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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
04:30

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing

Published on: October 25, 2019

Language and ageing - exploring propositional density in written language - stability over time.

Elizabeth Spencer1, Hugh Craig, Alison Ferguson

  • 1School of Humanities & Social Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. elizabeth.spencer@newcastle.edu.au

Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
|August 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Propositional density (PD) in writing is stable over time for groups, but individual language changes occur. This measure shows potential for tracking language decline in ageing research.

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Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Gerontology
  • Computational Linguistics

Background:

  • Propositional density (PD) is a linguistic measure with potential for indicating language decline in ageing.
  • Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding language changes over time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the stability of propositional density (PD) in written texts over a 16-year period.
  • To assess PD as a potential indicator and predictor of language decline associated with ageing.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of written texts from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health.
  • Utilized data from 127 middle-aged women over five surveys (16 years).
  • Employed an automated PD rater (CPIDR-3) for text analysis.

Main Results:

  • Grouped data indicated propositional density (PD) is a stable measure over time.
  • Significant between- and within-subject variations in PD were observed over the study period.

Conclusions:

  • Propositional density (PD) demonstrates stability at a group level but exhibits individual variability.
  • Further research is necessary to validate PD's use in ageing and language research.