How do negative evaluation sensitivity, anxiety sensitivity, and expectancy combine to determine fear in people who stutter and people who do not stutter?

Abstract

There has been a long history of research into the possible relationship between anxiety and stuttering. Despite this history, however, relatively little research has focused on components of anxiety and how these components combine to create fear responses in both fluent speakers and persons who stutter. This study was designed to determine if differences existed between fluent speakers (FS) and persons who stutter (PWS) with respect to components of fear described by Reiss’ (1991) expectancy model. Twenty PWS and twenty FS were provided with a hypothetical social communication scenario and asked to complete measures related to predicted anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, and expectancy. Results indicated that the FS group behaved as predicted by Reiss’ model but the PWS group did not. Results suggested that clinicians working with people who stutter may tend to view their client’s anxiety based upon their own experiences. Clinicians should explore the client’s components of fear and how it is playing a role in their experience of stuttering.