Bebout, L., & Arthur, B. (1992). Cross-Cultural Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders.

Journal of
Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 35(1), 45–52. doi: 10.1044/jshr.3501.45

Madeline Quiñones Cortés

#0226759
Fluency Disorders: Assessment and Treatment MSLP-546
Professor: Denise Elizondo, M.S., CCC-SLP
Multicultural Article Summary & Critique Assignment
Cross-Cultural Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders

This study was designed to address the question of cross-cultural attitudes toward several
different communication disorders and how these attitudes can impact speech and language
therapies. The researchers wanted to examine the impact of cultural differences that may occur in
many speech and language therapy settings were the population is multicultural with different
attitudes toward speech disorders. The researchers state that attitudes toward disorders are
culture bound and the therapist must not assume that the attitudes, therapy assessments,
techniques, and norms will be the same for every culture.
The study used a questionnaire that contained items about attitudes toward people with
four speech disorders: stuttering, profound hearing impairment, cleft palate, and misarticulations.
It contained a section for each of the disorders, followed by a demographic section. Each section
included a definition of the disorder and an example. The subjects were asked to indicate their
familiarity with the disorder and to indicate their opinion on twelve statements (using a 4-point
scale labeled as probably no, maybe no, maybe yes, and probably yes). The items chosen for the
survey were intended to explore topics such as perceived causes of the disorder, the family’s and
community’s attitude toward the individual with the disorder, and the desirability of the person’s
seeking professional help.
The subjects for the study were 166 university students (17-48 years of age) representing
English-speaking North American culture and other cultures including: Chinese, Southeast
Asian, and Hispanic amongst others. The researches selected two universities to administer the
survey, one in California and one in Ontario. The students participating in the study were
attending writing courses in English departments or advanced courses in an English as a second
language institute. The self-administered questionnaires were distributed by classroom
instructors and were filled out voluntarily either at home or in the classroom. Subjects were
instructed not to include their names.
The data were analyzed for North-American born versus foreign-born groups, for the six
major country-of-origin groups and the five major first-language groups, and across disorders
without regard to subject groups. The variable for familiarity with the disorders was dropped
from further analysis and had no effect on the study. Subjects born outside of North America
tended to be more in agreement with the ideas that speech-disordered individuals could improve
if they “tried harder” and that speech-disordered individuals were likely to be “emotionally
disturbed” (Bebout & Arthur, 1992, p. 48).
Bebout, L., & Arthur, B. (1992). Cross-Cultural Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders. Journal of
Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 35(1), 45–52. doi: 10.1044/jshr.3501.45

According to the researchers, the results of the survey suggest the presence of cultural
differences that could have an impact on therapy situations. The researchers also state that if it is
assumed that the subjects participating in the study are representative of potential therapy clients
or their parents, the results might mean that parents or clients would view treatable emotional
problems as normal concomitants of speech disorders. They found that foreign-born (especially
Asian) subjects were more inclined to state that the speech-disordered person could improve his
speech if he “tried hard” (Bebout & Arthur, 1992, p. 49). This could mean that Chinese parents
would not seek therapy for a stuttering child because they feel that the child is not “trying hard
enough” (Bebout & Arthur, 1992, p. 49). It could also mean that Asian families would tend to
believe that the success of the therapy is guaranteed if the client “tries hard” (Bebout & Arthur,
1992, p. 49). There was consistency of attitudes across the disorders considered on the study
which suggests that these attitudes may reflect more general cultural attitudes that could be
relevant in the speech and language therapy context. The researchers emphasize the fact that
therapists need to be aware of potential culturally derived conflicts between the therapist and the
client in order to avoid a negative impact upon the progress of the therapy.
The researchers make clear that much more research is needed in this area in order to
provide reliable guidance for the speech and language professional who is working with clients
from diverse cultures. They also state the fact that the limited sample of subjects participating in
the study were from an educated subpopulation who may not be representative of their culture.
This study is very interesting and serves an important purpose. The speech and language
professional clientele have become culturally diverse and the client’s beliefs will have a great
impact on the therapy. The results of the study give us information that could help minimize the
impact of cultural differences on the therapy services. They surveyed subjects from different
cultural backgrounds and included people from the most represented cultures in North America,
which helps to assess the situation. On the other hand, they surveyed only 166 participants which
is a small sample for such an important issue.
Speech and language professionals must have an open mind and learn about multicultural
differences in order to understand and respect the cultural differences of their clients. By doing
so, they will be able to select and administer the type of therapy that better suits each one of
them.