A comparison of stroop test performances of adults who stutter and who do not stutter

The aim of this study is to compare the frontal lobe processes such as selective attention skills, cognitive processing rate and inhibition skills of adults who stutter and adults who don?t stutter measured by Stroop test. Another aim of this study is to assess the relationship between stuttering frequencies under reading and speaking conditions and time taken to complete the test under the stroop effect of interferenceThe study group consists of 25 adults who stutter and 25 adults who don?t stutter with ages ranging 18-40. The criteria for establishing a study group includes not having any neurological or psychiatric diagnosis, not using any medication that interferes cognitive processing and not having a history of speech therapy.The Stroop test TBAG form is used as a measuring device. Time taken to complete the tasks in five sections of this form of adults who stutter and adults who do not stutter, error and error correction scores and performances under the stroop interference effect are compared.Results indicate that people who stutter take longer time to complete 5 sections of the stroop test and the stroop task under the stroop interference effect.. However no significant difference is found in error scores between two groups. In addition, a positive correlation is found between task completion time and stuttering frequencies under reading and speaking conditions among adults who stutter.In conclusion, in the light of these assessments, it is identified that selective attention skills, speed of processing and inhibition skills of adults who stutter differs from the skills of adults who do not stutter. In addition the correlation between stuttering frequency and stroop effect of interference indicate that cognitive strain and stuttering frequency can effect each other.