Purpose: Mindsets are the thoughts, assumptions, and beliefs that a person has about themselves and their personal experiences. Research has not explored whether there are stuttering reactions mindsets, or inherent beliefs specifically about a person’s reactions to stuttering. Research has also not yet explored whether a person’s mindset, either growth or fixed, is related to the adverse impact of stuttering. This research involved three studies designed to: (a) explore the construct validity of a stuttering reactions mindset, (b) examine potential relationships between stuttering reactions mindsets and the adverse impact of stuttering, and (c) test the efficacy of a single-session mindset intervention aimed to increase growth mindsets of stuttering reactions as it relates to readiness to change.Method: Participants for all three studies were people who stutter. The first study (N = 160) established the construct validity of a stuttering reactions mindset through confirmatory factor analysis using a novel stuttering reactions mindset measure that was based on four previously validated mindsets and corresponding measures (intelligence, emotion, anxiety, personality). The second study (N = 64) assessed the predictive nature of a stuttering reactions mindset on the adverse impact of stuttering using linear regression modeling. The third study (N = 30) tested group mean differences in a person’s readiness to change following a pilot intervention aimed to promote a growth mindset. Results: Stuttering reactions mindset emerged as a unique construct that is distinguishable from other established mindsets (e.g., anxiety). Relationships were found among all five mindsets measured, indicating that there is still a generalizability among different mindsets; having a growth mindset in one domain is related to having a growth mindset in another. Fixed mindset of stuttering was related to the adverse impact of stuttering in that having a growth mindset predicted reduced impact of stuttering. No differences were found between groups in their readiness to change following a brief growth mindset intervention. Conclusion: Understanding a person’s stuttering reactions mindset may prove to be a meaningful addition to a comprehensive stuttering intervention, for it can provide clinicians with an easy-to-understand assessment of how a person views the controllability of their reactions to stuttering. Further, understanding a person’s mindset, whether growth or fixed, may provide insight into how they approach speaking situation, either with an approach or avoidance response. The relationships found between mindset and the adverse impact of stuttering and qualitative responses from participants in the third study suggest that there may be value in applying mindset interventions that promote a growth mindset in order to reduce the adverse impact of stuttering.
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