The Relationship between Speech Disfluencies Produced under Delayed Auditory Feedback and Auditory Processing Skills in Fluent Speakers.

Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) is known to produce speech disruptions in fluent speakers. The present study examined the relationship between individuals\u27 susceptibility to DAF and their auditory processing skills. Forty participants (20 males and 20 females) read and produced monologue at no delay and 3 different delay levels of 100, 200, and 400 ms. Auditory processing skills were evaluated using dichotic digits test (DDT) and staggered spondaic word (SSW) test. Males produced significantly more Stuttering-Like Disfluencies (SLDs) under DAF than females. Significantly more SLDs were observed during conversation compared to reading. Overall, there was significant correlation between the frequency of SLDs and auditory performance on SSW test. Females scored significantly better on both SSW test and DDT compared to males. Scores on attention regulation questionnaire were not significantly different between genders. Fewer SLDs observed in females under DAF could be attributed to their superior control of auditory processing resources compared to males