Abstract
This study assessed emotional and speech-language contributions to childhood stuttering. A dual diathesis-stressor framework
guided this study, in which both linguistic requirements and skills, and emotion and its regulation, are hypothesized to contribute
to stuttering. The language diathesis consists of expressive and receptive language skills. The emotion diathesis consists
of proclivities to emotional reactivity and regulation of emotion, and the emotion stressor consists of experimentally manipulated
emotional inductions prior to narrative speaking tasks. Preschool-age children who do and do not stutter were exposed to three
emotion-producing overheard conversations—neutral, positive, and angry. Emotion and emotion-regulatory behaviors were coded
while participants listened to each conversation and while telling a story after each overheard conversation. Instances of
stuttering during each story were counted. Although there was no main effect of conversation type, results indicated that
stuttering in preschool-age children is influenced by emotion and language diatheses, as well as coping strategies and situational
emotional stressors. Findings support the dual diathesis-stressor model of stuttering.
guided this study, in which both linguistic requirements and skills, and emotion and its regulation, are hypothesized to contribute
to stuttering. The language diathesis consists of expressive and receptive language skills. The emotion diathesis consists
of proclivities to emotional reactivity and regulation of emotion, and the emotion stressor consists of experimentally manipulated
emotional inductions prior to narrative speaking tasks. Preschool-age children who do and do not stutter were exposed to three
emotion-producing overheard conversations—neutral, positive, and angry. Emotion and emotion-regulatory behaviors were coded
while participants listened to each conversation and while telling a story after each overheard conversation. Instances of
stuttering during each story were counted. Although there was no main effect of conversation type, results indicated that
stuttering in preschool-age children is influenced by emotion and language diatheses, as well as coping strategies and situational
emotional stressors. Findings support the dual diathesis-stressor model of stuttering.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s10802-011-9581-8
- Authors
- Tedra A. Walden, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Box 552, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
- Carl B. Frankel, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Box 552, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
- Anthony P. Buhr, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Kia N. Johnson, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Edward G. Conture, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Jan M. Karrass, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Box 552, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
- Journal Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2835
- Print ISSN 0091-0627