Brundage Shelley B, Graap Ken, Gibbons Kathleen F, Ferrer Mirtha, Brooks Jeremy
The George Washington University, Speech and Hearing Science Department, 1922 F Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20052, United States.
J Fluency Disord. 2006;31(4):325-39. doi: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2006.08.003. Epub 2006 Sep 26.
This paper seeks to demonstrate the possibility of manipulating the frequency of stuttering using virtual reality environments (VREs). If stuttering manifests itself in VREs similarly to the way it manifests itself in real world interactions, then VREs can provide a controlled, safe, and confidential method for treatment practice and generalization. Though many researchers and clinicians recognize the need for generalization activities in the treatment of stuttering, achieving generalization in a clinical setting poses challenges to client confidentiality, safety, and the efficient use of a professionals' time. Virtual reality (VR) technology may allow professionals the opportunity to enhance and assess treatment generalization while protecting the safety and confidentiality of their clients. In this study, we developed a VR job interview environment which allowed experimental control over communication style and gender of interviewers. In this first trial, persons who stutter (PWS) experienced both challenging and supportive VR job interview conditions. The percentage of stuttered syllables was calculated for both interviews for each participant. Self-reported ratings of communication apprehension and confidence were also obtained, and were not significantly correlated with stuttering severity. Results indicated that interviewer communication style affected the amount of stuttering produced by participants, with more stuttering observed during challenging virtual interviews. Additionally, the amount of stuttering observed during the VR job interviews was significantly, positively correlated with the amount of stuttering observed during an interview with the investigator prior to VR exposure. Participants' subjective reports of the VR experience indicate reactions similar to those they report experiencing in the real world. Possible implications for the use of VR in the assessment and treatment of stuttering are discussed.
After reading this article, the reader will be able to-(1) list some of the challenges to treatment generalization; (2) describe how virtual reality technology can assist in alleviating some of these challenges; (3) describe how the frequency of stuttering varies across two different virtual environments.
本文旨在证明利用虚拟现实环境（VRE）来控制口吃频率的可能性。如果口吃在虚拟现实环境中的表现与在现实世界互动中的表现相似，那么虚拟现实环境可为治疗实践和推广提供一种可控、安全且保密的方法。尽管许多研究人员和临床医生认识到口吃治疗中推广活动的必要性，但在临床环境中实现推广对客户的保密性、安全性以及专业人员时间的有效利用构成了挑战。虚拟现实（VR）技术可能使专业人员有机会在保护客户安全和保密的同时，加强和评估治疗的推广效果。在本研究中，我们开发了一个虚拟现实求职面试环境，可对面试官的沟通风格和性别进行实验控制。在首次试验中，口吃者（PWS）体验了具有挑战性和支持性的虚拟现实求职面试条件。计算了每位参与者在两次面试中口吃音节的百分比。还获得了沟通焦虑和自信的自我报告评分，且这些评分与口吃严重程度无显著相关性。结果表明，面试官的沟通风格会影响参与者的口吃量，在具有挑战性的虚拟面试中观察到更多口吃现象。此外，在虚拟现实求职面试中观察到的口吃量与在虚拟现实暴露前与调查员的面试中观察到的口吃量显著正相关。参与者对虚拟现实体验的主观报告表明，他们的反应与在现实世界中的经历相似。文中讨论了虚拟现实在口吃评估和治疗中的可能应用。
阅读本文后，读者将能够——（1）列出治疗推广面临的一些挑战；（2）描述虚拟现实技术如何有助于缓解其中一些挑战；（3）描述口吃频率在两种不同虚拟环境中的变化情况。
