title: Experts' saliency ratings of speech-language dimensions associated with cluttering.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to investigate how cluttering specialists rated degree of prominence or saliency of various communication dimensions as contributing to the overall cluttering severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a 9-point Likert type scoring system 31 cluttering specialists (with an average of 19 years of experience with cluttering) rated the relative importance of eight speech and language dimensions often associated with cluttering from '1' ('not important') at the low end to a '9' ('very important') at the high saliency end.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Though the salience ratings differed the values in most cases were toward the high end of the rating scale. Additionally correlational analyses revealed several patterns of inter-correlation among the dimensions indicating that contribution of each communication dimension to overall cluttering severity may not be the same for all. Rather, it suggested that these dimensions may speak to cluttering severity through differential perceptual pathways that characterized the thinking of the experts who participated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater understanding of the various communication behaviors contributing to cluttering, severity is needed for theoretical research and clinical purposes. To the extent that the dimensions studied are thought to be relevant for cluttering, the results strengthen the notion that these dimensions (and perhaps others) should be included if we are to capture a comprehensive picture of cluttering severity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (a) describe the multidimensionality of cluttering; (b) discuss the perceptual saliency of speech-language dimensions associated with cluttering; (c) describe the interrelatedness of various speech-language dimensions associated with cluttering; (d) discuss how experts in cluttering rate the saliency of speech and language dimensions associated with cluttering when provided a list of these dimensions.
authors.affiliation: Adelphi University, United States.
authors.forename: Florence L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Missouri State University, United States. Electronic address: bakker_klaas@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Klaas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bakker
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013060:Speech; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement
keywords: Cluttering; Experts’ ratings of cluttering; Perception of cluttering; Saliency of speech-language dimensions associated with cluttering