Thursday, November 16, 2006

Factors increasing stuttering

In my previous post, I asked how to make a stutterer stutter more. Research / therapy always looks at how to increase fluency. But would knowing which factors increase dysfluency not also help to understand stuttering?

Here are a few factors that I came up with:
1) general tiredness,
2) multi-tasking,
3) stress,
4) nervousness,
5) fear,
6) triggers recalling past experiences.

I should probably distinguish between two aspects:
a) decreasing fundamental control of the speech system.
b) triggering behaviours and habits that cause secondary symptoms.

I think a) is impacted by 1) and 2), and to some degree 3), 4) and 5).
And b) is impacted by 3), 4), 5), 6).

This is just brainstorming. I might change my mind. If you have more ideas, pls post them.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not a true stutterer, but sometimes do it mildly, especially under the conditions of 1), 2), 3), 4), and 5). But as a female, I've noticed that hormonal fluctuations are a big factor too. I've wondered if there might be some connection between stuttering and obsessive/compulsive tendencies. Maybe there's a similar mechanism for repetitive thoughts, etc. and stuttering?

Tom Weidig said...

Thx for the contributions. The speech system as any other brain system is dependent on the general state of the brain.

We (our brain and body) have good days and bad days, which impact all systems. But because speaking is so unstable in people with PDS, the impact is greater.

And hormonal changes are part of the story, especially in women. For example, I would expect that stuttering is getting worse for women with PMS.

Einar said...

Other factors triggering stuttering:
* inconfidence in a particular situation
* mood
* impatience of the person one is having a conversation with
* situations in which fluency is perceived to be essential