anticipatory processes

People who stutter are aware of their stuttering, and particularly, develop the ability to anticipate stuttering events—sense that upcoming speech will be stuttered. Anticipation can create a discrepancy between what speakers experience and what listeners hear and see because stutterers may alter their speech prior to actually speaking. Early work in the lab determined how often stutterers report anticipating stuttering and how they respond to anticipation, e.g., by stalling, switching words, or choosing not to speak at all. More recent work used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and magnetencephalography (MEG) to begin uncovering neurocognitive processes preceding overtly stuttered speech, e.g., anticipation and inhibitory control, in adults. We are currently studying these processes in children.