A Personality Study of Stutterers and Non-Stutterers

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Abstract
30 stutterers, 8 [female]''s and 22 [male]''s, who were members of a speech correction class at the University of Southern California were studied on 4 tests of personality: tht Henmon-Nelson Tests of Mental Ability, Form A, the Guilford Inventory of Factors S T D C R, the Rorschach ink blot test and the Murray Thematic Apperception Test. The controlled group of 30 non-stutterers was matched with the stutterers for age ([plus or minus] 5 yrs.), sex, decile rating on the Henmon-Nelson Tests of Mental Ability, and college experience. The limitations of the various tests are discussed. A common statistical method was not feasible in interpreting the results since the tests interpreted different things. The author states that the Rorschach test is not amenable to statistical treatment or qualitative evaluation. On the Inventory of Factors S T D C R, the stutterers are more socially introverted, more depressed, and less happy-go-lucky than non-stutterers. On the Rorschach, the main difference appeared to be in the stutterers'' failure to set movement, the author indicating this is a failure to respond impulsively to outside environment. There were no color nor movement responses in the Rorschach test. On the Thematic Apperception Test, there were no significant differences between the groups. The author states that the Rorschach and such tests are valuable for further study of individual stutterers.