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Off-Target Verbosity and Talkativeness in Elderly People

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Dolores Pushkar Gold ,
David Andres ,
Tannis Arbuckle  and
Connie Zieren
Dolores Pushkar Gold
Affiliation:
Concordia University
David Andres
Affiliation:
Concordia University
Tannis Arbuckle
Affiliation:
Concordia University
Connie Zieren
Affiliation:
Concordia University
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Abstract

This study examined whether off-target verbosity should be conceptualized as a distinct process from high levels of talkativeness in every day social situations. The relationship of age to these speech styles was also determined. The responses of 125 community-based elderly adults to a life-history interview were independently rated by two research assistants for the frequency and extent of off-target verbosity. The participant's activities in daily life, including talkativeness, were independently rated by the participants themselves, 125 similar-aged peers and 10 professional workers acquainted with the participants. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a model postulating off-target verbosity and talkativeness as two largely independent latent factors. Age was associated with the verbosity factor. The results were interpreted as indicating that off-target verbosity cannot be explained by the same processes that underlie social talkativeness. Possible mechanisms of the verbosity factor were discussed.

Résumé

Cette recherche visait à préciser si, d'une part, la verbosité hors-contexte peut être conceptualisée comme un processus distinct des niveaux élevés de verbalisation qu'on rencontre dans des situations sociales de la vie quotidienne et d'autre part, s'il existe une relation entre l'âge et ces deux styles langagiers. Au total, 125 personnes âgées des deux sexes résident dans la communauté ont participé à une entrevue portant sur leur profil de vie et leurs réponses ont été évaluées séparément par deux assistantes de recherche quant à la fréquence et à l'étendue de la verbosité hors-contexte. Les activités quotidiennes, y compris la verbalisation, ont été évalués par les participants eux-mêmes, par un pair du même âge (N = 125) et par un professionel qui connaissait le participant (N = 10). Une analyse factorielle supporte le modèle selon lequel la verbosité hors-contexte et la verbalisation constituent deux facteurs latents passablement indépendants. De plus, l'âge est en corrélation avee la verbosité. Nous avons interprété les résultats en soulignant que la verbosité hors-contexte ne peut pas être expliquée par les mêmes processus qui sont sous-jacents à la verbalisation sociale. Enfin, nous avons traité des mécanismes possibles qui peuvent expliquer la verbosité.

Keywords

VerbosityTalkativenessVerbositéverbalisation
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , Spring/printemps 1993 , pp. 67 - 77
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1993

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