out the POSHA-S questionnaire using the Hebrew online version. Overall, Israeli teachers’ beliefs, and self reactions were consistent with the data in the world database of POSHA-S. Participants’ Overall Stuttering Score (OSS), as well as the items examining teachers’ attitudes towards traits and personality of people who stutter, helping people who stutter, and attitudes towards people who stutter were higher (i.e., more positive) relative to the same components existing in POSHA-S database for the rest of the world. Lack of knowledge regarding the causes of stuttering was revealed. OSS and Self Reactions were found to be related to education. Significant positive correlations were found across POSHA-S components which linked knowledge scores and the beliefs of teachers about traits of people who stutter. The impact of education indicates that attitudes are influenced by exposure to knowledge sources and/or interaction with a variety of people which characterizes Israeli society. The results are expected to serve as a basis for future intervention programmes aiming to improve teachers’ attitudes towards people who stutter.

Measuring Public Attitudes Toward Stuttering: Test-retest Reliability Revisited

Purpose: Previous studies of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S), using test and retest designs in modest-sized samples, have reported satisfactory test-retest reliability, i.e., correlations of about 0.80. Simultaneously, lower but moderate correlations between different first and second test respondents were observed and hypothesized to represent unspecified “societal” influences on stuttering attitudes. This study sought to clarify this and other potential relationships between first and second tests with the POSHA-S in a large, geographically and linguistically diverse sample.Methods: POSHA-S Overall Stuttering Scores (OSSs) of 345 respondents from 12 test-retest samples from four countries and languages, with no intervening interventions, were analyzed with correlations and by grouping respondents according to whose stuttering attitudes improved, remained the same, or worsened from test to retest.Results: Test and retest OSSs generally conformed to normal distributions and were not significantly different. Correlations between first versus second tests replicated earlier research. However, when the degree and direction of change from test to retest was considered, both in other correlations and in sorts of respondents, unexpected results emerged. Respondents with intermediate attitudes changed minimally, while those with most and least positive attitudes at the first test changed in opposite directions past the overall mean at second test.Conclusions: While demonstrating adequate test-retest reliability correlations on the POSHA-S, public attitudes were found to be less stable than previously assumed.

Perceptions of military personnel towards stuttering and persons who stutter: Using the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S)

Perceptions of military personnel towards stuttering and persons who stutter: Using the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S)

A Comparison of Attitudes of Teachers towards Students who Stutter in Selected Primary Schools and Colleges in Zambia

Purpose: To establish whether there are differences in attitude of regular education teachers, special education teachers, regular student teachers, and special education student teachers toward stuttering and students who stutter (SWS) in some selected primary schools and colleges of education in the Copperbelt, Luapula, Lusaka, and Muchinga provinces of Zambia. It also sought to determine whether attitudes of teachers differed based on gender, geographic location or educational level. Method: The survey had a random sample of 324 participants who completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes – Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire. Nonparametric analyses were employed to determine any significant differences among the four groups of teachers surveyed. Findings: Significant differences in attitude toward stuttering and SWS were noted between practicing teachers and student teachers (N = 133 < 191, Mdn = 95.0 < 96.0), U = 9663.500, p = .000., and between special education teachers and regular education teachers (N = 62 < 71, Mdn = 95.0 > 97.0), U = 1526.000, p =.002. However, no significant differences were observed in attitude of teachers based on gender and geographic location except for educational level. Conclusions: Special education teachers have a comparatively positive attitude towards stuttering and SWS than ordinary, mainstream teachers. This is possibly because of the nature of their training and experience of working with learners with special education needs. The implication of this finding is the need to examine training programs for teacher education in order to determine how much content on stuttering student teachers are exposed to. This could, in turn, positively impact the preparedness of teachers to address needs of SWS.

Predictors of public attitudes in Saudi Arabia toward people who stutter.

The Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) was used to measure the attitudes of the general population in Saudi Arabia toward people who stutter (PWS) and to identify the predictors of the overall stuttering score (OSS). A total of 404 adults from Saudi Arabia (16.8% male and 83.2% female) completed an online POSHA-S questionnaire. The attitudes of adults in Saudi Arabia were similar to those of other samples worldwide. Working status, income, and multilingualism were substantial predictors of the OSS. Saudi adults have positive impressions, beliefs, and self-reactions to PWS. However, their knowledge of stuttering tends to be limited. Therefore, campaigns conducted to raise awareness of stuttering should adopt the most widely used sources of knowledge in the Saudi Arabian community (i.e., the Internet and social media). Sociodemographic variables predictive of positive versus negative OSS include working status and multilingualism. Unpredictive variables, that do not predict positive versus negative OSS, include age, gender, education, parental status, health, abilities, and income.

Mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering in the Middle East compared to Europe and North America.

Parents play a central role in the treatment of childhood stuttering. Addressing parental attitudes toward stuttering is helpful therapeutically. The extent to which differences in attitudes toward stuttering exist on the basis of sex, geographical region and parental status (e.g., parent of a stuttering child, parent of a nonstuttering child, nonparent) is unclear. Many studies investigating such factors have used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire. A large POSHA-S database has collected responses from over 20000 people from 49 countries. The aim of this study was to use the POSHA-S database to examine the extent to which the following variables influence attitudes toward stuttering: (a) parents' sex (mothers vs. fathers), (b) geographic region (Middle East vs. Europe and North America), (c) parents' children (stuttering vs. nonstuttering) and (d) parental status (parents versus nonparents). Data used in this study were extracted from selected, relevant studies that administered the POSHA-S to respondents. The Overall Stuttering Scores were compared on the basis of sex and parent status (i.e., mothers and fathers; nonparent women and men) and were then compared within and across the two geographical areas. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of variance followed by independent t tests, and Cohen's d was calculated to determine effect sizes. Statistically significant differences were observed upon the basis of geographical region. In general, male parents and nonparents tend to have more positive stuttering attitudes among the Middle Eastern samples while female parents and nonparents tend to show more positive attitudes in European and North American samples in the POSHA-S database. Effect sizes were small for all comparisons. The effect of geographic region and culture may predict sex-based differences among mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering; however, the clinical significance is unclear. Additional research is needed to better understand how children who stutter are affected by their parents' attitudes toward stuttering. What is already known on this subject The research clearly indicates that attitudes toward stuttering vary according to geographical region. Less clear is whether mothers and fathers from geographically diverse backgrounds hold different attitudes toward stuttering and the extent to which parental status (being a parent, parent of a child who stutters or nonparent) affects attitudes toward stuttering. What this study adds This study's findings confirm that geographical differences do influence attitudes toward stuttering. Male parents and nonparents tend to have equal or more positive attitudes toward stuttering in Middle Eastern samples, whereas non-Middle Eastern female parents and nonparents tend to show hold more positive attitudes. What are the clinical implications of this work? In addition to being culturally sensitive when working with parents of children who stutter, clinicians should also consider that mothers and fathers may have some differences in attitudes and behaviours toward their child's stuttering. These differences should be considered when designing treatment plans. It should also be noted that, despite statistical significance, the effect sizes in this study were low, suggesting that further research as well as close collaboration with parents of children who stutter is warranted.

İşverenlerin Kekemeliğe ve Kekemeliği Olan Bireylere Yönelik Tutumu: Tanımlayıcı Araştırma

Objective: This study is designed to put forth how stuttering -as a disorder- and people who stutter (PWS) are perceived by employers in Türkiye and reveal attitudes of employers toward PWS in consideration of gender and educational status. The current study also investigates different responses of employers in 5 business areas (health service, education service, factory/company, cafe/restaurant, and store) and the general impression of employers toward PWS and people with a physical disability. Material and Methods: One hundred and eighteen employers from 5 business areas in İzmir were contacted and the data were analyzed by using the convenience sampling method. The Public Opinion Survey of Human AttributesStuttering (POSHA-S) is used as a measuring instrument. POSHA-S samples various beliefs, reactions, behaviors, and emotions that can identify social ignorance, stigmatization, and/or discrimination towards stuttering. Results: Employers consider PWS to be shy, timid, angry, and easily excitable. It has been found that employers have negative attitudes toward PWS, and stuttering is an undesirable quality for employers. No significant difference was found between the 5 business areas, different educational statuses and genders, and similar negative attitudes were observed (p>0.05). Furthermore, employers have more negative attitudes toward PWS than they have toward people with a physical disability. Conclusion: There are similar negative attitudes and stigmatization towards stuttering and PWS by employers regardless of business area, age, gender, and educational status. For this reason, PWS will likely have difficulties in employment and maintaining the job, and this will negatively affect the lives of individuals.

Cultural difference in attitudes towards stuttering among British, Arab and Chinese students: Considering home and host cultures

Geographical and cultural differences have been shown to affect public attitudes towards stuttering. However, increasingly for many individuals in the world one's birthplace culture (or home culture) and culture in their local geographical environment (or host culture) are not the same. The effects of home culture and host culture in shaping the attitudes towards stuttering among students with British, Arab and Chinese home cultures attending one British university were explored. The effects of host culture were investigated by considering the time lived in the UK for Arab and Chinese students. The study used a descriptive survey design that included a standardized self-delivered questionnaire: the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S). Purposive sampling was carried out thorough volunteer mailing lists, student societies and personal contact. The final sample of 156 university students included 51 British, 52 Arab and 53 Chinese students. Overall stuttering score (OSS), which is indicative of attitudes towards stuttering, was highest for British participants (mean = 30) and lowest for Chinese participants (mean = 13), with Arab participants falling in the middle (mean = 21). The differences in attitudes between the three groups were statistically significant, suggesting that home culture is a contributor to attitudes towards stuttering. A post-hoc item analysis of the POSHA-S revealed numerous specific differences in attitudes towards stuttering between the three groups, including differences in the attribution of the aetiology of stuttering, their role in helping people who stutter (PWS) and sympathy toward PWS. Time lived in the UK-a proxy measure for the role of host culture-did not significantly influence the attitudes of Arab and Chinese respondents. To varying degrees, all three groups had evidence of stereotypical stuttering attitudes. Nevertheless, given similar ages and student status in the same university, observed respondent differences confirm previous research documenting geographical influences on stuttering attitudes in Western versus East Asian and Middle Eastern samples. The study also provides evidence that home culture was influential in shaping attitudes towards stuttering, but host culture was not a significant contributor. What this paper adds What is already known on the subject Public stereotypical beliefs towards stuttering are found across the world and hinder the quality of life among PWS. Different cultures have unique stereotypical beliefs towards PWS. What this study adds to existing knowledge To the best of our knowledge, no other study has investigated specifically if individuals who live in the same geographical location but have different home cultures, have similar or differing attitudes towards PWS. Results provide preliminary evidence that the home culture of an individual was influential in shaping attitudes towards PWS, but host culture, measured as the length of time living in the current geographical location, did not have a significant relationship with attitudes towards stuttering. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work This study highlights that culturally sensitive clinical practice should not be based on just the culture of the region but should take home culture into consideration as well, and clinicians should discuss cultural perceptions of stuttering with clients in clinical practice.

Public attitudes towards people who stutter in South Egypt.

PurposeStuttering is a multifactorial speech disorder with significant social and psychological consequences. There is a lack of knowledge about public attitudes towards people who stutter (PWS) and the factors that can determine such attitudes in underprivileged communities. This study aimed to assess the public attitudes in South Egypt towards PWS and compare our results with those stored in a reference database representing 180 different samples.MethodsA multi-stage random sampling approach was used to recruit 650 people from Beni-Suef City in South Egypt. All participants were interviewed using the Arabic version of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) after getting their informed consent. This instrument assesses people’s Beliefs and Self Reactions towards PWS in addition to their sociodemographic characteristics.ResultsThe Beliefs and Self Reactions subscores in addition to the Overall Stuttering Score of the Egyptian sample were remarkably lower than the median values of the reference database (12 versus 34), (-4 versus 2), and (4 versus 18), respectively. TV, radio, and films were the main sources of knowledge about stuttering. Egyptian participants who reported average to high income were more likely to have a positive attitude (≥50% of Overall Stuttering Score) towards PWS than their counterparts with low income (Odds Ratio = 1.57, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.08–2.28).ConclusionPeople in South Egypt showed a less positive attitude towards PWS compared with other populations worldwide. Further studies should focus on changing the public attitudes towards PWS through awareness programs that consider the cultural perspectives of the society.

Public attitudes toward stuttering in Europe: Within-country and between-country comparisons

IntroductionEpidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., “The West”), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by “The West” are similar. PurposeThis study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure. Material and methodsUsing convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England. ResultsAttitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes). ConclusionFactors related to national identity appear to play a significant role in differences in public attitudes in Europe and should be explored in future research.

Primary school teachers' opinions and attitudes towards stuttering in two South African urban education districts.

BackgroundAs teachers form an important part of the intervention process with children who stutter in primary school, the primary aim was to describe primary school teachers’ attitudes in South Africa. The secondary aim was to compare teachers’ attitudes towards stuttering in South Africa with those from a pooled group of respondents in the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA-S) database from different countries collected in 2009–2014.MethodA quantitative, cross-sectional survey research design was used. Primary schools in two education districts in Western Cape, South Africa, were sampled. The POSHA-S, a self-administered questionnaire, was completed by a cluster sample of 469 participants.ResultsOverall positive attitudes towards stuttering were found, specifically related to the potential of people who stutter, although the result should be interpreted with caution as the sample was not homogenously positive. Teachers still had misconceptions about personality stereotypes and the cause of stuttering. The attitudes of the South African sample were slightly more positive compared with the samples in the current POSHA-S database.ConclusionWhen developing stuttering intervention strategies, there are a number of key considerations to take into account. The study provides a basis for speech-language therapists to think about intervention with teachers and which areas of stuttering to consider.

Comparing Parents and Young Childrens Attitudes Toward Stuttering

Background: In this paper, two new measures of public attitudes toward stuttering, the public opinion survey of human attributes-stuttering/child (POSHA-S/Child), an epidemiological instrument for young children, and the appraisal of the stuttering environment (ASE), a clinical self-report instrument to measure attitudes among family members and close friends of stuttering clients, are compared with the widely-used public opinion survey of human attributes-stuttering (POSHA-S). Previous studies were integrated with a new study to document that both the POSHA-S/Child and the ASE provide similar summary ratings (Beliefs and Self Reactions sub scores and Overall Stuttering Scores) to the POSHA-S. Purpose: The study sought to document the extent to which measured stuttering attitudes on two new measures, the ASE and the POSHA-S/Child, correspond with an established measure, the POSHA-S. Second, it sought to determine the extent to which being a parent affected adults’ measured attitudes toward stuttering. Third, using the new measures, the study sought to compare young children’s attitudes with those of parents. Method: In the experimental portion of the study, parents of 3-7 year old children, parents of older children, and nonparents filled out the ASE either in paper or online versions. These results were compared to published research on children’s attitudes using the POSHA-S/Child. Results: Measured stuttering attitudes of all three groups of parents on the ASE, although disparate for several demographic variables, were nearly the same. Therefore, based on comparisons with reviewed studies of attitudes of young children using the POSHA-S/Child, parental attitudes were uniformly more positive than attitudes of young children. Implications: The results strongly suggest that one’s parental status has little effect on stuttering attitudes and that parent’ attitudes are more positive than attitudes of their young children.

Speech pathology student clinician attitudes and beliefs towards people who stutter: A mixed-method pilot study

PurposeStuttering is a disorder of fluency that extends beyond its physical nature and has social, emotional and vocational impacts. Research shows that individuals often exhibit negative attitudes towards people who stutter; however, there is limited research on the attitudes and beliefs of speech pathology students towards people who stutter in Australia. Existing research is predominantly quantitative; whereas this mixed-method study placed an emphasis on the qualitative component. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and beliefs of final year Australian speech pathology students towards people who stutter. MethodsThis mixed-method study applied the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes – Stuttering (POSHA-S) and semi-structured interviews to gather data from final year speech pathology students from a major university in Australia. Principal resultsThe overall qualitative findings identified that final year Australian speech pathology students exhibit positive attitudes towards people who stutter. The results also illustrated the role of education in influencing attitudes of students as well as increasing their confidence to work with people who stutter. Major conclusionThis research revealed that Australian final year speech pathology students exhibit positive attitudes towards people who stutter. They displayed an understanding that people who stutter may have acquired traits such as shyness as a response to their personal situation and environment, rather than those traits being endemic to them. Results also suggested that education can play a role in creating confident student clinicians in their transition to practice, and positively influence their attitudes and beliefs.

The Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) and Bipolar Adjective Scale (BAS): Aspects of validity

PurposeIn order to estimate instrument validity, attitudes toward stuttering measured by the newly developed Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) and the Woods and Williams (1976) semantic differential scale (referred to herein as the Bipolar Adjective Scale [BAS]) are compared in college students on one occasion as well as before and after coursework on fluency disorders. MethodUndergraduate and graduate students (n=321) from four universities filled out online versions of the POSHA-S and BAS. Two-thirds were speech-language pathology (SLP) majors; one-third were students in other majors. A subset of the SLP students (n=35) filled out the two instruments again after 8–13 weeks of coursework on fluency disorders. ResultsCorrelations between all ratings of the POSHA-S and BAS were run for the 321 students. Only 26% of the correlations were statistically significant (R≥±0.129), and the large majority of these reflected small relationships. POSHA-S ratings were correlated with up to 77% of the items of the BAS while BAS items were correlated with up to 45% of the POSHA-S ratings. After coursework on stuttering, students’ attitudes improved on both instruments, but more on the POSHA-S than the BAS. ConclusionsGreater evidence of discriminant validity than convergent validity characterized the POSHA-S and BAS. Both measures showed improved attitudes after fluency disorders coursework, but more so for the POSHA-S, confirming previous reports of construct validity. The POSHA-S taps relevant constructs not included in the BAS, which provide advantages for intracultural, international, and other comparisons of public attitudes toward stuttering.Learning outcomes: The reader will be able to: (1) describe differentiating characteristics of the POSHA-S and BAS as measures of public attitudes toward stuttering, (2) describe the overlap and lack of overlap in the constructs measured by POSHA-S and BAS, (3) describe discriminant versus convergent validity and (4) describe advantages of the POSHA-S and BAS in various types of comparative studies of stuttering attitudes.

Public attitudes toward stuttering in Poland

People who stutter often experience negative judgments and reactions to their stuttering from the nonstuttering majority. Many are stigmatized because of their stuttering and threatened with social exclusion, placing them at risk for compromised quality of life. The purpose of this investigation was to measure public attitudes toward stuttering in Poland. A sample of 268 respondents (mean age = 29 years; range = 15-60 years) from numerous different geographic and urban-rural settings in Poland filled out a Polish translation of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S). Polish respondents displayed attitudes toward stuttering and people who stutter that were generally similar or "average" in comparison with other samples around the world from the POSHA-S database. Although generally typical of other Western societies studied, attitudes of adolescents and adults from Poland were notably different in some ways, such as in the beliefs that emotional trauma or viruses and disease can cause stuttering as well as in the self reaction that they would feel uncomfortable speaking with a stuttering person. Overall, social exclusion and stigma are as likely among Poles who stutter as among most other populations studied.

Myopathies constitutionnelles ou acquises chez l’enfant : les éléments d’orientation du diagnostic

Epidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., “The West”), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by “The West” are similar.This study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure.Using convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England.Attitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes).Factors related to national identity appear to play a significant role in differences in public attitudes in Europe and should be explored in future research.

Arab school teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and reactions regarding stuttering

PurposeStereotypes toward stuttering and people who stutter (PWS) are widespread in the general public irrespective of age, level of education, culture, geographic location and profession. Negative attitudes held by persons of authority like teachers can lead to social, economic and educational obstacles in the lives of PWS. MethodThe current study used an Arabic translation of an adapted version of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) to explore Arab teachers’ knowledge and attitudes toward stuttering as well as strategies they adopt to cope with the problem in class. The participants were 262 in-service and 209 pre-service public school teachers in Kuwait. The results are contrasted to those of Arab parents in Kuwait reported earlier. ResultsAlthough many of the teachers knew a person who stutters well and were sensitive in their interactions with PWS, major findings of this study suggest that many were misinformed about the causes of stuttering and held stereotypical views about PWS, comparable to those reported in the literature. Very few differences were noted between opinions of teachers who were still in training and those who were practicing for an average of 11 years. ConclusionThe study underscores the need for awareness campaigns that target not only teachers who are currently working but also those still in training to dispel misconceptions about stuttering and ensure a better educational environment for PWS.Educational objectives: At the end of this activity the reader will be able to: (1) describe knowledge of stuttering and attitudes toward students who stutter and classroom strategies perceived to be helpful by pre-service and in-service teachers in Kuwait; (2) identify stereotypes toward stuttering across cultures, professions and geographic locations; and (3) list similarities and differences in attitude and knowledge of stuttering between parents and teachers.

Stuttering attitudes among Turkish family generations and neighbors from representative samples

Purpose Attitudes toward stuttering, measured by the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering ( POSHA-S), are compared among (a) two different representative samples; (b) family generations (children, parents, and either grandparents or uncles and aunts) and neighbors; (c) children, parents, grandparents/adult relatives, and neighbors of the same family/neighbor units vs. individuals from different family/neighbor units; and (d) attitudes from one Turkish city with an international database archive. Methods Following a school-based, three-stage, cluster probability sampling scheme, two sets of children, parents, grandparents/adult relatives, and neighbors (50 each) in Eskişehir, Turkey (PROB1 and PROB2) completed Turkish translations of the POSHA-S. The POSHA-S measures attitudes toward stuttering within the context of other attributes, such as obesity and mental illness. Results Both replicates of the sampling procedure yielded strikingly similar attitudes for stuttering between children, parents, grandparents/adult relatives, and neighbors in PROB1 vs. PROB2, and between all pair-wise comparisons within PROB1 and PROB2. By contrast, attitudes toward obesity and mental illness were dissimilar. Correlations were small to moderate among attitudes of the same family/neighbor units but were essentially nonexistent between different family/neighbor units. Attitudes toward stuttering in Eskişehir were estimated to be less positive than attitudes from a wide range of samples around the world, although exceptions occurred. Conclusions A school-based probability sampling procedure yielded consistent findings that are likely different from results from convenience samples. Families appear to be an important influence in determining public attitudes toward stuttering and other human attributes. Educational objectives : The reader will be able to: (i) identify similarities and differences among attitudes toward stuttering across generations; (ii) identify similarities and differences among attitudes toward stuttering in Turkey vs. other places in the world; (iii) describe a school-based probability sampling scheme; (iv) describe advantages of using a standard instrument to measure public attitudes toward stuttering.

Changing adolescent attitudes toward stuttering

Purpose Live oral or recorded video presentations on stuttering were delivered to high school students in order to determine the extent to which their attitudes toward stuttering could be improved. Methods A classroom teacher administered the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering ( POSHA-S) to two health classes before and after an oral live presentation by a person who stutters. She also gave the POSHA-S to two other similar classes before and after a True Life ® : I Stutter video presentation. The stuttering person in the oral condition was one of three people featured in the video. Also, following the video condition, students filled out the POSHA-S a third time after a short oral presentation by the same person who stutters. Results Measured attitudes improved overall on the POSHA-S and on selected items. Conclusions High school students hold similar attitudes toward stuttering and stutterers as adults, and these attitudes can be improved, at least temporarily, by a presentation on stuttering but more via a live presentation than a professionally prepared video. Educational objectives: (1) The reader will identify different ways to improve attitudes toward stuttering in high school students. (2) The reader will list advantages and disadvantages of live oral presentations and recorded video presentations as strategies to change attitudes toward stuttering. (3) The reader will identify characteristics of a speaker that can assist in attitude changes of high school students.