Stuttering as reflected in adults' self-figure drawings

This pilot study aimed to detect indicators within self-figure drawings that reflect stuttering in adults. A sample of 20 adults who stutter from childhood were given a blank sheet of A4-size paper and a pencil and were asked to draw themselves. Their drawings were compared to drawings of a nonstuttering adult group that was matched to the study group according to age, gender, and education (n = 20). Indicators included all body organs that symbolize the senses and social anxiety (based on the literature review) were selected for comparison. Findings revealed that the ears, eyes, and throat of figures drawn by the stuttering adults differed from those drawn by nonstuttering adults. In addition, stuttering adults tended to add a collar or a line within the neck to their drawings.