Behavioral Rigidity in Stutterers

Twelve young adult male stutterers were compared with a matched control group in a test developed to assess several dimensions of “behavioral rigidity.” The test yields rigidity scores in three areas: Motor-Cognitive, Personality-Perceptual, and Psychomotor Speed—as well as a Composite Rigidity score expressing the over-all test performance. Stutterers were found to evidence more rigidity than the controls in only the Motor-Cognitive dimension. The findings are consistent with the results of earlier studies suggesting that perseveration does not exist as a general factor in stutterers, but that stutterers do evidence less flexibility in mental tests requiring a rapid and contiguous change of set. On the other hand, the findings contradict the hypothesis that “moral rigidity” is a trait typical of stutterers.