Complex nonverbal response inhibition and stopping impulsivity in childhood stuttering

Abstract

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to examine complex nonverbal response inhibition and stopping impulsivity in children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS).

Method: A total of 30 CWS and 30 CWNS between the ages of 3;1 and 6;0 (years; months) performed the Peg-Tapping Task (PTT; Diamond & Taylor, 1996; Luria, 1966), in which children were required to tap a dowel once when an examiner taps twice and vice versa. The main dependent variables were the number of practice trials, response accuracy, response latency for accurate responses, and the number of extra taps (i.e., tapping more than two times).

Results: The CWS were less accurate and slower on the PTT than the CWNS, with no differences in the number of practice trials. Furthermore, the CWS, especially boys, produced more extra taps than the CWNS.

Conclusions: Findings revealed that preschool CWS have weaknesses in complex response inhibition and stopping impulsivity in the nonverbal domain compared to CWNS. Taken together, these findings along with those of previous studies indicate that CWS may have weaknesses in inhibition and impulsivity in the nonverbal domain as well as the verbal domain, suggesting a domain-general weakness.

Keywords: Children; Cognition; Impulsivity; Inhibition; Stuttering.

Figure A1

Adjusted Mean (and standard error of the mean) Number of Correct Responses for CWS and CWNS on the Peg-Tapping Task (PTT).

Figure A2

Adjusted Mean (and standard error of the mean) Number of Correct Responses for Boys and Girls on the Peg-Tapping Task.

Figure A3

Adjusted Mean (and standard error of the mean) Number of Extra Taps for CWS and CWNS, and Boys and Girls on the Peg-Tapping Task.

Figure A4

Mean (and standard error of the mean) Response Latency (ms) for CWS and CWNS on the Peg-Tapping Task.