The Effect of Response Contingent Verbal Punishment on Stuttering

The effects of response contingent “wrong” on stuttering were studied in three adult male stutterers. Each subject’s stuttering baserate was obtained, then “wrong” was made contingent on each stuttering. For two subjects, “wrong” occasioned a 30% to 40% reduction in stuttering frequency. For a third subject, response contingent “wrong” produced almost total suppression of stuttering, removal of “wrong” was followed by a return to baserate frequency, and reintroduction of “wrong” resulted in an immediate and dramatic reduction in stuttering.