Measuring Unfamiliar Listeners' Attitudes about Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia

Abstract

This study examined the effect of information on inexperienced listeners' attitudes of adult female speakers with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD). Three groups of 10 listeners rated 15 ADSD speech samples and 5 controls after provision of: a) no information; b) diagnostic label; and c) audiovisual information. Listeners used 22 semantic differential rating scales to measure attitudes. Results revealed that listeners judged speakers with ADSD significantly worse than controls for attitudes that related to social desirability. Some attributes were particularly affected by severity (pleasant, attractive, natural, perfect, and healthy), with severe ADSD speakers judged worse than those with mild and moderate symptoms, who were worse than control speakers. Attributes related to intellect were not as affected, with differences mostly revealed only between severe ADSD speakers and age-matched controls. Attributes that most strongly related to personality did not seem to be affected. Results also showed that neither method of providing a label nor audiovisual information appeared to be particularly effective in remediating negative attitudes. These results have implications for counseling individuals with ADSD, as well as providing directions for public education about this voice disorder.