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From: Jocelyn S.
Date: 21 Oct 2009
Time: 23:33:45 -0500
Remote Name: 207.75.38.183
RESEARCH: Construct and concurrent validity of a prototype questionnaire to survey public attitudes toward stuttering. St. Louis, K., Reichel, I, Yaruss, J., & Lubker, B., Journal of Fluency Disorders, Vol 34, 1, pp. 11-28, doi: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2009.02.001 ABSTRACT: Purpose: Construct validity and concurrent validity were investigated in a prototype survey instrument, the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Experimental Edition (POSHA-E). The POSHA-E was designed to measure public attitudes toward stuttering within the context of eight other attributes, or “anchors,” assumed to range from negative (e.g., “mental illness”), to neutral (e.g., “left handed”), to positive (e.g., “intelligent”). CONNECTION: Researchers put together a questionnaire and had the participants answer the questionnaire before and after a class on fluency. The purpose of the test was to determine attitudes towards stuttering before and after the education received in the class. The researchers found that with education, the participants’ attitudes towards those who stutter become generally more positive. This article shows that with education, negative attitudes towards stuttering can become more positive. The article did say that the participants weren’t exactly a representative sample of students at a university, but that they believe the same principle can be applied to those students. Although this article tested attitudes before and after a fluency class, I wonder if this research could leave us any clues about the public’s attitudes towards stuttering before and after perhaps a workshop. Would a workshop be a beneficial way to accomplish stuttering awareness, or is there another way? The research presented in the article leads me to believe that with a campaign on universities to raise stuttering awareness, both faculty and students will become better educated on this important issue and perhaps even change attitudes about stuttering to become more positive. Empathy, understanding, and better services could increase as a result of this education. I hope that in the future, we will see an increase in awareness and action to help demand better services for those who stutter.