Extraversion and communication attitude in people who stutter: A preliminary study

• The personality trait extraversion is correlated with the communication attitude in people who stutter.
• Extraversion correlated with a more positive communication attitude in people who stutter.
• Introversion correlated with a more negative communication attitude in people who stutter.
• The Erickson's Communication Attitude Scale (S-24) is sensitive to a person's degree of extraversion.
• The use of a personality test is recommended in multidimensional diagnosis of stuttering.

PurposeThe aim of the study was to determine the correlation between the personality trait extraversion and the communication attitude in people who stutter (PWS).MethodThirty PWS completed Erickson's Communication Attitude Scale (S-24) (Andrews & Cutler, 1974) as well as a Dutch adaptation of the extraversion scale of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (Hoekstra, Ormel, & Fruyt, 1996).ResultsThe communication attitude scores correlated significantly with the extraversion scores: PWS with a more negative communication attitude were more introvert and PWS with a more positive attitude were more extravert.ConclusionThis result suggests that the S-24 is not only sensitive to communication attitude in relation to speech impairment, but also to the respondent's degree of extraversion. Consequently, assessment of communication attitude needs to be re-thought so as to take personality factors into account.EducationalObjectivesReaders should be able to: (a) describe the difference between temperament and personality; (b) describe what the S-24 Communication Attitude Scale measures in PWS; (c) describe how the personality trait extraversion may influence the communication attitude in PWS; (d) describe how the extraversion scale is correlated to the communication attitude scale according to the authors of this article.