In an effort to improve understanding of the role that support groups such as the National Stuttering Association (NSA) play in helping people who stutter, speech-language pathologists who participate in the NSA were asked to participate in a research survey. Previous research and anecdotal evidence has shown that support groups not only benefit people who stutter, but also the professionals who work with them. Participation in the NSA can enhance SLPs' understanding of stuttering, and their comfort level and competence working with people who stutter. However, the relationship between support groups and professionals has not been adequately studied. / text

People prefer symmetric over asymmetric patterns (Reber, Schwarz, & Winkielman, 2004). According to the fluency attribution perspective, this preference reflects differences in processing speed where increased processing efficiency leads to increased pattern preference. To test the account, in Experiment 1, participants’ speed of response to a pattern predicted the relationship between pattern symmetry and pattern preference. Experiment 2 expanded this account and found that a second measure of processing efficiency, recognition accuracy for patterns, predicted the relationship between pattern symmetry and pattern preference. Experiment 3 tested the attribution account of the fluency attribution hypothesis. Participants made a judgment of pattern mood rather than pattern preference. Despite a change of judgment task to an unintuitive judgment of pattern mood, participants attributed increased processing efficiency for patterns to increased pattern happiness. The three experiments provide an integration of the information processing and fluency attribution perspectives to account for symmetry preference judgments.

People prefer symmetric over asymmetric patterns (Reber, Schwarz, & Winkielman, 2004). According to the fluency attribution perspective, this preference reflects differences in processing speed where increased processing efficiency leads to increased pattern preference. To test the account, in Experiment 1, participants’ speed of response to a pattern predicted the relationship between pattern symmetry and pattern preference. Experiment 2 expanded this account and found that a second measure of processing efficiency, recognition accuracy for patterns, predicted the relationship between pattern symmetry and pattern preference. Experiment 3 tested the attribution account of the fluency attribution hypothesis. Participants made a judgment of pattern mood rather than pattern preference. Despite a change of judgment task to an unintuitive judgment of pattern mood, participants attributed increased processing efficiency for patterns to increased pattern happiness. The three experiments provide an integration of the information processing and fluency attribution perspectives to account for symmetry preference judgments.

Fluency is functionally defined by: skill retention after a period without practice; skill endurance over longer intervals than encountered during practice; skill stability in the face of distraction; a performance that can be effortlessly applied to new environments; and a skill that adduces easily with other skills to form new repertoires (RESAA). Precision Teachers have found that fluency can be promoted by building the frequency of an accurate response to high rates. Young children with autism often fail to achieve RESAA outcomes from accuracy-based discrete trial training and may benefit from frequency-building instruction. However, a lack of published empirical support has meant that many behavioural educators have resisted adopting these strategies. The purpose of the current study was to determine if frequency-building procedures will promote the fluent skill development of tasks encountered on many early intervention programs for 12 young children with autism. The data showed that imitation, line tracing, drawing, simple addition, and phoneme reading skills taught to young children with autism achieved RESAA outcomes and responded to frequency building procedures in ways that were consistent with non-autistic populations. Secondly, frequency-building imitation to a rate-based fluency aim produced far greater gains on measures of generalised, imitation than using discrete trial training to an accuracy-based mastery criterion alone. Thirdly, increases in the rate of performance under frequency-building conditions positively predicted increases in the quality and quantity of applications, adductions, and skill generalisation for most skills. Fourthly, more exemplars are preferable to few during frequency-building practice. Fifthly, gross motor imitation, a controlled-operant task by definition, was modified and practiced to rates high enough to achieve RESAA criteria. Finally, discrete trial training was as effective as frequency-building when matched for reinforcement and practice, however was less efficient and rated less enjoyable by 5 children without developmental disabilities. The findings were consistent with behavioural fluency predictions and support the inclusion of frequency building strategies to promote skill fluency for young children with autism.

Drawing from sociocultural theory, this research investigated the effects of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) in the development of writing fluency. Likewise, the study aimed at confirming previously cited affective benefits linked to SCMC. Measuring fluency in words per 30 minutes, the study compared pre and post-test essay scores of two groups of ESL learners (a control group and a SCMC group) in two intermediate levels. Two evaluation questionnaires were also administered to the SCMC group in order to obtain students' opinions of this technology-based medium, and to analyze change in their perceptions. The SCMC group outperformed the control group in fluency scores, although the difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis found positive results in terms of linguistic and affective benefits derived from this innovative use of computer.

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There has long been interest in the effect of repetition on memory amongst cognitive psychologists. A major area of research has examined how repetition at study improves encoding and subsequent memory performance. Another focus in the literature has been on manipulating fluency at retrieval to influence feelings of familiarity, with item repetition at test inducing a classic false recognition effect. Examination of these disparate areas of research hints that similar mechanisms may be operational in producing effects of repetition at study and repetition at test. Work from the false recognition literature suggests that items are more likely to be classified as “old” if they are made to be fluent at test. In other words, fluency may be used as a cue to indicate that information is already known. This fluency attribution process may also influence encoding: if increased fluency signals that information is known, then there may be no need to encode that information. The empirical goal of this thesis was first to better understand the impact of repetition on encoding, and then to better understand the role of fluency when both learning and retrieving information. This thesis documents some of the first examples of a counter-intuitive repetition decrement effect, in which items seen a single time are better remembered than items seen twice in succession. Evidence connecting this repetition decrement effect to effects of false recognition is presented, with the suggestion of a common process leading to these two memory effects. More important, this thesis demonstrates the impact of fluency at both encoding and retrieval, and can allow for better understanding of how human cognition operates on a daily basis. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The purpose of the present study was to compare the oral reading miscues and reading comprehension in two groups of young adult Spanish-English bilinguals. Based on current language use, we characterized participants as either “active bilinguals” (using Spanish at least 20% of the time) or “inactive bilinguals (using Spanish less than 20% of the time). Information gained in the present study demonstrated that English-dominant young adult bilinguals produced more oral reading miscues in Spanish than in English, regardless of current language use. Results also demonstrated that increased rate of miscues in Spanish did not negatively affect reading comprehension. / text

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the effectiveness of teacher-directed instruction (i.e., teacher-directed instruction without using an iPad, TDI) and iPad-assisted instruction (IAI) on the word identification and oral reading fluency of elementary school students with reading learning disabilities (RLD), who have reading goals on their individual education plans (IEPs). Four 5th grade students with RLD participated in the study. An alternating treatments design combined with a multiple baseline design across the participants was applied. Visual analysis indicated that a moderate experimental effect from TDI and IAI on word identification and oral reading fluency was present for all four students when the baseline and intervention phases were compared. Specifically, regarding word identification, the percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) and non-overlap of all pairs (NAP) indicated that TDI and IAI are effective reading instructional procedures according to single-case research design standards. The finding was also supported by a Tau-U analysis that suggests both TDI and IAI demonstrated a large effect on improving word identification. Regarding oral reading fluency, however, the results were mixed; Tau-U indicates there was a large and significant effect from TDI and IAI for three of the four students in terms of increasing their oral reading fluency. Although data analysis indicates that TDI and IAI demonstrate moderate evidence in improving word identification and oral reading fluency, there was no clear differentiation found between the two treatments. A social validity questionnaire that examined student perspectives about intervention showed the students' positive views on their intervention experience and revealed their perspectives that intervention was helpful in building their reading skills. The second social validity questionnaire that asked the students about their reading perspectives indicated that the intervention increased their positive attitudes toward their reading (e.g., reading is a source of excitement and interest, reading is fun). / text