Maintenance of Improved Attitudes Toward Stuttering

Purpose

This study sought to determine the extent to which experimentally induced positive attitudes in high school students in a previous investigation were maintained 7 years later.

Method

Authors and assistants recruited 36 adults in their early 20s (Follow-up group) who, in high school, had witnessed either a live oral talk by a person who stutters or a professionally made video on stuttering designed for teens followed by a short talk by the same speaker. The Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering was administered before and after the interventions in high school and 7 years later such that pre–post group comparisons were made. Previously, the Follow-up group had demonstrated highly positive changes in their attitudes after the interventions. In addition, a control group of 56 former high school students from the same state, who did not participate in the interventions, were recruited and compared to the Follow-up group.

Results

The Follow-up group, which was found to be representative of the original high school cohort, held more positive Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering mean ratings than the Control group, although somewhat less positive than their previous postintervention ratings.

Conclusions

The Follow-up group maintained many of the positive changes in their beliefs and self reactions regarding stuttering that were induced 7 years earlier after witnessing personal stories and facts about stuttering.

from #ORL-AlexandrosSfakianakis via ola Kala on Inoreader https://ift.tt/2q7OxCs