diagnosogenic theory

di·ag·no·so·gen·ic the·o·ry

(dī-ăg-nos'ŏ-jen'ik thē'ŏr-ē) As applied to stuttering, a theory that attributes the disorder to misdiagnosis of normal disfluency in a young child; the resultant anxiety exacerbates the disfluency and establishes stuttering as a disorder.