COMM 368 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Communication Accommodation Theory, Short-Term Memory, Child Development

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COMM 368:
8/24/17
What is aging?
- Chronological age is not solid predictor of behavior
- Theories of aging:
- Age by experience: wisdom is developed not as people grow older but as they acquire
experiences
- Contextual age- age reflects six dimensions: social activity, interpersonal interaction,
mobility, life satisfaction, health, and economic security
- Age identity- age is based on how you view yourself in regards to being a member of a
particular age group
Age, as constituted through communication:
- Communication reflects and shapes our understanding of age (how you think)
- Communication shapes peoples experience of aging (how you age)
- Age-group memberships are fundamentally important to our sense of self (how old you
think you are determines how you think, act, etc.)
- Age-group memberships influence communication phenomena
Lifespan approach to communication:
- Communication builds throughout your life- you understand and create communication
based on your previous experiences
- Picture of dog is different in your head when you are 10 vs. today
- Your life experiences color your communication
Principles of lifespan approach:
1. Development occurs at all stages of life (we are always learning new things and changing)
2. Development involves gains and losses on different dimensions (at a time of physical
decline can actually be a great accomplishment in another area of your life)
3. Age constrains, but does not control, development (humans can adapt and there are always
options)
4. Environment and history constrain, but do not control, development (our social and
physical environment shape us but do not control us)
Why do we study aging?
- Our world is getting older, which changes cultures, governments and economics
dramatically
- Aging is unique, in that we stay the same while we also change dramatically (we are all
going to be 25,30…)
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- Aging is fraught with paradoxes (we don’t know how to feel about it, we love our
grandparents but not old people)
- Aging highlights our diversity
How does communication impact aging?
- Communication as Mediator (communication can explain one thing to another, the
middle man)
- Mediator=explainer
- Physical aging > Communication > Subjective aging
- Communication as Moderator (communication can change the strength or direction of
two variables)
- Moderator= changer
How do we study aging?
- Biological- studying how the body physically ages (metabolism, genetics, etc.)
- Psychological- focusing on memory, emotions, disengagement from society, happiness,
depression, etc.
- Sociological- hones in on demographics of aging cohorts (where seniors live, what they
purchase) and how society deals with an aging population
Ways to study cohorts:
- Cross-sectional design: analysis is based on observations made at a single point in time
Go out and ask 200 people a question
- Longitudinal design: measures a group or a cohort at one point in time, then measures a
group later
Trend study- measures a group at one point in time, then measures the same type of
group (which is now full of different people) at later points in time (same point in life
but different people)
Cohort study- measures a group at one point of time, then measures members of that
same group later in time
8/29/17
Normal aging- the loss of function we all experience as we age
Short term memory (trouble recalling names)
Hearing loss
Language comprehension problems (a decrease in language production)
Decline in inhibitory capacity (causes you to get off track in conversations/stories)
Pathological aging- changes that are part of age-related illness
Dementia
Alzheimer’s
These are not “normal” signs of aging, and should not be treated as such
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How does aging impact communication?
- We don’t lose communication skills as we age but we simply communicate differently
- Physical changes (hearing loss, short term memory loss) lead to shorter sentences or
speaking more slowly
- Chronological age and emotional age change the way we react to communications
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory:
Time horizon= a shift in emotional regulatory focus of older adults; your perception of how
much time is left in a particular period of life. As the time horizon grows smaller, people
prioritize meaning and happiness (affects finance, logistical descions, communication, and
relationships) Summed up in: I am too old for this shit
-Our age identity impacts communication (if people treat us like we are old we will act old or
how you communicate at a frosh vs. the workplace)
-Aging affects communication directed toward older adults
Communication Accommodation Theory:
- In interactions, speakers adjust to their audience’s communicative behaviors. You can
either accommodate or not accommodate. CAT’s motives are affective (managing social
distance and identity concerns) and cognitive (concerned with facilitating comprehension
and increasing communicative efficiency)
Convergence: making your speech more like that of your communication partner
Divergence: accentuating verbal and non-verbal differences with your communication
partner
Underaccommodation: refusing to meet your listener halfway, not changing your
speaking style at all
Overaccommodation: communication designed to overshoot the level of implantation
necessary
Asymmetrical accommodation- your shifts are not reciprocated
Unimodal accommodation- your communication shifts on a single dimension
Multimodal accommodation- you shift on several dimensions simultaneously
(posture, topics, accents, etc.)
Upward vs downward adjustments- shifting to a more or less prestigious variety of
speeches
Elderspeak is when you speak to an elder the way you think they want you to speak to
them (simplified grammar and vocab, endearing terms, increased volume). Triggered
by perceptions of cognitive deficiency (based on stereotypes, overaccommodation
behaviors)
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Document Summary

Chronological age is not solid predictor of behavior. Age by experience: wisdom is developed not as people grow older but as they acquire experiences. Contextual age- age reflects six dimensions: social activity, interpersonal interaction, mobility, life satisfaction, health, and economic security. Age identity- age is based on how you view yourself in regards to being a member of a particular age group. Communication reflects and shapes our understanding of age (how you think) Communication shapes peoples experience of aging (how you age) Age-group memberships are fundamentally important to our sense of self (how old you think you are determines how you think, act, etc. ) Communication builds throughout your life- you understand and create communication based on your previous experiences. Picture of dog is different in your head when you are 10 vs. today. Our world is getting older, which changes cultures, governments and economics dramatically.

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