A study of the communicative efficiency in institutionalized and non-institutionalized aged females

The 15 subjects in each group were matched in chronological age (within six months) and highest educational attainment. All subjects met the following criteria: normal hearing; native English speaker; completion of the eighth grade; negative medical or psychiatric diagnosis of respiratory disease, senile dementia, organic brain syndrome; mobile within her environment; six consecutive months at present residence; regular (or weekly) participation in social activities; and negative evidence of motor speech disorder, receptive impairment, and confusion.

Tape recordings were made in the subject's living environment with each subject performing the two tasks. These responses were then transcribed verbatim, timed, and analyzed. The level recorder was used for all pause duration measurements. Only those strings which followed approximately the first 10 seconds of the picture description were analyzed using the level recorder.

The major findings of the investigation were as follows:

1. The speaking rates during a reading task for the institutionalized speakers were significantly slower than for the noninstitutionalized speakers; however, individuals within each group varied considerably;

2. The speaking rates for the two subject groups were not significantly different during a picture description task; however, subjects within these groups differed;

3. The information rates during both experimental tasks were significantly slower for the institutionalized speakers than for the non-institutionalized speakers;

4. The total pause durations during both a reading and a picture description task were significantly longer for the institutionalized group than for the non-institutionalized group;

5. The inter-sentence pause durations during a reading task were not significantly different for the two groups; however, individual subjects within each group varied considerably;

6. The inter-string pause durations for the institutionalized speakers during a picture description task were significantly longer than for the non-institutionalized speakers but individual subject variation was considerable;

7. The intra-sentence pause durations during a reading task were significantly longer for the institutionalized speakers than for the non-institutionalized speakers with individuals varying considerably;

8. The intra-string pause durations during a picture description task were not significantly different for the two groups but variation for the subjects within the two groups was noted;

9. The total pause frequencies for the two groups during a reading task were not significantly different; however, individuals varied within each group; and

10. The total pause frequencies during a picture description task for the institutionalized speakers were more frequent than for the non-institutionalized speakers but individual subject variation within each group was noted.

In summary, even though group differences were noted for several of the variables in this investigation, the heterogeneity of the non-institutionalized aged group and homogeneity of the institutionalized group should be emphasized. Further research needs include providing experience(s) with tape recording for aged speakers prior to experimental tasks, investigating communicative efficiency measures during two conditions of connected speech and including young and middle adult sample groups during the same experimental tasks as in this investigation, followed by comparisons among the groups.