Conversational topics of staff members and institutionalized individuals with mental retardation

The conversational topics, and responses to these topics, used by staff members and residents in two settings within an institution for people with mental retardation were examined. Ten residents were observed in the classroom and residential environment for a total of 5 hours. All instances of spoken communication were analyzed for conversational topic and nature of the conversational opener. Results indicated that residents and staff members tended to talk about different topics. There were also differences in the use of topics between settings. Staff members were most likely to respond when residents used conversational openers that encouraged further interaction. Residents, in contrast, were most responsive when staff members talked about social topics, regardless of how the conversation was initiated. Implications for staff and resident training were discussed.