Effects of examiner expectancy on speech ratings of individuals with cleft lip and/or palate.

The label 'cleft palate,' any facial disfigurement associated with cleft lip and/or palate and the description 'hypernasal' were studied relative to their effects on ratings of speech. Sixty-four listeners rated hypernasality and articulation characteristics of ten males with cleft lip an/or palate. Results indicated that the speech ratings assigned to this group of individuals did not change significantly with this additional information. Severity of speech defectiveness, mode of stimulus presentation and listener reliability were identified as important variables to be considered in the interpretation of these data.