@article{delangle_speaking_2026,

title = {Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results},

author = {M. Delangle and A. Moïse-Richard and A. -L. Leclercq and D. Labbé and S. Bouchard and S. Andrews and L. Ménard},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105028302364&doi=10.1016%2Fj.jfludis.2026.106194&partnerID=40&md5=af0d246f9187ee19796f36456887400b},

doi = {10.1016/j.jfludis.2026.106194},

issn = {0094730X (ISSN)},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Fluency Disorders},

volume = {87},

abstract = {Purpose Speaking in class is challenging for students who stutter. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure in virtual reality (VR) emerges as a promising intervention for treating speaking anxiety in pediatric populations. This pilot study tested if real-time avatar-based VR can elicit anxiety responses while remaining acceptable to youth who stutter. Method Twelve students who stutter (aged 9–18) were randomly assigned to a single training session conducted either (1) in VR with a realistic avatar controlled live by their SLP, or (2) in role-play with their SLP, before facing a real actor. We assessed system acceptability, anxiety levels and perceived self-efficacy. Results The VR system was well accepted and elicited physiological arousal comparable to real-life interactions. Although participants reported experiencing less anxiety during VR, skin conductance level showed higher arousal; suggesting a divergence between the subjective report and physiological response. Finally, one training session (either in VR or with the SLP) did not produce gains in self-efficacy or decrease in anxiety related to the final real-actor conversation. Conclusion This study demonstrates evidence that the potential use of immersive VR could represent an acceptable and viable complementary strategy for SLP treatment, that could control exposure parameters while evoking physiological responses similar to real-life contexts. The differences between subjective and physiological measures suggest that VR is inducing anxiety responses differently than it was perceived. Further research could investigate the use of VR as anxiety interventions for students who stutter and should be explored across multi-session studies to understand their therapeutic effect. © 2026 The Authors.},

keywords = {Adolescent, adult, Anxiety, Arousal, article, Avatar, avoidance behavior, Canada, Child, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, complication, controlled study, distance learning, ecological validity, electrocardiogram, electrodermal response, exposure, female, Heart Rate, heart rate variability, human, Humans, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Likert scale, male, nonverbal communication, physiological stress, Pilot Projects, pilot study, procedures, psychology, questionnaire, randomized controlled trial, role playing, School-age children, Self Concept, Self Efficacy, self report, Signal processing, skin conductance, social anxiety, speech, student, Students, Stuttering, Therapy, treatment outcome, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{moise-richard_real_2021,

title = {Real and virtual classrooms can trigger the same levels of stuttering severity ratings and anxiety in school-age children and adolescents who stutter},

author = {A. Moïse-Richard and L. Ménard and S. Bouchard and A. -L. Leclercq},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85101691118&doi=10.1016%2fj.jfludis.2021.105830&partnerID=40&md5=e05dd193c76b1bad1d453aad4d87cc51},

doi = {10.1016/j.jfludis.2021.105830},

issn = {0094730X},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Fluency Disorders},

volume = {68},

publisher = {Elsevier Inc.},

abstract = {Purpose: Many school-age children and adolescents who stutter experience the fear of public speaking. Treatment implications include the need to address this problem. However, it is not always possible to train repeatedly in front of a real audience. The present study aimed to assess the relevance of using a virtual classroom in clinical practice with school-age children and adolescents who stutter. Methods: Ten children and adolescents who stutter (aged 9–17 years old) had to speak in three different situations: in front of a real audience, in front of a virtual class and in an empty virtual apartment using a head-mounted display. We aimed to assess whether the self-rated levels of anxiety while speaking in front of a virtual audience reflect the levels of anxiety reported while speaking in front of a live audience, and if the stuttering level while speaking to a virtual class reflects the stuttering level while speaking in real conditions. Results: Results show that the real audience creates higher anticipatory anxiety than the virtual class. However, both the self-reported anxiety levels and the stuttering severity ratings when talking in front of a virtual class did not differ from those observed when talking to a real audience, and were significantly higher than when talking in an empty virtual apartment. Conclusion: Our results support the feasibility and relevance of using a virtual classroom to expose school-age children and adolescents who stutter to a feared situation during cognitive behavioral therapy targeting the fear of public speaking. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.},

note = {Publisher: Elsevier Inc.},

keywords = {Adolescent, anticipatory anxiety, Anxiety, anxiety assessment, Anxiety disorder, Anxiety Disorders, article, Child, clinical article, controlled study, disease severity, female, human, Humans, male, psychological rating scale, Public speaking, school, school child, Schools, self report, software, speech, Stuttering, virtual learning environment},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{bouchard_authors_2018,

title = {Author’s reply:},

author = {S. Bouchard},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85054728668&doi=10.1192%2fbjp.2018.192&partnerID=40&md5=11905e8a9bb8578e1df964a26b9930d4},

doi = {10.1192/bjp.2018.192},

issn = {00071250 (ISSN)},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {British Journal of Psychiatry},

volume = {213},

number = {4},

pages = {617},

publisher = {Cambridge University Press},

note = {Publisher: Cambridge University Press},

keywords = {cost effectiveness analysis, gold standard, hospital admission, human, Humans, letter, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, phobia, self report, Social, social phobia, speech, virtual reality},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{parent_sexual_2018,

title = {Sexual coercion perpetrated by women: Testing an etiological model},

author = {G. Parent and M. -P. Robitaille and J. -P. Guay},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85042350644&doi=10.1016%2fj.sexol.2018.02.008&partnerID=40&md5=31fcfd8539f77390d4ca320ff58e5b51},

doi = {10.1016/j.sexol.2018.02.008},

issn = {11581360},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Sexologies},

volume = {27},

number = {2},

pages = {e39–e44},

publisher = {Elsevier Masson s.r.l.},

abstract = {Introduction: Although an increasing body of literature focuses on sexual coercion committed by women in the general population, very few explanatory models have been put forward to explain the use of coercive strategies by women. Objective: The main objective of this study is to test, using a wider and more culturally diverse sample, the first explanatory model suggested by Schatzel-Murphy (2011) and tested on American women. Method: To this end, 274 Canadian, heterosexual and French-speaking university students completed the French version of the Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex and Aggression (MIDSA). Results: The results show that a greater proportion of Quebeckers (41%) than Americans (26%) use sexual coercion to force their partner to have sexual contacts. In general, the Schatzel-Murphy etiological model successfully explains Quebeckers’ use of sexual coercion, albeit not quite as well as for Americans, as can be seen by an explained variance which is three times smaller (12% as opposed to 34%). The lack of link between sexual abuse and sexual coercion, together with the different roles played by sociosexuality and hyperfemininity in the use of sexual coercion by Quebeckers, is discussed in light of the cultural differences between women from the two countries. Discussion: Some thought is also given to the two major paths leading to sexual coercion and suggestions are made for related clinical implications. © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS},

note = {Publisher: Elsevier Masson s.r.l.},

keywords = {adult, aggression, American, article, female, heterosexuality, human, male, sexual abuse, sexual coercion, speech, structural equation modeling, Thinking, university student},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{parent_sexual_2018-1,

title = {Sexual coercion perpetrated by women: Reproduction of an etiological model [La coercition sexuelle perpétrée par la femme: mise à l’épreuve d'un modèle étiologique]},

author = {G. Parent and M. -P. Robitaille and J. -P. Guay},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85042430184&doi=10.1016%2fj.sexol.2018.02.007&partnerID=40&md5=c25b6dbf63ee22146ddc146ffc0bd4c0},

doi = {10.1016/j.sexol.2018.02.007},

issn = {11581360},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Sexologies},

volume = {27},

number = {2},

pages = {113–121},

publisher = {Elsevier Masson s.r.l.},

abstract = {Introduction: Although an increasing body of literature focuses on sexual coercion committed by women in the general population, very few explanatory models have been put forward to explain the use of coercive strategies by women. Objective: The main objective of this study is to test, using a wider and more culturally diverse sample, the first explanatory model suggested by Schatzel-Murphy (2011) and tested on American women. Method: To this end, 274 Canadian, heterosexual and French-speaking university students completed the French version of the Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex and Aggression (MIDSA). Results: The results show that a greater proportion of Quebeckers (41%) than Americans (26%) use sexual coercion to force their partner to have sexual relations. In general, the Schatzel-Murphy etiological model successfully explains Quebeckers’ use of sexual coercion, albeit not quite as well as for Americans, as can be seen by an explained variance which is three times smaller (12% as opposed to 34%). The lack of link between sexual abuse and sexual coercion, together with the different roles played by sociosexuality and hyperfemininity in the use of sexual coercion by Quebeckers, is discussed in light of the cultural differences between women from the two countries. Discussion: Some thought is also given to the two major paths leading to sexual coercion and suggestions are made for related clinical implications. © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS},

note = {Publisher: Elsevier Masson s.r.l.},

keywords = {adult, aggression, American, article, female, heterosexuality, human, male, reproduction, sexual abuse, sexual coercion, speech, structural equation modeling, Thinking, university student},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}