Kenneth O St Louis1, Hilda Sønsterud2, Lejla Junuzović-Žunić3, Donatella Tomaiuoli4, Francesca Del Gado5, Emilia Caparelli6, Mareen Theiling7, Cecilie Flobakk8, Lise Nesbakken Helmen9, Ragnhild R Heitmann10, Helene Kvenseth11, Sofia Nilsson12, Tobias Wetterling13, Cecilia Lundström14, Ciara Daly15, Margaret Leahy16, Laila Tyrrell17, David Ward18, Marta Węsierska19. 1. West Virginia University, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, 805 Allen Hall, PO Box 6122, Morgantown, WV 26506-6122, USA. Electronic address: ken.stlouis@mail.wvu.edu. 2. Statped, Department of Speech and Language Disorders, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: hilda.sonsterud@statped.no. 3. University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Electronic address: j.lejla@gmail.com. 4. CRC Balbuzie and University of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: d.tomaiuoli@crc-balbuzie.it. 5. CRC Balbuzie, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: f.delgado@crc-balbuzie.it. 6. CRC Balbuzie, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: e.caparelli@crc-balbuzie.it. 7. Rheinisch Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen University), Germany. Electronic address: mareen.theiling@rwth-aachen.de. 8. Aakershagan Training and Activity Centre, Stange, Hedmark, Norway. Electronic address: cecilieflo@hotmail.com. 9. The Special Pedagogical Team, Gran, Oppland, Norway. Electronic address: lise.nes@online.no. 10. Statped, Department of Speech and Language Disorders, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: ragnhild.r.heitmann@statped.no. 11. Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: hbknidaros@gmail.com. 12. Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: sofia.nilsson@med.lu.se. 13. Speech-Language Pathology, Helsingborg Hospital, Helsingborg, Sweden. Electronic address: tobias.wetterling@skane.se. 14. Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: cecilia.lundstrom@med.lu.se. 15. Wicklow Primary Healthcare Centre, Knockrobin, Wicklow Town, Ireland. Electronic address: ciaraann.daly@hse.ie. 16. Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: mleahy@tcd.ie. 17. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Thatcham, UK. Electronic address: laila_mallah@hotmail.co.uk. 18. University of Reading, Reading, UK. Electronic address: d.ward@reading.ac.uk. 19. University of York, York, UK. Electronic address: mw700@york.ac.uk.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., "The West"), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by "The West" are similar. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England. RESULTS: Attitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes). CONCLUSION: Factors related to national identity appear to play a significant role in differences in public attitudes in Europe and should be explored in future research.
INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., "The West"), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by "The West" are similar. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England. RESULTS: Attitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes). CONCLUSION: Factors related to national identity appear to play a significant role in differences in public attitudes in Europe and should be explored in future research.