Validity and reliability of the revised scale of avoidance and struggle behaviours in stuttering (r-SASBS)

Abstract

Background: Secondary behaviours, which encompass reactions developed due to an individual's fear and stress about stuttering, have the potential to exacerbate the condition. Therefore, self-evaluation of secondary behaviours is significant in the multidimensional approach for people who stutter (PWS).

Aim: To determine the validity and reliability of the Revised Scale of Avoidance and Struggle Behaviours in Stuttering (r-SASBS).

Methods & procedures: The results of the item analysis and content validity of the Scale of Avoidance and Struggle Behaviours in Stuttering (SASBS), whose pilot study was completed, were reviewed and the number of items was reduced from 30 to 16. The r-SASBS was administered to 440 participants (PWS = 365; people who did not stutter = 75). The content, construct, discriminant validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the r-SASBS were analysed.

Outcomes & results: Content validity was analysed quantitatively based on expert opinions and was found to be high. The r-SASBS had two factors based on exploratory factor analysis. The number of items was reduced to 14 using confirmatory factor analysis. With discriminant validity, it was found that the r-SASBS could distinguish between the groups. The internal consistency and reliability of the test-retest scores were found to be high.

Conclusions & implication: These findings indicated that the r-SASBS is a reliable and valid scale for the self-evaluation of secondary behaviours in PWS. Thus, it can be used by speech-language pathologists for the multidimensional assessment of stuttering. The validity and reliability of the r-SASBS should be investigated in school-aged children who stutter.

What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject Assessment of secondary behaviours in stuttering can be performed using objective and subjective tools. In this regard, a preliminary study was conducted to evaluate these behaviours, using the SASBS, which was developed based on interviews with PWS and a literature review. This study established the content and structural validity of the assessment and found it to have high internal consistency. What this study adds to the existing knowledge Although secondary behaviour assessments need to be comprehensive, it can be time-consuming in busy clinical settings. Owing to the importance of self-reported secondary behaviours in the assessment of stuttering and the reliability of information obtained from the client, there is a need for scales that can be administered quickly to assess the impact of secondary behaviours in PWS. This study examines the validity and reliability of the r-SASBS. What are the practical and clinical implications of this work? The SASBS was reviewed in this study and the number of items was reduced. The r-SASBS was administered to 440 participants. The validity of the r-SASBS was determined based on its content, discriminant, and construct validity. The reliability of the r-SASBS was determined using internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The results indicate that the r-SASBS is a reliable and valid tool for self-evaluating secondary behaviours in PWS. This could be a valuable measure of secondary behaviours in stuttering, which could improve treatment outcomes.

Keywords: avoidance; scale developing; secondary behaviour; struggle; stuttering.