Effectiveness of Mind Simulation on Psychological Symptoms and Mental Capabilities in Adults who Stutter

Introduction and Objectives: Since cognitive factors are very important in stuttering, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of mind simulation on psychological symptoms and mental capabilities in adults who stutter. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on two groups of experimental and control based on a pre- and post-test design. The study population was all females (n=33) suffering from a stuttering disorder who were the clients of speech-therapy centers. Eventually, 30 individuals were selected using a simple random sampling method from Aftab Institute and Empowerment Mind Center in Tehran, Iran, during 2019. They were subsequently divided into two control and experimental groups each containing 15 people according to the Cochran formula. Package of stuttering by Taghizadeh and Bigdeli Shamloo (2016), Cattell’s anxiety questionnaire, Coopersmith’s self-esteem measurement, Rogers’s self-concept measurement, and Monjemizadeh’s Social Communication measurement were used to collect data in this study. The data were then analyzed in SPSS software (version 18) through multivariate covariance analysis. Results: In general, the findings indicated a significant difference between the pre- and post-test mean scores of the two groups regarding self-concept, self-esteem, social interactions, and anxiety involved in the mind simulation process (P=0.001). Conclusion: The current mind simulation methods have a considerable impact on psychological symptoms and mental capabilities of adults suffering from stuttering, which can be used as an effective way to improve stuttering.

Keywords:

Mind simulation method , psychological symptoms , mental capabilities , stuttering adults