College Students' Perspectives on Dating a Person Who Stutters.

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' perspectives on dating a person who stutters (PWS). One hundred and thirty-two college students responded to a 19-item survey questionnaire. Survey items included questions about participants' familiarity with persons who stutter, family and/or personal history of stuttering, knowledge of stuttering behaviors, beliefs about the cause of stuttering, whether they would date a person who stutters, and factors that would influence their decision to date or not date a PWS. Results indicated that approximately 30 percent of respondents stated they would date a person who stuttered. Approximately half of the participants were unsure if they would date a PWS and would base their decision on the personality, severity of stuttering, physical attractiveness and intelligence of the PWS. Findings suggest that at least three of the four factors cited by college students as important in their decision to date someone who stutters can, to varying degrees, be modified by the PWS (i.e., personality, stuttering severity, and appearance). These factors are potential treatment outcome goals for many college students who stutter and should be explored by the client, clinician or counselor as part of the process of therapeutic change. Introduction College life represents a time of transition for most students. During this period of time college students are faced with almost unrestricted freedom of choice, and numerous opportunities to explore their new environment and all that it offers. This autonomy is balanced by students' need to choose a major, select classes, and perform well academically. For some students, college provides them with an opportunity to remake themselves and discard their high school image. Others, while in college, will experience their first intense romantic relationship, with the associated joy or heart break. For students with a communication disorder like stuttering, their general ability to fully transition and more specifically, their ability to engage in romantic encounters can be especially challenging. Stuttering is a speech disorder that occurs across all cultures, in which the normal flow of speech is disrupted (ASHA, 2012). Stuttering affects over three million people in the United States, roughly one percent of the population (Bloodstein & Bernstein Ramer, 2008) and is found in 0.30 percent of students attending college (Culton, 1986). Several types of disfluencies such as repetitions, prolongations, and blocks characterize stuttered speech. Unusual facial and body movements, referred to as secondary behaviors, are also associated with stuttering (Bloodstein & Bemstein Rather, 2008). Additionally, stuttering may affect interpersonal relationships, which means that intervention is not just with the person who stutters (PWS), but also with all people within his/her communication network (Klein & Hood, 2004; Shapiro, 2011; Sheehan, 1970). Shapiro (2011) notes that this communication network could include spouses, girlfriends, and boyfriends. Studies suggest that many PWS view their stuttering as an obstacle to forming relationships and often makes it difficult for them to talk to members of the opposite or same sex to whom they may be attracted (Hayhow, Cray & Enderby, 2002; Klompas & Ross, 2004). In fact, one survey investigation conducted by Shears and Jensema (1969) reported that adults who stutter were rated as suitable marriage partners by only seven percent of respondents (all of whom were non-stutterers). Moreover, it has been reported that although PWS are thought to have minimal disadvantage during the initial phases of relationships, they are viewed as having greatly diminished opportunities for successful long-term romantic relationships (Zhang, Saltuklaroglu, Hough & Kalinowski, 2009). However, others have suggested that PWS have the potential for full and satisfying intimate relationships (Boberg & Boberg, 1990; Linn & Caruso, 1998). …