Journal article
How Is Effort Defined in Communication Sciences and Disorders? A Systematic Review of Literature
Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Vol.68(10), pp.4758-4780
10/14/2025
DOI: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00070
PMID: 40966103
Abstract
Purpose:
This systematic literature review aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of effort as a multidimensional construct in individuals with impaired swallowing and/or spoken communication.
Method:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted across three databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL, covering publications from 1966 to 2024. The search included terms related to communication effort, speech effort, vocal effort, swallowing effort, and articulatory effort. A total of 1,226 publications were initially identified, with 131 meeting the inclusion criteria for full-text review. Methodological quality assessment was performed to evaluate the rigor and reliability of the studies included in the review. Given the diverse types of articles and the broad inclusion criteria, assessing the quality was challenging but necessary to ensure a comprehensive synthesis of the concept of effort. This assessment helps identify strengths and weaknesses in the current research, guiding future studies toward more standardized and robust methodologies.
Results:
As was expected, the review identified that effort in communication sciences and disorders is a multifactorial concept involving physical, cognitive, emotional, and physiological dimensions. Definitions and assessment methods varied across different types of effort, with vocal effort being the most frequently studied. The quality of the publications varied, with 8% rated as strong evidence, 34% as moderate, and 57% as weak.
Conclusions:
This review identifies conceptual fragmentation and measurement inconsistency in how effort is defined and operationalized across domains in communication sciences and disorders. By thematically synthesizing the literature, the review reveals a need for more integrated theoretical models and standardized assessment frameworks to advance clinical practice and research in this area. While vocal effort was the most frequently studied type, the definitions and assessment methods varied widely. The quality of the reviewed publications was diverse, with only 8% rated as strong evidence.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- How Is Effort Defined in Communication Sciences and Disorders? A Systematic Review of Literature
- Creators
- Lady Catherine Cantor-Cutiva - East Tennessee State UniversityBüşra Ensar - Michigan State UniversityAdrián Castillo-Allendes - Michigan State UniversitySusanna Whitling - Lund UniversityJeff Searl - Michigan State UniversityEric J Hunter - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Vol.68(10), pp.4758-4780
- DOI
- 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00070
- PMID
- 40966103
- NLM abbreviation
- J Speech Lang Hear Res
- ISSN
- 1558-9102
- eISSN
- 1558-9102
- Publisher
- AMER SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOC
- Grant note
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grant: R01DC012315
The research reported in this publication was supported by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grant R01DC012315 (awarded to Eric J. Hunter). The content is solely the author's responsibility and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 09/18/2025
- Date published
- 10/14/2025
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Teaching and Learning
- Record Identifier
- 9984963624302771
Metrics
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