Intervention to Improve Attitudes Toward Stuttering: A Multi-Site International Replication and Expansion
Background: Negative public attitudes promote undesirable stereotypes and stigma in stutterers. Method: To mitigate negative attitudes, 403 respondents combined from 16 international samples filled out the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S) before and after interventions to improve attitudes and were compared to 249 respondents from seven control groups. Investigators aimed (a) to replicate an extreme case of regression to the mean (i.e., “crossover” effect) reported earlier in larger combined samples in which respondents with high pre-scores ended with low post-scores, respondents with low pre-scores finished with high post-scores, and intermediate scorers were unchanged; and (b) to identify individual POSHA–S items related to overall attitude change and among the high and low scorers. Results: As in previous studies, stuttering attitudes improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. Intervention and control respondents demonstrated “crossover” but less than the earlier samples due to lower pre–post correlations. Item contributions to pre–post change and differences among the three change groups were inconsistent; however, high agreement items by respondents were less likely to vary than low agreement items. Conclusion: The “crossover” effect was replicated, and future research should explore its presence in other measures or conditions.
Authors
- Irena Polewczyk
- John A. Tetnowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6363-6116)
- Salman Abdi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5424-4479)
- Shweta Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0909-6021)
- Michael Azios (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5208-6641)
- Cara M. Singer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1520-0606)
- Shin Ying Chu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3558-0477)
- Krittika Kunda
- Sveta Fichman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4946-4506)
- Edna J. Carlo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0022-0543)
- Katarzyna Węsierska
- KO St. Louis
- Ben Bolton-Grant
- Lejla Junuzović-Žunić
- Hailey M. O'Como
- Janet S. Tilstra
- Bárbara M. Pratts Pérez
- Autumn Cannon
- Aneta Przepiórka
- Agata Błachnio
- Hossein Rezai
- Isabella Reichel
- Ann Beste-Guldborg
- Chelsea Roche
- Elizabeth F. Aliveto
- Catherine Porter
- Mohyeddin Teimouri Sangani
- Timothy Flynn
- Anne Z. Williams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6295-2195)
Institutions
- John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (PL)
- Oklahoma State University (US)
- Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- West Virginia University (US)
- Binghamton University (US)
- University of Tuzla (BA)
- University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus (PR)
- Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- St. Cloud State University (US)
- City University of New York (US)
- InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico (PR)
- University of Lucknow (IN)
- Montana State University Billings (US)
- Touro College (US)
- Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (GB)
- Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College (IL)
- Health Services Research & Development (US)
- Era's Lucknow Medical College and Hospital (IN)
- Loudoun County Public Library (US)
- Institute of Psychology (PL)
- Semnan University of Medical Sciences (IR)
- Grand Rapids Public Library (US)
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette (US)
- Leeds Beckett University (GB)
- Grand Valley State University (US)
- University of Silesia in Katowice (PL)
- National University of Malaysia (MY)
- Semnan University (IR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Data
- Published
- 2026-05-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/data11050111
- Primary Topic
- Stuttering Research and Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00