Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/27975
Title: Attitudes of University of Malta students and lecturers towards cluttering
Authors: Farrugia, Kristina
Keywords: University students -- Malta -- Attitudes
Lecturers -- Malta -- Attitudes
Cluttering (Speech pathology)
Issue Date: 2017
Abstract: The main aim of the study is to investigate the attitudes that lecturers and students at the University of Malta have towards the fluency disorder referred to as ‘cluttering’. Additionally, the research also seeks to highlight the students’ and lecturers’ level of awareness of the cluttering condition. 216 participants completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Cluttering (POSHA-Cl), an empirically-based survey instrument designed to measure public attitudes toward cluttering within the context of a variety of human attributes or conditions. Participants included 73 undergraduate students in their fourth year of studies, 11 Master’s students in their second year of studies and 132 lecturers. Participants were offered to take part in focus groups. Three focus group were organized consisting of 6 undergraduate students and 2 lecturers. Overall, the Maltese sample had a less negative attitude for cluttering than the international samples. The study revealed that participants’ attitudes towards cluttering and stuttering are very similar. In fact, cluttering was associated with the stuttering stereotype of being nervous, shy and caused by a psychological trauma. Student participants believed this stereotype to a lesser extent than lecturers. Findings also revealed that the attitude and level of awareness of students and lecturers in the ‘health and social science’ sample group was not significantly better than the participants in the ‘physical sciences’ or ‘humanities’ sample groups (p>0.05). An overwhelming number of participants rated cluttering as the condition they are least knowledgeable about (mean rating score = 2.07). This might indicate that cluttering is not a well-recognized disorder by the students and lecturers of the University of Malta. Further studies are required in order to gain a better understanding of cluttering and the negative attitudes attributed to it.
Description: B.SC.(HONS)COMMUNICATION THERAPY
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/27975
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - FacHSc - 2017
Dissertations - FacHScCT - 2017

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