An event-contingent method to track disfluency effects on the relationship and the self.

What is already known on the subject Even though adverse effects of stuttering on the experience of self-esteem have been reported, the evidence for this relation is equivocal. Because the evidence is mixed, it becomes interesting to examine the processes that provide insight in how stuttering may affect self-esteem. Theoretically, reductions of self-esteem among PWS are often explained by individual negative cognitions or emotions of the PWS or their conversation partners. Methodologically, studies examine this relation by single self-report measures, or by laboratory studies. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Our theoretical model shows that the flow of a conversation can be seen as a representation of the relationship between speakers, and that by disrupting this flow, a stutter directly threatens this relationship, and in turn, affects self-esteem. Methodologically, we present a new, event-contingent, method that assesses fluctuations in self-esteem over time and thereby allows one to assess the predictive value of specific conversational experiences. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Going beyond the study of stable individual cognitions and emotions of PWS and listeners, our findings show that a close examination of between-conversation fluctuations in flow can teach us about the day-to-day reality of people living with speech disorders, and the way they develop relationships and self-esteem.