Publication Date

1961

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Levens, Louis

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Speech

LCSH

Speech disorders

Abstract

Studies by psychologists and speech pathologists have indicated that anxiety has an effect upon speech and language development. Within the past decade# psychological studies of language learning have used subjects manifesting varying degrees of anxiety. Research by speech pathologists shows a high degree of anxiety to be an inhibiting factor in language learning. Psychological studies in language learning, uti­lizing nonsense syllables as the task to be learned, have shown evidence of superior performance by both high- and low- anxious subjects, depending upon the task. Investigations tend to indicate that subjects exhibiting a high degree of anxiety reveal disturbances in verbal communication. Anxiety would seem to be an important variable to both the psychologist and the speech pathologist. However# compi­lation of results from both fields of investigation have not been clearly reported with regard to this problem. Psycho­logical studies have not employed articulatory defective speakers as subjects and speech pathologists have seldom engaged in the controlled experimentation necessary to draw valid conclusions. Little relevant research has dealt with a learning task which involves unfamiliar verbal stimuli. If anxiety is an influencing factor, it could be assumed a greater difference in performance would be evident in a more difficult task of this nature. At present, however, few investigations in this area have been attempted. Research of this nature would provide information upon which psychologists and speech pathologists would better understand the language learning process.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages 81-85)

Extent

v, 85 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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