Acknowledging a Stutter Affects the Impression One Makes in a Job Interview.
Jennifer Perez, Leonard S Newman, Jenna M Walmer
PMID 40207413WHAT IT FOUND
Mock job applicants who stuttered but acknowledged it at the start were rated as well as those who did not stutter.
Applicants who stuttered without acknowledging it were rated significantly lower. Early, neutral disclosure may help counteract interview bias.
Key findings
01Applicants who stuttered without acknowledging it were rated more negatively than those who did not stutter.
02When applicants acknowledged their stutter at the beginning of the interview, their ratings were no different from applicants who did not stutter.
03Acknowledging a stutter led to significantly more positive impressions compared to not acknowledging it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The participants were all college students, who may have rated the young actors more positively due to empathy or shared age, rather than reflecting the views of typical employers. The actors did not actually stutter, so their dysfluencies might have differed subtly from real-life stuttering. The study used mock interviews, which may not fully capture the stress and dynamics of a real job interview.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this finding applies to older or more diverse hiring managers. The participants were all college students who may have felt empathy for the young actors, and the actors themselves did not actually stutter.