Stuttering children: Investigation of a stereotype

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Abstract
Previous reports have indicated the presence of a largely negative stereotype of the ‘stuttering personality’. To determine whether such a stereotype extended to young children of both sexes who stutter, clinicians, student clinicians and teachers were asked to rate eight hypothetical constructs on 25 bipolar rating scales used in previous research. The stereotype was found to exist, particularly for school‐age stuttering boys, and was in agreement with previous reports. There were some differences in the strength of the reported stereotype, depending on age and sex of the construct, and differences were also reflected in the beliefs reported by student clinicians at different stages in their course. The strength of the stereotype appeared to be unaffected by exposure to stuttering individuals. Possible explanations of the origins and maintenance of the stereotype are considered.