Heather D. Salvo, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Postdoctoral Researcher
Wisconsin Intelligibility, Speech, and Communication (WISC) Laboratory
Waisman Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Challenge and Threat Appraisals of Preschool-Age Children who Stutter
Many researchers subscribe to the notion that stuttering is a multifactorial communication disorder that is impacted by stress and emotions (e.g., Smith & Weber, 2017). Findings comparing children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) have varied in results on measures of emotional reactivity and emotion regulation, with some reporting differences (e.g., Walsh & Usler, 2019) while others do not (e.g., Eggers et al., 2018). One factor that could account for the variability in findings regarding emotion-related processes and stuttering is appraisal. Appraisal is the mediating process between a stimuli, event, or stressor and an individuals’ response (e.g., thoughts, behaviors, physiological activity). To date, researchers have not investigated the potential role of appraisal tendencies in the onset, maintenance, and exacerbation of developmental stuttering. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate whether preschool-age CWS, compared to CWNS, differ in their appraisal of tasks that vary in context (i.e., speech, nonspeech) as well as stress (e.g., time pressure, constructive feedback). The study incorporated a variety of dependent measures that can be used to infer appraisal, including aspects of temperament, facial coding of emotional responses, and persistence or avoidance behaviors when faced with difficulties.
Funding: This project was completed with support from the Kent State University Graduate Student Senate Research Award and the Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services Graduate Student Grant Program.