Educational Information Improves Listener Attitudes Toward People With Dysarthria Secondary to Parkinson's Disease.

purposePeople with dysarthria have been rated as less confident and less likable and are often assumed by listeners to have reduced cognitive abilities relative to neurotypical speakers. This study explores whether educational information about dysarthria can shift these attitudes in a group of speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria secondary to Parkinson's disease.

methodOne hundred seventeen listeners were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk to transcribe sentences and rate the confidence, intelligence, and likability of eight speakers with mild hypokinetic dysarthria. Listeners were assigned to one of four conditions. In one condition, listeners were provided with no educational information prior to exposure to speakers with dysarthria (

resultsResults revealed statistically significant effects of educational statements on ratings of speakers' confidence, intelligence, and likability. However, educational statements did not affect listeners' transcription accuracy.

conclusionsThis study presents preliminary evidence that educational material can positively influence listener impressions of speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria, especially when it is explicitly stated that the disorder does not affect intelligence or understanding. This initial examination provides preliminary support for educational awareness campaigns and self-disclosure of communicative difficulties in people with mild dysarthria.