Locus of control comparison in adults who stutter and who do not stutter

Locus of control (LOC) orientation is one of the personality traits that have been found to be important for adults who stutter (AWS) in terms of treatment outcome and its predictive value on maintenance of treatment gains. Due to its culturally sensitive nature, we aimed to compare AWS with adults who do not stutter (AWNS) in Turkey. We also examined LOC score differences in terms of treatment-related conditions and self-help support group (SHSG) participation among AWS. The participants completed Rotter's Internal-External LOC (I-E LOC) Scale and a participant information form. These forms were combined into a single electronic format and sent to the participants. SHSG participants were reached via their official social media account. Group differences were examined using descriptive and inferential statistics. No statistically significant difference was observed between AWS and AWNS. SHSG participation, treatment involvement and other treatment-related conditions did not yield statistically significant I-E LOC score differences among AWS subgroups, either. General LOC measurement might not be suitable for examining treatment-related group differences in AWS as none of our observations produced statistically significant results. Affective temperament, self-efficacy, self-stigma, hopelessness and depression measurements could be implemented with more specific LOC measurements such as LCB scale to better understand life views of AWS as well as to observe immediate and long-term effects of stuttering interventions. This study has potential clinical implications while working with AWS.