Comprehension of monologues and dialogues by aphasic listeners

This study examined the frequently heard claim that aphasic listeners have more difficulty understanding speech in situations where there are multiple speakers than in situations where there is a single speaker. Nine stories about everyday events were written and videotaped as monologues, dialogues with one dominant speaker, and dialogues with both speakers contributing comparable amounts of information. Eighteen aphasic and 9 non-brain-damaged adults watched and listened to the videotapes. Listeners' comprehension and retention of the stories were tested by yes/no questions following each story. The three versions of the stories were understood and remembered equally well by aphasic and non-brain-damaged listeners, suggesting that listening to two speakers does not appreciably increase comprehension difficulty. These results suggest that factors other than the extent to which different speakers contribute to the topic of conversation are responsible for aphasic listeners' reported difficulties in comprehending multiple-speaker conversational interactions.