Centre for Policy on Ageing



Off-target verbosity and talkativeness in elderly people
Author(s)	Dolores Pushkar Gold, David Andres, Tannis Arbuckle
Journal title	Canadian Journal on Aging, vol 12, no 1, Spring 1993
Pages	pp 67-77
Keywords	Cognitive processes ; Communication ; Social interaction ; Age groups [elderly] ; Correlation ; Canada.
Annotation	This Canadian study examined whether off-target verbosity (OTV) should be conceptualised as a distinct process from high levels of talkativeness in everyday social situations. The relationship of age to these speech styles was also determined. The responses of 125 community-based older people to a life history interview were independently rated by two research assistants for the frequency and extent of OTV. The participant's activities in daily life, including talkativeness, were independently rated by the participants themselves, 125 similar-aged peers and 10 professional workers acquainted with participants. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a model postulating OTV and talkativeness as two largely independent latent factors. Age was associated with the verbosity factor. The results were interpreted as indicating that OTV cannot be expected by the same processes that underlie social talkativeness. Possible mechanisms of the verbosity factor were discussed. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-970821202 A
Classmark	DA: U: TMA: BB: 49: 7S
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.