Differential Influences of Self-Disclosure and Recent Exposure on Listener Autonomic Reactions to Stuttering
Abstract
Purpose: The current study used autonomic responses (heart rate, skin conductance) as measures of implicit reactions to stuttering to determine whether previous reports of more positive listener reactions to disclosed stuttering are mirrored in autonomic reactions.
Method: Participants (N = 48) viewed videos of non-stuttered speech as well as stuttered speech preceded by either a neutral statement, an informational self-disclosure, or an apologetic self-disclosure. Participants completed behavioral ratings (semantic differential rating scales and the Self-Assessment Manikin) following each video, with heart rate and skin conductance recorded throughout.
Results: Autonomic signals did not differ across disclosure conditions, but demonstrated a clear order effect. The first presentation of stuttering elicited a large heart rate deceleration and increased skin conductance while successive stuttering presentations elicited smaller heart rate decelerations and a reduction in skin conductance. Explicit reactions were more negative for stuttered compared to non-stuttered speech, with stuttering preceded by informational disclosure rated as more soothing than undisclosed stuttering or apologetically disclosed stuttering.
Conclusion: Explicit reactions to stuttering may be influenced by disclosure, while implicit autonomic reactions to stuttering are sensitive to recent stuttering exposure rather than disclosure. Findings are interpreted to suggest that disclosure and repeated exposure to stuttering may influence distinct channels of listener reactions.
Related
- Reduced integrity in the frontal aslant tract's premotor connections is associated with dysfluency severity in stuttering
- Vagus nerve stimulation for trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias: Evidence, challenges and future directions
- A Dynamic State‐Based Framework for Quantifying Triadic Autonomic Synchrony During Group Decision‐Making
- Atypical Presentation of Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy Type IIB: A Family of HSAN IIB With Spasticity Presentation and Review on Sensory Neuropathies With Spasticity
- Proprietary Processing of Placental Tissue Allografts Influences Wound Healing Trajectories in a Rodent Excisional Skin Wound Model
BibTeX
@misc{jenson2026differential,
title = {{Differential Influences of Self-Disclosure and Recent Exposure on Listener Autonomic Reactions to Stuttering}},
author = {David Jenson and Edward C. Brown and David Thornton},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/4b3ya_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/4b3ya_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Differential Influences of Self-Disclosure and Recent Exposure on Listener Autonomic Reactions to Stuttering
AU - David Jenson
AU - Edward C. Brown
AU - David Thornton
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/05
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/4b3ya_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/4b3ya_v1/
AB - Purpose: The current study used autonomic responses (heart rate, skin conductance) as measures of implicit reactions to stuttering to determine whether previous reports of more positive listener reactions to disclosed stuttering are mirrored in autonomic reactions. Method: Participants (N = 48) viewed videos of non-stuttered speech as well as stuttered speech preceded by either a neutral statement, an informational self-disclosure, or an apologetic self-disclosure. Participants completed behavioral ratings (semantic differential rating scales and the Self-Assessment Manikin) following each video, with heart rate and skin conductance recorded throughout. Results: Autonomic signals did not differ across disclosure conditions, but demonstrated a clear order effect. The first presentation of stuttering elicited a large heart rate deceleration and increased skin conductance while successive stuttering presentations elicited smaller heart rate decelerations and a reduction in skin conductance. Explicit reactions were more negative for stuttered compared to non-stuttered speech, with stuttering preceded by informational disclosure rated as more soothing than undisclosed stuttering or apologetically disclosed stuttering. Conclusion: Explicit reactions to stuttering may be influenced by disclosure, while implicit autonomic reactions to stuttering are sensitive to recent stuttering exposure rather than disclosure. Findings are interpreted to suggest that disclosure and repeated exposure to stuttering may influence distinct channels of listener reactions.
ER -