Some comments on aspects of the methodology for the measurement of stuttering

The measurement of stuttering in a conversational context presents certain problems that are difficult to resolve despite a vast literature on the appraisal of stuttering behaviour. This view stems from problems encountered in a study designed to gauge the effects of conflict generated in a family context, on the stuttering behaviour of the child. Conflict was defined as a social process and was induced for the purpose of this study, by a standardised communication conflict situation. The results of the study were not significant, however, it was not concluded that stuttering and conflict are not related. Rather, there are difficulties in establishing this relationship. One of the difficulties concerns the measurement of stuttering. This paper is concerned with some aspects of the methodology for the measurement of stuttering that seem inadequate for research that has as its data, conversational interaction in a family context. Some alternative strategies are suggested.

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Reliability of the Conversational Interaction Coding Form When Applied to Natural Conversation of Individuals With Aphasia

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld20.4.125 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 125-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ashley Pozzolo Coote ◽

Jane Pimentel

Keyword(s):

Best Practice ◽

Interobserver Reliability ◽

Training Session ◽

Clinical Tool ◽

Group Setting ◽

Conversational Interaction ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Aphasia Therapy ◽

Natural Conversation ◽

Point To Point

Purpose: Development of valid and reliable outcome tools to document social approaches to aphasia therapy and to determine best practice is imperative. The aim of this study is to determine whether the Conversational Interaction Coding Form (CICF; Pimentel & Algeo, 2009) can be applied reliably to the natural conversation of individuals with aphasia in a group setting. Method: Eleven graduate students participated in this study. During a 90-minute training session, participants reviewed and practiced coding with the CICF. Then participants independently completed the CICF using video recordings of individuals with non-fluent and fluent aphasia participating in an aphasia group. Interobserver reliability was computed using matrices representative of the point-to-point agreement or disagreement between each participant's coding and the authors' coding for each measure. Interobserver reliability was defined as 80% or better agreement for each measure. Results: On the whole, the CICF was not applied reliably to the natural conversation of individuals with aphasia in a group setting. Conclusion: In an extensive review of the turns that had high disagreement across participants, the poor reliability was attributed to inadequate rules and definitions and inexperienced coders. Further research is needed to improve the reliability of this potentially useful clinical tool.

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Speech Acts and Conversational Interaction

10.1017/cbo9780511554452 ◽

1995 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Michael L. Geis

Keyword(s):

Speech Acts ◽

Conversational Interaction

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Individual Differences in Mental Rotation

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169/a000184 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 164-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Peter Khooshabeh ◽

Mary Hegarty ◽

Thomas F. Shipley

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Mental Rotation ◽

Response Times ◽

Task Demands ◽

Mental Rotation Task ◽

Imagery Ability ◽

Alternative Strategies

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that imagery ability and figural complexity interact to affect the choice of mental rotation strategies. Participants performed the Shepard and Metzler (1971) mental rotation task. On half of the trials, the 3-D figures were manipulated to create “fragmented” figures, with some cubes missing. Good imagers were less accurate and had longer response times on fragmented figures than on complete figures. Poor imagers performed similarly on fragmented and complete figures. These results suggest that good imagers use holistic mental rotation strategies by default, but switch to alternative strategies depending on task demands, whereas poor imagers are less flexible and use piecemeal strategies regardless of the task demands.

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