An application of learning theory to secondary aspects of stuttering

Abstract

The concepts of primary and secondary stuttering are re-evoked to provide a framework for a discussion of the theoretical division of stuttering into a series of responses. The stuttering behaviours of an advanced stutterer are divided into those of awareness, avoidance, the 'moment of stuttering', a release response and the utterance of the word. One set of responses, those of avoidance, are treated within various learning theory paradigms, namely, the Mowrer-Ullman hypothesis, chaining, superstition, and an avoidance-escape dichotomy. Although no direct therapeutic implications are deduced from these analogies, the value for the speech pathologist of a knowledge of the principles and techniques of learning theory, is stressed.