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Collaborative referencing between individuals with aphasia and routine communication partners.
1Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61820, USA. hengst@uiuc.edu
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|September 10, 2003
Summary
This study shows that adults with aphasia and their partners successfully collaborate on referencing tasks, adapting communication strategies beyond established models. Their interactions highlight flexible functional communication and tacit learning in social contexts.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Psychology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Successful referencing relies on collaborative efforts to establish shared perspectives on objects, as proposed by H. H. Clark's collaborative referencing model.
- Previous research indicates individuals with aphasia can succeed in referencing tasks, but the specific collaborative mechanisms remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the collaborative processes employed by adults with moderate-to-severe aphasia and their communication partners during a referencing task.
- To examine how established collaborative referencing models apply to and potentially extend beyond interactions involving individuals with aphasia.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a referencing task adapted from Clark and Wilkes-Gibbs (1986).
- Analyzed the discourse of 4 dyads, each consisting of an adult with aphasia and a routine communication partner (spouse or child).
Main Results:
- Dyads achieved 96% accuracy on the referencing task, demonstrating successful collaboration.
- Referencing processes generally aligned with Clark's collaborative referencing model.
- Detailed discourse analysis revealed additional collaborative strategies, including diverse verbal/nonverbal resources, active negotiation, and integration of personal goals.
Conclusions:
- The study underscores the plasticity of functional communication in aphasia, showcasing diverse collaborative methods.
- Findings emphasize the significance of understanding tacit learning processes within social interactions for communication partners of individuals with aphasia.