Behavioural Correlates of Speech Processing in Normal Speakers under Delayed Auditory Feedback

Abstract

Disfluencies of normal speakers under the influence of Delayed Auditory Feedback ( DAF) while pe1forming tasks with different cognitive-linguistic complexity were investigated. 15 male and 15 female normal speakers in the age range, 17-25 years were administered with tasks of varying cognitive-linguistic complexity under three different experimental conditions namely, normal auditory feedback, DAF at 180 ms and DAF at 280 ms. Results suggested that deficit at a higher level processing (planning and or programming) could probably be the cause of disruptions in speech of normal speakers under DAF, rather than a peripheral deficit. The study facilitates understanding of DAF induced speech disruptions at different levels of speech processing, in turn providing valuable insights into the nature and etiology of stuttering.