This study evaluated the moderating effects of individuals' coping styles for physiological reactivity to a stressor in the laboratory in 11 persons who stuttered and 11 persons who did not stutter. Reactivity was defined as changes in levels of salivary Cortisol after a stressor. Subjects were grouped according to scores on apprehension about communication. Individuals scoring high on Communication Apprehension showed significantly elevated Cortisol levels compared to those scoring low on Communication Apprehension. Stuttering subjects who scored high on Communication Apprehension and used emotion-based coping strategies showed the largest elevations in Cortisol levels.
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