A preliminary study of prosocial or healthy teasing of stuttering: public opinion in the USA and Iran

Public appropriateness or acceptability of the prosocial (or ‘healthy’) teasing of individuals who stutter, and other teasing-related reactions were investigated in two widely divergent cultures. Participants from the United States (USA) (n = 117) and Iran (n = 101) rated English or Persian versions of items related to the teasing of stuttering selected from a well-known attitude measure that had been adapted to compare the attitudes of males with those of females who stutter. Judgments of the acceptability of healthy teasing of hypothetical males or females who stutter were compared to teasing-related ratings, notably, imitating stuttering, filling in words, making jokes, and advising a speaker to ‘Slow down’ or ‘Relax.’ Additionally, acceptability of healthy teasing of stuttering was compared to such teasing of males or females who are intelligent, left handed, obese, or mentally ill. The attitudes toward teasing-related reactions varied by country. Although none of the teasing-related items were considered acceptable by large majorities of both countries, USA respondents generally reported greater acceptability. The respondents in both countries were more likely to reject healthy teasing for stuttering than for other attributes, such as obesity. Making jokes about – or imitating – stuttering was widely considered unacceptable by nearly all the participants. Additionally, male- versus female-related differences showed that teasing males who stutter was generally perceived as more acceptable than teasing females. Prosocial teasing is generally not regarded as appropriate for individuals who stutter in two widely divergent cultures, although a significant minority, approximately one person in five, in both the USA and Iran believe that such teasing is acceptable.