Effect Of Self-Disclosure Of Stammering On Listeners’ Perceptions

Abstract

Background: Adults who stammer (AWS) experience discomfort when engaging in social interactions. Their stammering status negatively affect how their listeners perceive and engage with them. Listener perception therefore leads to several negative consequences like social anxiety and low self-esteem among persons who stammer (PWS). Self-disclosure is one of the leading therapies recommended for PWS to improve their listeners’ perception of them. However, evidence is inconclusive on its effectiveness, and empirical evidence in Ghana is non-existent. Aim: This study investigated how self-disclosure and gender affect listeners’ perceptions towards AWS. Method: A convenient sample of 210 undergraduate students listened to 4 videos from two speakers (1 male and 1 female) narrating a scene from a popular movie. The male and the female speaker each did or did not self-disclosed their stammering status. The listeners then rated their perceptions of the speakers’ personality, communication intent, communication competence and social competence. A 2-Way MANOVA was used to estimate main and interaction effects of self-disclosure and gender on listener perception. Results: Self-disclosure had positive effect on perceived communication intent, communication competence and social competence, but not personality. Female AWS were rated more favourably on communication competence and social competence than males. Male AWS were rated more positively on communication intent. There was significant interaction effect of gender and disclosure on listener perceptions. Female AWS who disclosed their status were rated more favourably than men who disclosed on perceived communication intent. Conclusion: The effectiveness of self-disclosure on listener perception depends on the perceived intent of the communication and gender of the AWS.