The study of speech accommodation in interactions with older adults in Singapore

• Main Author: Chua, Vanessa Xinyi
• Other Authors: Ng Bee Chin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities::Linguistics::Sociolinguistics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76814
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the population of older adults doubling in the next decade or so in Singapore, there is a looming need for non-professional carers in their homes. Therefore, there’s an increasing urgency to be better equipped to support older adults in embracing their aging experience. Research to date on speech accommodation in interactions with older adults have often been examined only in the context of healthcare facilities. However, no studies have examined these practices in the setting of Singaporean homes. This study investigates the speech accommodation strategies practiced by 16 domestic carers, along with the responses of the older adults to their interaction. This experiment consisted of three parts: a Mini-State Mental Examination, a Diapix task, and a post-task questionnaire. The data suggests that the speech accommodation strategies identified in a home context are similar to those in healthcare facilities, except with varied extents which correlate to the older adult’s level of cognitive decline. Frequent social interactions with the older adults seem to be the primary predictor of their positive communication experience. This intimacy also places domestic carers in an advantageous position to provide more personalised care. Overaccommodation is also likely to be better received when it is from someone close to the older adult. The results from the study highlight the importance of both frequency and quality of social interactions for enhancing the psychosocial wellbeing of older adults as they age.