Is what I think really what I think?: Examining implicit and explicit attitudes toward stuttering

Abstract

This study assessed implicit and explicit attitudes toward people who stutter. Twenty-four typically-fluent college-aged participants completed an Implicit Association Test, a measure of implicit attitudes, to assess the strength of association between stuttered vs. fluent speech and positive vs. negative evaluative words. Participants also completed self-report ratings of their attitudes toward people who do and do not stutter and a social desirability scale. Results supported the existence of a negative stuttering stereotype. Participants demonstrated negative implicit and explicit attitudes toward people who stutter. Self-reported attitudes toward those who stutter, but not implicit attitudes, were significantly predicted by social desirability scores. These findings indicate the importance of examining both implicit and explicit attitudes toward stuttering to fully understanding the challenges faced by those who stutter.