Topic and vocabulary use patterns of elderly women

Communication samples of 3,000 words of routine conversation were collected from five elderly women (ages 63-79 years) using voice activated audiotape recorders. These samples were analyzed to determine the frequency and commonality of topics and vocabulary used. Topics of family life and social networks were dominant in the conversations of these subjects. The three youngest subjects frequently referenced the present, while the oldest two subjects referenced the past much more frequently than the younger subjects. The older subjects referred more frequently to acquaintances and close friends than did the younger subjects who referred more frequently to their immediate families. Implications of this information for language intervention and AAC systems for elderly adults are discussed.

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