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Dual Diathesis-Stressor Model of Emotional and Linguistic Contributions to Developmental Stuttering

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Abstract

This study assessed emotional and speech-language contributions to childhood stuttering. A dual diathesis-stressor framework guided this study, in which both linguistic requirements and skills, and emotion and its regulation, are hypothesized to contribute to stuttering. The language diathesis consists of expressive and receptive language skills. The emotion diathesis consists of proclivities to emotional reactivity and regulation of emotion, and the emotion stressor consists of experimentally manipulated emotional inductions prior to narrative speaking tasks. Preschool-age children who do and do not stutter were exposed to three emotion-producing overheard conversations—neutral, positive, and angry. Emotion and emotion-regulatory behaviors were coded while participants listened to each conversation and while telling a story after each overheard conversation. Instances of stuttering during each story were counted. Although there was no main effect of conversation type, results indicated that stuttering in preschool-age children is influenced by emotion and language diatheses, as well as coping strategies and situational emotional stressors. Findings support the dual diathesis-stressor model of stuttering.

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Author notes

  1. Anthony P. Buhr

    Present address: Department of Communication Disorders, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA

  2. Kia N. Johnson

    Present address: Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA

  3. Jan M. Karrass

    Present address: Center for Patient & Professional Advocacy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Box 552, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Tedra A. Walden, Carl B. Frankel & Jan M. Karrass

  2. Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Anthony P. Buhr, Kia N. Johnson & Edward G. Conture

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  1. Tedra A. Walden
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  2. Carl B. Frankel
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  3. Anthony P. Buhr
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  5. Edward G. Conture
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Correspondence to Tedra A. Walden.

Additional information

This work was supported in part by an NICHD training grant (T32-CH18921), NICHD Grant P30HD15052, NIH Grants R01 DC000523-13 and R01 DC006477-01A2, Vanderbilt CTSA grant UL1 RR024975 from NCRR/NIH and a Vanderbilt University Discovery Grant. The research reported herein does not reflect the views of the NIH, NICHD, NIDCD or Vanderbilt University.

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Walden, T.A., Frankel, C.B., Buhr, A.P. et al. Dual Diathesis-Stressor Model of Emotional and Linguistic Contributions to Developmental Stuttering. J Abnorm Child Psychol 40, 633–644 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9581-8

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