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Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS: AOS, DYSARTHRIA, AND STUTTERING Hannah Kumar RJ Bachelor of Science with Honours 496 (Cognitive Science) S7 2015 K96 2015

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Page 1: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development

CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING

Hannah Kumar

RJ Bachelor of Science with Honours 496 (Cognitive Science) S7 2015 K96 2015

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

Grade __ft___

Please tick one

Final Year Project Report IZI Masters D PhD 0

DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK

This declaration is made on the 15th day of JUNE year 2015

Students Declaration

I HANNAH KUMAR FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT hereby declare that the work entitled CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING is my original work I have not copied from any other students work or from any other sources with the exception where due reference or acknowledgement is made explicitly in the text nor has any part of the work been written for me by another person

15 JUNE 2015

HANNAH KUMAR (36184)

Supervisors Declaration

I ASSOO PROF DR FITRI SURAYA MOHAMAD hereby certify that the work entitled CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING was prepared by the aforementioned or above mentioned student and was submitted to the FACULTY as a partial fulfillment for the conferment of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE WITH HONOURS (COGNITIVE SCIENCE) and the aforementioned work to the best of my knowledge is the said students work

~~~~ V 15 JUNE 2015 Received for examination by L-- Date _____

(ASSOC PROF D FITRl SURAYA MOHAMAD)

I declare this ProjectThesis is classified as (Please tick (-Yraquo)

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~ OPEN ACCESS

I declare this ProjectThesis is to be submitted to the Centre for Academic Information Services (CAIS) and uploaded into UNlMAS Institutional Repository (UNIMAS IR) (Please tick (-vraquo)

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o NO

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I hereby duly affirmed with free consent and willingness declared that this said ProjectThesis shall be placed officially in the Centre for Academic Information Services with the abide interest and rights as follows

bull This ProjectThesis is the sole legal property ofUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to make copies of the

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to be uploaded into Local Content Database bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to make copies of the

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bull No dispute or any claim shall arise from the student himself herself neither a third party on this ProjectThesis once it becomes the sole property of UNlMAS

bull This ProjectlThesis or any material data and information related to it shall not be distributed published or disclosed to any party by the student himselflherself without first obtaining approval from UNIMAS

Students ~ignature ----O~~~==------shy Supervisors signature --~--+-lJjt--==J--shy Date 15 JUNE 2015 Date 1~~

Current Address

970A JALAN SELESA 6 HAPPY GARDEN OFF OLD KLANG ROAD 58200 KUALA LUMPUR

Pusat Kbidmat Maklumat Akadcmi~ UN ERSm MALltYSIA SARAWAK

CUL TURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING

HANNAH KUMAR

This project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARA W AK

(2015)

The project entitled Cultural Influences on Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering was prepared by Hannah Kumar and submitted to the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Received for examination by

(ASSOC PROF DR FITRI ~RAY MOHAMAD)

dfej Grade

A

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as workingfor the Lord Colossians 323

All glory honour and praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ who granted me the wisdom

strength and discipline to successfully complete this thesis The One who has been with me

from the very beginning till the very end of this project The One who opened doors for me

when I felt like I was facing dead ends I give thanks to Him without whom I would not be

writing this today

Secondly I want to thank my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad for

her patient guidance and words of advice and wisdom for the completion of this project Not

forgetting her personal assistant Ms Nommy Kerry for her kindness and help throughout the

project

Next I would like to thank my dear parents Mr Kumar Pal any and Ms Lydia Kumar

for their continuous words of encouragement motivation and persistent prayers that

sustained me through the entire process of completing this project My heartfelt gratitude aiso

goes to Aaron Dason for his unending support inspiration ideas and prayers that played an

important role in keeping me going as I worked on this project I would also like to thank my

friend Selina Maniraj for her patient assistance in my data collection and for proofreading

my report I want to thank my housemates Barbara Michael and Katrina Anne de Rozario

for their resourceful ideas and assistance

I also want to extend my gratitude to all my friends in UNIMAS for their patience and

cooperation and my housemates for their love and encouragement Finally I want to thank

my family my pastors and their wives and all my church friends for their continuous love

and prayers

III

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 2: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

Grade __ft___

Please tick one

Final Year Project Report IZI Masters D PhD 0

DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK

This declaration is made on the 15th day of JUNE year 2015

Students Declaration

I HANNAH KUMAR FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT hereby declare that the work entitled CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING is my original work I have not copied from any other students work or from any other sources with the exception where due reference or acknowledgement is made explicitly in the text nor has any part of the work been written for me by another person

15 JUNE 2015

HANNAH KUMAR (36184)

Supervisors Declaration

I ASSOO PROF DR FITRI SURAYA MOHAMAD hereby certify that the work entitled CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING was prepared by the aforementioned or above mentioned student and was submitted to the FACULTY as a partial fulfillment for the conferment of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE WITH HONOURS (COGNITIVE SCIENCE) and the aforementioned work to the best of my knowledge is the said students work

~~~~ V 15 JUNE 2015 Received for examination by L-- Date _____

(ASSOC PROF D FITRl SURAYA MOHAMAD)

I declare this ProjectThesis is classified as (Please tick (-Yraquo)

o CONFIDENTIAL (Contains confidential information under the Official Secret Act 1972)

o RESTRI CTED (Contains restricted information as specified by the organisation where research was done)

~ OPEN ACCESS

I declare this ProjectThesis is to be submitted to the Centre for Academic Information Services (CAIS) and uploaded into UNlMAS Institutional Repository (UNIMAS IR) (Please tick (-vraquo)

IZI YES

o NO

Validation of ProjectThesis

I hereby duly affirmed with free consent and willingness declared that this said ProjectThesis shall be placed officially in the Centre for Academic Information Services with the abide interest and rights as follows

bull This ProjectThesis is the sole legal property ofUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to make copies of the

ProjectThesis for academic and research purposes only and not for other purposes bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to digitize the content

to be uploaded into Local Content Database bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to make copies of the

ProjectThesis if required for use by other parties for academic purposes or by other Higher Learning Institutes

bull No dispute or any claim shall arise from the student himself herself neither a third party on this ProjectThesis once it becomes the sole property of UNlMAS

bull This ProjectlThesis or any material data and information related to it shall not be distributed published or disclosed to any party by the student himselflherself without first obtaining approval from UNIMAS

Students ~ignature ----O~~~==------shy Supervisors signature --~--+-lJjt--==J--shy Date 15 JUNE 2015 Date 1~~

Current Address

970A JALAN SELESA 6 HAPPY GARDEN OFF OLD KLANG ROAD 58200 KUALA LUMPUR

Pusat Kbidmat Maklumat Akadcmi~ UN ERSm MALltYSIA SARAWAK

CUL TURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING

HANNAH KUMAR

This project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARA W AK

(2015)

The project entitled Cultural Influences on Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering was prepared by Hannah Kumar and submitted to the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Received for examination by

(ASSOC PROF DR FITRI ~RAY MOHAMAD)

dfej Grade

A

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as workingfor the Lord Colossians 323

All glory honour and praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ who granted me the wisdom

strength and discipline to successfully complete this thesis The One who has been with me

from the very beginning till the very end of this project The One who opened doors for me

when I felt like I was facing dead ends I give thanks to Him without whom I would not be

writing this today

Secondly I want to thank my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad for

her patient guidance and words of advice and wisdom for the completion of this project Not

forgetting her personal assistant Ms Nommy Kerry for her kindness and help throughout the

project

Next I would like to thank my dear parents Mr Kumar Pal any and Ms Lydia Kumar

for their continuous words of encouragement motivation and persistent prayers that

sustained me through the entire process of completing this project My heartfelt gratitude aiso

goes to Aaron Dason for his unending support inspiration ideas and prayers that played an

important role in keeping me going as I worked on this project I would also like to thank my

friend Selina Maniraj for her patient assistance in my data collection and for proofreading

my report I want to thank my housemates Barbara Michael and Katrina Anne de Rozario

for their resourceful ideas and assistance

I also want to extend my gratitude to all my friends in UNIMAS for their patience and

cooperation and my housemates for their love and encouragement Finally I want to thank

my family my pastors and their wives and all my church friends for their continuous love

and prayers

III

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 3: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

I declare this ProjectThesis is classified as (Please tick (-Yraquo)

o CONFIDENTIAL (Contains confidential information under the Official Secret Act 1972)

o RESTRI CTED (Contains restricted information as specified by the organisation where research was done)

~ OPEN ACCESS

I declare this ProjectThesis is to be submitted to the Centre for Academic Information Services (CAIS) and uploaded into UNlMAS Institutional Repository (UNIMAS IR) (Please tick (-vraquo)

IZI YES

o NO

Validation of ProjectThesis

I hereby duly affirmed with free consent and willingness declared that this said ProjectThesis shall be placed officially in the Centre for Academic Information Services with the abide interest and rights as follows

bull This ProjectThesis is the sole legal property ofUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to make copies of the

ProjectThesis for academic and research purposes only and not for other purposes bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to digitize the content

to be uploaded into Local Content Database bull The Centre for Academic Information Services has the lawful right to make copies of the

ProjectThesis if required for use by other parties for academic purposes or by other Higher Learning Institutes

bull No dispute or any claim shall arise from the student himself herself neither a third party on this ProjectThesis once it becomes the sole property of UNlMAS

bull This ProjectlThesis or any material data and information related to it shall not be distributed published or disclosed to any party by the student himselflherself without first obtaining approval from UNIMAS

Students ~ignature ----O~~~==------shy Supervisors signature --~--+-lJjt--==J--shy Date 15 JUNE 2015 Date 1~~

Current Address

970A JALAN SELESA 6 HAPPY GARDEN OFF OLD KLANG ROAD 58200 KUALA LUMPUR

Pusat Kbidmat Maklumat Akadcmi~ UN ERSm MALltYSIA SARAWAK

CUL TURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING

HANNAH KUMAR

This project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARA W AK

(2015)

The project entitled Cultural Influences on Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering was prepared by Hannah Kumar and submitted to the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Received for examination by

(ASSOC PROF DR FITRI ~RAY MOHAMAD)

dfej Grade

A

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as workingfor the Lord Colossians 323

All glory honour and praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ who granted me the wisdom

strength and discipline to successfully complete this thesis The One who has been with me

from the very beginning till the very end of this project The One who opened doors for me

when I felt like I was facing dead ends I give thanks to Him without whom I would not be

writing this today

Secondly I want to thank my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad for

her patient guidance and words of advice and wisdom for the completion of this project Not

forgetting her personal assistant Ms Nommy Kerry for her kindness and help throughout the

project

Next I would like to thank my dear parents Mr Kumar Pal any and Ms Lydia Kumar

for their continuous words of encouragement motivation and persistent prayers that

sustained me through the entire process of completing this project My heartfelt gratitude aiso

goes to Aaron Dason for his unending support inspiration ideas and prayers that played an

important role in keeping me going as I worked on this project I would also like to thank my

friend Selina Maniraj for her patient assistance in my data collection and for proofreading

my report I want to thank my housemates Barbara Michael and Katrina Anne de Rozario

for their resourceful ideas and assistance

I also want to extend my gratitude to all my friends in UNIMAS for their patience and

cooperation and my housemates for their love and encouragement Finally I want to thank

my family my pastors and their wives and all my church friends for their continuous love

and prayers

III

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 4: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Pusat Kbidmat Maklumat Akadcmi~ UN ERSm MALltYSIA SARAWAK

CUL TURAL INFLUENCES ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SPEECH DISORDERS AOS DYSARTHRIA AND STUTTERING

HANNAH KUMAR

This project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARA W AK

(2015)

The project entitled Cultural Influences on Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering was prepared by Hannah Kumar and submitted to the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Received for examination by

(ASSOC PROF DR FITRI ~RAY MOHAMAD)

dfej Grade

A

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as workingfor the Lord Colossians 323

All glory honour and praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ who granted me the wisdom

strength and discipline to successfully complete this thesis The One who has been with me

from the very beginning till the very end of this project The One who opened doors for me

when I felt like I was facing dead ends I give thanks to Him without whom I would not be

writing this today

Secondly I want to thank my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad for

her patient guidance and words of advice and wisdom for the completion of this project Not

forgetting her personal assistant Ms Nommy Kerry for her kindness and help throughout the

project

Next I would like to thank my dear parents Mr Kumar Pal any and Ms Lydia Kumar

for their continuous words of encouragement motivation and persistent prayers that

sustained me through the entire process of completing this project My heartfelt gratitude aiso

goes to Aaron Dason for his unending support inspiration ideas and prayers that played an

important role in keeping me going as I worked on this project I would also like to thank my

friend Selina Maniraj for her patient assistance in my data collection and for proofreading

my report I want to thank my housemates Barbara Michael and Katrina Anne de Rozario

for their resourceful ideas and assistance

I also want to extend my gratitude to all my friends in UNIMAS for their patience and

cooperation and my housemates for their love and encouragement Finally I want to thank

my family my pastors and their wives and all my church friends for their continuous love

and prayers

III

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 5: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

The project entitled Cultural Influences on Attitudes Toward Speech Disorders AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering was prepared by Hannah Kumar and submitted to the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Bachelor of Science with Honours (Cognitive Science)

Received for examination by

(ASSOC PROF DR FITRI ~RAY MOHAMAD)

dfej Grade

A

11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as workingfor the Lord Colossians 323

All glory honour and praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ who granted me the wisdom

strength and discipline to successfully complete this thesis The One who has been with me

from the very beginning till the very end of this project The One who opened doors for me

when I felt like I was facing dead ends I give thanks to Him without whom I would not be

writing this today

Secondly I want to thank my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad for

her patient guidance and words of advice and wisdom for the completion of this project Not

forgetting her personal assistant Ms Nommy Kerry for her kindness and help throughout the

project

Next I would like to thank my dear parents Mr Kumar Pal any and Ms Lydia Kumar

for their continuous words of encouragement motivation and persistent prayers that

sustained me through the entire process of completing this project My heartfelt gratitude aiso

goes to Aaron Dason for his unending support inspiration ideas and prayers that played an

important role in keeping me going as I worked on this project I would also like to thank my

friend Selina Maniraj for her patient assistance in my data collection and for proofreading

my report I want to thank my housemates Barbara Michael and Katrina Anne de Rozario

for their resourceful ideas and assistance

I also want to extend my gratitude to all my friends in UNIMAS for their patience and

cooperation and my housemates for their love and encouragement Finally I want to thank

my family my pastors and their wives and all my church friends for their continuous love

and prayers

III

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 6: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as workingfor the Lord Colossians 323

All glory honour and praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ who granted me the wisdom

strength and discipline to successfully complete this thesis The One who has been with me

from the very beginning till the very end of this project The One who opened doors for me

when I felt like I was facing dead ends I give thanks to Him without whom I would not be

writing this today

Secondly I want to thank my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad for

her patient guidance and words of advice and wisdom for the completion of this project Not

forgetting her personal assistant Ms Nommy Kerry for her kindness and help throughout the

project

Next I would like to thank my dear parents Mr Kumar Pal any and Ms Lydia Kumar

for their continuous words of encouragement motivation and persistent prayers that

sustained me through the entire process of completing this project My heartfelt gratitude aiso

goes to Aaron Dason for his unending support inspiration ideas and prayers that played an

important role in keeping me going as I worked on this project I would also like to thank my

friend Selina Maniraj for her patient assistance in my data collection and for proofreading

my report I want to thank my housemates Barbara Michael and Katrina Anne de Rozario

for their resourceful ideas and assistance

I also want to extend my gratitude to all my friends in UNIMAS for their patience and

cooperation and my housemates for their love and encouragement Finally I want to thank

my family my pastors and their wives and all my church friends for their continuous love

and prayers

III

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 7: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademi~ VNiVERSm MALAYS[A S RAWAi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

ABSTRACT vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 8

CHAPTER THREE METHOD 18

CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS 24

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES 41

APPENDIX 44

IV

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 8: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LIST OF TABLES

Table Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Test Result 21

Table Summary of Demographic Distribution of Respondents 24

Table Assumption Testing for One-Way ANOVA 29

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Ethnic Groups 30

Table ANOVA Test Based on Ethnic Groups 31

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Language Groups 31

Table ANOV A Test Based on Language Groups 32

Table Test for Homogeneity of Variances for Hometowns 32

Table ANOV A Test Based on Hometowns 33

Table Summary of Overall Findings 34

v

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 9: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Conceptual framework 4

Figure Research procedure 18

Figure Pie chart according to gender 25

Figure Pie chart according to faculty 26

Figure Pie chart according to ethnicity 26

Figure Pie chart according to language 27

Figure Pie chart according to hometown 28

VI

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 10: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

ABSTRACT In a multicultural country like Malaysia culture is an important element that has great

influences on the peoples attitudes and behavior significantly Therefore a multicultural

population in which the prevalence of speech disorders is on the rise may have various

attitudes toward these disorders and the individuals with these disorders Consequently this

study was conducted among UNIMAS students with Malaysian citizenship to see if there

were any differences in attitudes toward three speech disorders namely AOS dysarthria and

stuttering based on their various cultural groups Data was collected via questionnaires that

measured the attitudes of respondents based on a 5 point Likert scale One-Way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS was used to analyze the data in order to determine if differences

did exist Findings showed that attitudes toward speech disorders did not vary according to

culture in this subpopulation In addition data analysis indicated that respondents generally

have positive attitudes toward speech disorders Improvements like expanding the population

under study and using qualitative measures to measure attitudes should be employed in future

research to obtain more accurate and representative findings To conclude different cultures

do not affect Malaysian university students attitudes toward speech disorders

Keywords cultural influences attitudes toward speech disorders ethnicity language groups

hometowns AOS dysarthria stuttering

Vll

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 11: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

ABSTRAK Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum dan budaya merupakan satu

elemen yang penting dalam sikap dan pandangan masyarakat negara ini Tambahan pula

individu yang mengalami masalah pertuturan semakin meningkat dalam masyarakat ini Oleh

itu pandangan dan sikap mereka terhadap masalah ini mungkin berbeza mengikut budaya

Justeru kajian ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pelajar UNIMAS yang berwarganegara

Malaysia untuk menentukan kewujudan perbezaan sikap terhadap tiga masalah pertuturan

iaitu AOS Dysarthria dan kegagapan berdasarkan budaya Data telah dikumpulkan melalui

borang soal selidik yang mengukur sikap responden berdasarkan skala Likert 5 mata One-

Way ANOVA dalam SPSS telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data bagi menentukan sarna

ada perbezaan itu wujud Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa tiada perbezaan sikap

terhadap masalah pertuturan berdasarkan budaya dalam subpopulasi ini Di samping itu

analisis data ini menunjukkan bahawa responden secara umurnnya mempunyai sikap yang

positif terhadap masalah pertuturan Penarnbahbaikan seperti memperluaskan populasi yang

dikaji dan menggunakan kaedah kualitatif untuk mengukur sikap harus digunakan dalam

kajian akan datang untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih tepat Kesimpulannya budaya yang

berbeza tidak memberi kesan kepada sikap pelajar universiti Malaysia terhadap masalah

pertuturan

Kala kunci pengaruh budaya sikap terhadap masalah pertuturan etnik bahasa tempat asal

AOS dysarthria kegagapan

Vlll

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 12: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

I

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Speech disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among Malaysians these days At

the same time Malaysia is a country consisting of diverse cultures and ways of life Since

culture significantly shapes how one views the world and everything in it (Jandt 2015) it is

important to study if culture plays an important role in Malaysians attitudes toward speech

disorders

Initially many researches have focused on analysing societyS general awareness of

and perceptions toward speech disorders and its treatment However as the field of speech

disorders continued to develop new areas were probed in this aspect One of those areas

being cultural influences on the perceptions and attitudes toward this issue However all

these studies were done in countries other than Malaysia Thus far only South Americans

North Americans Kenyans Africans Indians and Chinese have been studied

Consequently the purpose of this research is to study the effects of different cultures on

Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders namely apraxia of speech (AOS) dysarthria

and stuttering This research which is a quantitative study was conducted among UNIMAS

students representing the diverse cultures in Malaysia

Problem Statement

The prevalence of speech disorders among Malaysian children is quite alanning

Research extrapolates (based on the prevalence rate of speech disorders in the USA) that

around 235224 Malaysians could be suffering from speech disorders (Statistics by Country

for Speech Impainnent 2014) This makes 078 of the population of Malaysia which is

30073353 as of July 2014 (Malaysia Demographics Profile 2014 2014) However many

Malaysians are still oblivious to this issue In Malaysia it is only the well-educated and those

of high social economic status who are aware of speech disorders and the interventions

1

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 13: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

available Studies have shown that Malaysia is one of the countries in which speech disorders

are taken rather lightly whereby treatment is not sought if the severity of the disorder is not

perceived as high (as cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010) Apart from the varying education

levels and socioeconomic status among Malaysian citizens cultural background is yet

another factor that contributes significantly to the diversity of Malaysians It is a wellshy

established fact that culture shapes ones view of the world and everything in it Crossshy

cultural differences significantly outline individuals perceptions and inter-personal attitudes

A persons reactions and attitudes are greatly affected by their religious beliefs and

demographical differences (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) While some cultures are more open and

receptive towards new findings in medicine and health science some may remain resistant

and less receptive toward these developments According to Wilkerson and Bakker (2010)

cultural beliefs can stand in the way of peoples awareness of speech disorders Culture also

plays an important role in the recognizing of speech disorders and the accepted treatment and

intervention for these conditions

Most studies on awareness and perception of speech disorders focus on general

awareness and perception rather than the factors that influence these elements However

substantial research has been conducted to suggest the existence of a relationship between

culture and the attitudes of individuals toward speech disorders Findings from a study

conducted by Bebout and Arthur (1992) in North America indicate that cultural variations do

affect attitudes toward speech disorders Another studyon the Cross-Cultural Attitudes and

Perception Towards Cleft Lip Palate and Deformities done among the Chinese in Africa and

in India highlighted that cultural and religious beliefs do impact ones perceptions and

attitudes toward cleft palate and its treatment (Loh amp Ascoli 2011) In their study on Cultural

Perspectives in Language and Speech Disorders conducted in Kenya Ndung and Kinyua

2

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 14: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

(2009) found that there is a prominent connection between cultural beliefs and language and

speech disorders

While all these studies provide evidence for a relationship between culture and attitudes

toward speech disorders none of the studies have investigated the connection of cultural

backgrounds with attitudes toward speech disorders like apraxia of speech (AOS) and

dysarthria The multicultural population of Malaysia makes this study unique and necessary

Furthermore no studies have addressed cross-cultural influences on attitudes toward speech

disorders among Malaysians Consequently there is a need to investigate if cultural

backgrounds influence Malaysians attitudes toward speech disorders

Objectives

General Objective The general objective of this research is to study the effects of

different cultural backgrounds on attitudes of Malaysian university students toward speech

disorders

Specific Objectives The specific objectives of this research are as follows

1 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

2 To find out if there is any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3 To find out if there IS any difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

ethnicity

Hypothesis 2 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

language groups

3

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 15: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Hypothesis 3 There is a significant difference in attitudes toward speech disorders based on

hometowns

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

ethnic group bull attitudes toward Speechbull language group disorders bull hometown

Figure 1 Conceptual framework

Significance of Study

This research illustrates how cultural diversity influences an individuals attitude

toward speech disorders Findings from this research will also provide important information

for Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) as they provide services for a

multicultural population This is because the attitudes of society (patient with a speech

disorder patients family and patients community) as a whole toward speech disorders is

central in the treatment process (Bebout amp Arthur 1992)

Limitations of Study

There are several limitations of this study that have been addressed in terms of the

methodology and the topic Necessary measures have been taken to curb these limitations

For example although this research consists of a selected subpopulation the subpopulation is

selected with great diversity to avoid biased results Besides since the topic of this research

limits the types of disorders explored the disorders to be explored are carefully selected so

that the results are significant

Methodological Limitation The sample of this research consists of a selected

subpopulation The sample of the population under study is chosen based on convenience of

access The respondents consist of an academically advantaged group as they are all

4

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 16: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik VNlVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWltJ(

university students Consequently they might not represent their cultures very accurately and

precisely as education may have an influence on their knowledge and awareness and hence

their attitudes toward speech disorders

The quantitative method employed in this research may lack accuracy Respondents are

required to self-rate their attitudes toward speech disorders based on a five-point Likert scale

Self-rating is often biased due to many reasons Therefore attitudes measured in this research

may not correspond with how the respondents actually behave towards an individual with

speech disorders

Topical Limitation The speech disorders discussed in this study are limited to only

three types of disorders This research only focuses on attitudes of Malaysian university

students toward four specific speech disorders namely AOS Dysarthria and Stuttering

There are other speech disorders that will not be looked into in this study Hence findings

from this study cannot be generalized to attitudes toward all speech disorders

Definition of Terms

Speech disorder

Conceptual Definition

MedicineNetcom (2013) defines speech disorder as

a disorder affecting the ability to produce normal speech Speech disorders may affect articulation (phonetic or phonological disorders) fluency (stuttering or cluttering) andor voice (tone pitch volume or rate) Speech disorders may have their roots in oral-motor difficulties although some involve language processing problems (para 1)

Carter and Musher (2013) state that speech disorder is a type of communication

disorder that refers to an impairment of the articulation of speech sounds fluency

andor voice (para 3)

5

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 17: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Operational Definition

In this research speech disorder refers to motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and

dysarthria) and fluency disorders (stuttering)

Culture

Definition

Culture is defined as a term to describe behaviors beliefs and values of a group of

people who are brought together by commonalities (Johnson 1996 p 270)

Operational Definition

In this research a culture refers to a group of people either of the same ethnic group

same language group or same hometown

Attitude

Conceptual Definition

The Merriam-Webter Online Dictionary (2014) defines attitude as the way you think

and feel about someone or something or a feeling or way of thinking that affects a persons

behaviour Attitude is also defined as a psychological tendency that is expressed by

evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavour (as cited in Schwarz amp

Bohner 2001 p2)

Operational Definition

In this research attitude refers to the way individuals understand think about and react

to speech disorders and individuals with speech disorders

Ethnicity

Conceptual Definition

Ethnic group or ethnicity is defined as a group of people whose heritage and group

membership are based on race origin characteristics and institutions An ethnic group

mayor may not consist of individuals of the same race (Johnson 1996 p 270)

6

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 18: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Operational Definition

In this research ethnic group refers to individuals of similar biological and physical

characteristics

Language group

Conceptual Definition

Language group is defined as a group of languages related by descent from a common

ancestor called the proto-language of that family (Language group 2011)

Operational Definition

In this research language group refers to a group of people categorized by the same

first language they speak

Hometown

Conceptual Definition

Hometown is defined as the town of ones birth or early life or present fixed

residence (H~me town 2014) or the city or town where one was born or grew up

(Hometown 2014)

Operational Definition

In this research hometown refers to the region in Malaysia for West Malaysia and

Sarawak - Northern Central or Southern and for Sabah - Northern or Southern where

participants of the study were born and raised

Summary

In a multicultural country like Malaysia it is vital to study cultural influences on

attitudes toward speech disorders especially because this area has not been probed yet This

study aims to see if different cultures in Malaysia have different attitudes toward speech

disorders The findings from this research would provide key information for the treatment of

these disorders The next chapter discusses literature related to this research

7

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 19: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Speech Disorders

Communication comprises of voice speech language hearing and cognition Thus

communication disorders refer to a broad area encompassing conditions in an individual that

impairs the individuals communication These conditions can either completely impede or

merely weaken the persons ability to communicate (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) Speech and

language are two major factors involved in the classification of communication disorders

Consequently there are two major types of communication disorders speech disorders and

language disorders (Carter amp Musher 2013)

However speech disorders itself is another wide branch that is further divided into

articulation disorders fluency disorders and voice disorders According to Musher and Carter

(2013) articulation disorders are speech conditions involving substitutions omissions

additions or distortions of speech sounds that interfere with intelligibility Fluency disorder is

present when an individuals speech flow is disrupted by an atypical rate rhythm and

repetitions in sounds syllables words and phrases These may also include excessive

tension struggle behaviour and secondary mannerisms Finally voice disorder refers to

abnormal production of vocal quality pitch loudness resonance andor duration that is

inappropriate for the childs age and sex

While speech disorders and language disorders are often viewed together it is

important to understand that the two are distinct from each other and the occurrence of one

does not necessarily correspond with the occurrence of the other The American Speechshy

Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) makes it clear that an individual with speech

disorders is incapable of constructing speech sounds properly or smoothly using his or her

voice On the other hand language disorders impairs ones ability to understand others

(receptive language) or to share thoughts ideas and feelings completely (expressive

8

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 20: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

language) (ASHA 2014) Speech disorders affect an individuals phonetics skills These

individuals may be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but they fail to

artioulate it On the other hand language disorder affects the pragmatics skills of an

individual These individuals may be capable of articulating meaningful sounds but lack the

intellectual ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Lewis et aI 2007)

Another important point to note about speech disorders is that it is distinct from speech

delays (NICHCY 2011) Speech delay refers to speech and language development that

occurs slowly but in the correct sequence of development Speech delay is very common

among children but does not have a lasting effect on the child as the child eventually

develops the necessary speech and language skills (Daines 2014) On the contrary speech

disorder refers to abnormal language [speech] progress (Cas 2011 para 11) According to

Daines (2014) speech disorder is language [speech] development which is not only severely

delayed but also atypical and uneven (para 6) He also mentions that unresolved speech

delay can result in speech disorder This significantly affects an individuals co~munication

abilities if proper intervention is not applied In other words speech disorder is not eventually

resolved by itself instead it impedes an individuals speech permanently (Daines 2014)

Although speech delays and speech disorders are different from each other Daines (2014)

states that it is rather difficult to differentiate one from the other in the beginning of a childs

language acquisition Hence a certified speech-language pathologist is the most reliable to

differentiate between the two (NICHCY 2011)

In this research the focus is only on three speech disorders (AOS dysarthria and

stuttering) out of the many speech disorders that exist This is because there has been no

similar study done on AOS and dysarthria At the same time although similar studies have

been done on stuttering it has never been done in a Malaysian context ASHA classifies the

selected disorders as follows

9

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 21: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Motor Speech Disorders According to Melfi and Garrison (2013) motor speech

disorders refer to speech disorders involving motor coordination of the structures of the

respiratory system larynx pharynx and oral cavity These disorders are categorized as

apraxias and dysarthrias

1 Apraxia of Speech (AOS)

Apraxia is defined as a weakness in ones capacity to program speech musculature to

select plan organize and initiate a motor pattern It is a disorder caused by the failure of the

brain to coordinate the movement of speech muscles for speech production Hence it is

believed to be a neurological disorder (Carter amp Musher 2013) Melfi and Garrison (2013)

classify apraxia into two different types namely oral apraxia and apraxia of speech Oral

apraxia does not involve speech production but is a defect in nonverbal oral movements like

sticking out the tongue and licking the lips On the other hand apraxia of speech (AOS)

refers to an inability to articulate speech and revolves around the intonation rhythm and

stress of speech also known as prosody AOS typically occurs as a result of left frontal

lesions adjacent to the Broca area (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

As highlighted by (ASHA 2014) childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is apraxia of

speech that occurs in children with varying signs and symptoms in younger children and

older children Among the various symptoms of CAS include late first words failure to coo

and babble choppy and monotonous speech and appearing to be groping when attempting to

produce sounds A child suffering from CAS is mentally aware of what he or she wants to say

but struggles in coordinating speech muscles to say it (ASHA 2014) Treatment or

intervention for CAS involves training the patient to improve their control over their oral

musculature and teaching them to sequence and program sounds (Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

Intervention that focuses on strengthening the oral musculature will not improve the speech

ofa child with CAS (ASHA 2014)

10

=

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 22: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Hence AOS is a speech disorder that results from the brain being unable to coordinate

the muscles involved in speech production Therefore AOS is classified as a neurological

disorder rather than a muscular disorder

2 Dysarthria

Dysarthria IS defined as a disorder that results from the interference of the

neuromuscular control of speech (Melfi amp Garrison 2013) This is due to the weakening of

mouth face and respiratory system muscles as a consequence of a stroke or brain injury

(ASHA 2014) Melfi and Garrison (2013) categorize dysarthria into nine different types

flaccid spastic ataxic hypokinetic hyperkinetic quick slow tremors and mixed

Dysarthria is generally caused by a disorder of the nervous system that is damage to the

central or peripheral nervous system (Carter amp Musher 2013 Melfi amp Garrison 2013)

ASHA includes stroke head injury cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy as specific causes

of dysarthria Both children and adults are susceptible to dysarthria as in the case of AOS

However this research focuses on dysarthria in children Children with dysarthria can be

identified as those with weakness slowness or incoordination of speech (Melfi amp Garrison

20l3) These children could also face swallowing problems as the same musculature is

involved in speaking and swallowing (Carter amp Musher 2013) The more precise symptoms

of dysarthria include slurred and soft speech limited tongue lip and jaw movement drooling

or poor control of saliva and slow speech rate (ASHA 2014) While treatment of dysarthria

depends on the cause type and severity of the disorder the main aim of the intervention is to

strengthen speech and swallowing muscles to increase mouth tongue and lip movement to

improve articulation so that speech is more clear and to improve breath support (ASHA

2014) Some intervention may also introduce alternative channels of communication if the

severity of dysarthria is too high

11

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 23: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Hence dysarthria is a speech disorder that results from the weakness of muscles

involved in speech production Therefore it is usually viewed as a disorder resulting from

biologjcal or physiological weakening

Fluency Disorders

1 Stuttering

The Mayo Clinic (2014) defines stuttering as frequent and significant problems that

interrupt the fluency and flow of ones speech Stuttering is also known as stammering It

usually starts in children between the ages of two to five years (Carter amp Musher 2013)

Stuttering is not always a disorder because it is a common phenomenon among children as

they acquire and sharpen language skills This is known as developmental stuttering (Mayo

Clinic 2014) However some children do not outgrow developmental stuttering once their

language skills are fully developed and the condition persists on until adulthood This is when

stuttering is considered a disorder Carter and Musher (2013) explain that causes of stuttering

remain unclear but some studies propose an interaction between genetic and environmental

factors as a possible cause Stuttering is a rather unique disorder compared to the disorders

previously explained This is so because the incidence of stuttering varies in each individual

that is it affects only certain communication of an individual (Carter amp Musher 2013) For

example a person may stutter while talking to a large group of people but not stutter when

talking on the phone Symptoms of stuttering include repetition of words or fragments of

words and prolongations of speech sounds (ASHA 2014) Treatment and intervention for

stutterers focus on reducing the disorders impact on communication rather than trying to

completely eliminate the dysfluency of speech (ASHA 2014)

Hence stuttering is a speech disorder that results from the disruption of an individuals

flow of speech due to either interruptions or gaps in ones speech It usually starts in early

childhood and is only considered a disorder if it persists into adulthood

12

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13

Page 24: Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human … influences on...I, HANNAH KUMAR, FACULTY OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, hereby declare that the work entitled, CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Findings from Previous Studies

In the past several researches have been done to investigate the general attitudes of

individuals toward speech disorders One such study is to explore the Knowledge and

Attitudes of Students from Two Universities in the Western Cape toward Stuttering The

results obtained from this study showed that the population under study generally had

inadequate knowledge about stuttering Despite the lack of knowledge they looked at the

speech disorder (stuttering) itself positively On the other hand this population viewed the

disordered persons (stutterer) negatively (Power 2001)

At the same time there are quite a number of researches that have been done to

investigate the influences of cultural variation on the awareness of and perception toward

speech disorders Wilkerson and Bakker (2010) wrote a paper to speculate the nature of the

interaction ofcultural variation with the awareness of cluttering in North and South American

countries The fact that there is no commonly accepted word for cluttering in this society

drove the researchers to speculate this issue Battle (2010) mentions that culture serves as a

lens for one to view and comprehend the world (cited in Wilkerson amp Bakker 2010 para

11) Hence cultural beliefs can thwart the knowledge and understanding of cluttering and

other speech disorders

Bebout and Arthur (1992) conducted a study to analyse Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward

Speech Disorders among North Americans In this study the researches focused on four

specific disorders cleft palate dysfluency hearing impairment and rnisarticulation This

study was also done on university students who represented English-speaking North

American Chinese Southeast Asian and Hispanic cultures The results from this study gave

evidence to the existence of significant differences among the different cultural groups of the

population in this study

13