How to improve social communication in aging: Pragmatic and cognitive interventions.
Aging
Metaphor
Off-topic verbosity
Pragmatics
Social communication
Training
Journal
Brain and language
ISSN: 1090-2155
Titre abrégé: Brain Lang
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7506220
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
12 2020
12 2020
Historique:
received:
01
11
2019
revised:
21
07
2020
accepted:
14
09
2020
pubmed:
3
11
2020
medline:
2
3
2021
entrez:
2
11
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Among all aspects of the linguistic and communicative competence, pragmatics seems especially vulnerable in aging, due also to cognitive decline. However, pragmatics has never been considered as an intervention target in healthy aging. Here we tested the effects of a novel training program to improve pragmatics (PragmaCom) in older adults, compared with an active cognitive control group in a randomized-controlled-trial design. Both the PragmaCom group and the control group improved in pragmatic skills such as understanding metaphors and avoiding off-topic speech, indicating that it is possible to improve pragmatics in aging both with a specific training and with a cognitive training. Individual cognitive factors predicted pragmatic improvement in the control group, while in the PragmaCom group benefits were less dependent on individual characteristics. We discuss the results in terms of pragmatic plasticity, highlighting the importance of these findings for promoting older adults' social communication and well-being.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33137591
pii: S0093-934X(20)30123-1
doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104864
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
104864Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.