Measuring and changing negative stuttering stereotypes in adolescents

Stuttering is known to carry stereotypes, e.g., that people who stutter are nervous, anxious, and shy. Research has shown that negative stereotypes about people who stutter exist within the general population. Moreover, negative stereotypes exist among teachers, students, speech-language pathologists, and even the parents of people who stutter. While public opinion of stuttering does not vary dramatically between populations, the ways in which we might change it does. Research has shown that educational videos, books, and classes about stuttering do not appear to significantly alter public opinion positively.;This study compared the effectiveness of two forms of advocacy, a live presentation versus a video presentation, in altering the stuttering stereotype among adolescents. Participants filled out a questionnaire before they were exposed to a 45-minute live presentation or a 45-minute video presentation. After these live and video presentations, they completed a second questionnaire. Then, participants who watched the video were exposed to a shortened 20-minute live presentation followed by a third and final questionnaire.;Results indicated that adolescents showed evidence of negative stereotypes towards people who stutter prior to the presentations. Overall, there were 27 significant positive attitude changes towards stuttering (p \u3c 0.005), 15 for live presentations and 12 for video presentations. Five additional significant positive attitude changes occurred after the video presentation as a result of the shortened live presentation. These findings demonstrate that adolescents\u27 opinions on stuttering can be altered in a positive direction. A live presentation appears to have a greater positive impact on altering attitudes than a video presentation, and moreover, a shortened live presentation following a video presentation can further alter attitudes positively