Student Research Papers in Communicative
Sciences and Disorders
(See below for ordering information)
VOLUME 7-2000
Titles and Abstracts
*Brown, Roland
INFORMATION, CONFIDENCE AND ACCURACY IN CLINICAL DIAGNOSES
While researchers in other fields have investigated the decision-making
processes of their clinicians, very little has been published
on the subject in speech-language pathology. This study focused
on the influence of information on the confidence of clinicians
in their diagnostic judgments. Experienced speech-language pathologists
and graduate students were given either one of two case studies-one
containing relevant diagnostic information and the other containing
irrelevant diagnostic information. They were asked to make diagnostic
judgments and to rate their confidence in those judgments. Results
showed experienced SLPs were more accurate and confident than
graduate students when given relevant diagnostic information,
but no more accurate or confident when given irrelevant information.
Both groups were grossly overconfident when given irrelevant
information. Pp. 1-9.
*Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association, November, 2000, Washington,
D.C.
Rikeman, Gwen
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING COMPREHENSION, READING SPEED,
RECEPTIVE VOCABULARY AND PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN NORMAL
ADOLESCENTS
Previous research suggests that oral language skills, including
phonological awareness skills, may influence reading comprehension
differently at different age levels. In this study the reading
comprehension, reading speed, receptive vocabulary and phonological
awareness skills of fifteen normal adolescents (mean age 14.12)
were examined and compared. Results indicated a strong positive
correlation (r =.8725) between reading comprehension and receptive
vocabulary. However, no significant correlations between reading
comprehension and phonological awareness or reading speed were
seen in these subjects. These results suggest that in normal
adolescents variables other than phonological awareness are responsible
for advancing reading comprehension abilities. Pp. 10-16.
Comyns, Arianna
A COMPARISON OF USING OBJECTS VERSUS PICTORIAL REPRESENTATIONS
IN
ASSESSING CHILD LANGUAGE
The expressive naming ability of ten preschool children with
normal language development, when given objects or pictorial
representations, was the comparative focus to this study. All
children received each condition, spaced two weeks apart. Each
child was asked to name the fifteen pictures or objects. The
presentation of stimulus items was counterbalanced with half
of the subjects initially receiving the picture stimuli, and
half receiving the objects first. Results indicated that objects
produced significantly higher correct responses (mean = 11.0
vs. mean = 9.0) and that the order of presentation was not a
determining factor. Nine of the ten children scored higher on
objects rather than on pictures. Pp. 17-22.
Sivilay, Vanna
THE IMPACT OF SELF-HELP GROUPS ON ATTITUDE AND SELF-MONITORING
OF
STUTTERERS
The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of self-help
groups on the attitudes and self-monitoring tendencies of people
who stutter. This was done through statistical analysis of 50
adult stutterers. The correlation between length of participation
in self-help groups and the resultant attitudes toward the participants'
own stuttering was tested with data gathered from an email survey.
The data were analyzed using the Erickson Scale (attitudinal
change) and the Snyder Scale (self-monitoring skills). The length
of participation in self-help groups was broken down into six
categories, with the length of participation in self-help groups
and the consistency of attendance examined as well. The results
showed no correlation between length of membership or attendance
and attitudes toward one's own communication or self-monitoring
skills. Pp. 23-31.
*Cullinan, Sandra E.
AN EXAMINATION OF RELAPSE OVER TIME: SSMP PARTICIPANTS' SELF-RATINGS
OF CHANGES IN ATTITUDE, COMMUNICATIVE ABILITIES, AND SELF ACCEPTANCE
Participants of the Successful Stuttering Management Program
(SSMP) from the years 1994 through 1999 were surveyed to examine
their changes in communicative abilities and attitudes toward
stuttering across years. Results indicated that, while some relapse
was evident in areas such as fear of certain sounds, words,and
speaking situations, self-ratings in all other areas of communicative
ability and attitudes toward stuttering showed a minimal decline
across the years. Differences between pre- and post-therapy self-ratings
were significant. Treatment provided by the SSMP is addressed
within the framework of the International Classification of Impairments,
Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH). This study further proposes
that participants' self-ratings are a valid measure of the efficacy
of a treatment program for stuttering. Pp. 32-54.
*Paper to be presented at the Annual Convention of the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association, November, 2000, Washington,
D.C.
Lipshiz, Inna
ALPHABETIC VERSUS CATEGORICAL RECALL IN UNEVEN RUSSIAN-ENGLISH
BILINGUALS
The mechanism by which Russian native speakers store and retrieve
Russian and English words from memory was investigated in an
experiment. Fluency of retrieval was compared for alphabetic
versus categorical recall. In both languages individuals retrieved
more words by category than by letter cue. The ratio of recall
by category to recall by letter was remarkably the same in both
languages: Rc/Ra=Ec/Ea (R- Russian, E-English,
a-alphabetical, c-categorical. The data suggest that the mechanism
by which individuals store and retrieve words is the same for
native and second languages. The additional goal of this study
was to obtain normative data on fluency tasks in English for
uneven bilinguals, since fluency tasks are included in aphasia
and TBI test batteries. The mean number of words retrieved by
native speakers of Russian and English was as follows: 12.45
words by category and 10.25 words by letter. Pp. 54-61.
Wiens, Ken
PREVALENCE OF THE GLOTTAL STOP AND VOWEL EPENTHESIS IN THE
SPEECH
PRODUCTION OF JAPANESE NONNATIVE SPEAKERS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH
The purpose of this study was (a) to determine the prevalence
of two phonological processes: the use of the glottal stop to
produce short vowels, and vowel epenthesis in the speech of Japanese
nonnative speakers of American English enrolled in an American
university and (b) to take intelligibility measures of the words
in which the processes occurred. Separate recordings were made
of six Japanese university students while they read sentences
created by the author. Test words in the recordings were judged
by two graduate students in a speech-language pathology program
for the presence of the glottal stop and/or vowel epenthesis,
and intelligibility on a 5 point scale. Results revealed the
mean prevalence of the glottal stop and epentheses in the sample
was 76% and 40% respectively for opportunities given. The group
mean for test words requiring remediation due to glottal stops
was 29%. The group mean for test words requiring remediation
due to epenthesis was 45%. Findings suggest that ending a short
vowel with a glottal stop is a phonological process commonly
present in the speech of Japanese nonnative speakers of American
English at the university level. Inter judge differences noted
in the study suggest that recommendations for remediation of
American English spoken by native Japanese students who are enrolled
in American universities will vary by judge. Pp. 62-71.
Ordering information:
To order any of the above papers, send a request through regular
inter-library loan to California State University, East Bay Libraries,
Hayward, California 94542. Include author, title, volume, call
number and page numbers.
TITLE Student research papers in communicative sciences
and disorders. PUBL. INFO. Hayward, Calif. : Dept. of Communicative
Sciences and Disorders, California State University, East Bay,
1999-
DESCRIPT v. : i11. ; 28 cm.
SUBJECT Communicative disorders. Speech therapy.
NOTE Title from cover. Vol. 7
ADDL AUTHOR California State University, East Bay.
Communicative Sciences and Disorders Dept.
