A series of studies found that stutterers can predict with 98% accuracy the words they will stutter on in a written passage. Stutterers can accurately anticipate their stuttering.

However, placebo studies found that stutterers' speech is not changed when they are given a pill and told that the pill will improve their speech. The belief that you will or will not stutter has no effect on your speech.

Some stutterers say that they stopped stuttering, temporarily or even permanently, when they adopted a new attitude about their speech. However, no study has ever proven these anecdotal reports.

Stutterers should improve their awareness of their stuttering, be open about their stuttering, and try to talk more instead of avoiding speaking situations. These are all a part of overcoming stuttering. But few stutterers will experience improved speech solely from this — they should also work on their physical speech production skills.