Anticipation in stuttering: A theoretical model of the nature of stutter prediction

Publication date: Available online 26 March 2015 Source:Journal of Fluency Disorders Author(s): Mauricio A. Garcia-Barrera , Jason H. Davidow The fact that some people who stutter have the ability to anticipate a stuttering moment is essential for several theories of stuttering and important for maximum effectiveness of many currently used treatment techniques. The “anticipation effect,” however, is poorly understood despite much investigation into this phenomenon. In the present paper, we combine (1) behavioral evidence from the stuttering-anticipation literature, (2) speech production models, and (3) models of error detection to propose a theoretical model of anticipation. Integrating evidence from theories such as Damasio's Somatic Marker Hypothesis, Levelt's Perceptual Monitoring Theory, Guenther's The Directions Into Velocities of Articulators (DIVA) model, Postma's Covert Repair Hypothesis, among others, our central thesis is that the anticipation of a stuttering moment occurs as an outcome of the interactions between previous learning experiences (i.e., learnt associations between stuttered utterances and any self-experienced or environmental consequence) and error monitoring. Possible neurological mechanisms involved in generating conscious anticipation are also discussed, along with directions for future research. Educational Objectives : The reader will be able to: (a) describe historical theories that explain how PWS may learn to anticipate stuttering;...
Source: Journal of Fluency Disorders - Category: Speech Therapy Source Type: research