A Comparison of Stutterers and Nonstutterers in a Task of Controlled Voice Onset

The purpose of this study was to determine if stutterers and nonstutterers differed in their ability to initiate phonation repeatedly with a gentle voice onset. Ten stutterers and ten nonstutterers were asked to phonate the vowel /a/ with an average rise time slower than 52.3 dB/see while starting the voice at or below 63 dB SPL. Voice productions were monitored by voice monitor, which is used in the administration of the Precision Fluency Shaping Program. Measurements of number of attempts and time to reach criterion, percentage of correct productions, and intensity levels of each production were made. There were no significant differences between the two groups for any of the variables examined. Results were compared with other studies demonstrating phonatory differences between stutterers and nonstutterers.