Rhythmic patterns during conversational repairs in speakers with aphasia

Abstract

Background: Investigations of prosodic tempos during conversations between non-disordered persons have revealed changes in tempo during conversational repairs. The present study investigates fluctuations in prosodic parameters of speakers with aphasia during conversational repairs to study how changes in prosodic tempo are associated with the speakers' ability to make comprehensible corrections. Aims: Previous investigators have found that non-disordered speakers will alter prosodic tempo based on the type of repair: faster for self-initiated repairs and slower for other-initiated repairs (Couper-Kuhlen, 1993). Others have shown that speech rate can influence the comprehension of verbal information by persons with aphasia during structured interactions such as in story telling or map directions (Laskey, Weidner, & Johnson, 1976; Salvatore & Davis, 1979). This study examines changes in prosodic patterns made by speakers with aphasia during repair episodes in informal conversations with non-disordered partners. The influence of partner familiarity and perceived comprehensibility of the repair are also examined. Methods & Procedures: Conversations between speakers with aphasia and familiar and unfamiliar non-disordered partners were recorded and acoustically analysed. Prosodic tempo is operationally defined as fluctuations in fundamental frequency (f0) and sound pressure levels (SPL), and is modelled with sine waves overlaid on graphic displays of f0 and SPL tracings during repair episodes. Listener judgements of repair success were then compared to the changes in prosodic tempo from pre- to post-repair talk. Outcomes & Results: Analysis of the pre- to post-repair prosodic tempo yielded results suggesting that speakers with aphasia respond differently during conversational repairs with familiar and unfamiliar partners, whereas non-disordered speakers respond differently based on the type of repair (self-initiated or other-initiated). The successful resolution of the repairs was not found to be associated with a slower tempo. However, an analysis of the magnitude of change between pre- and post-repair rhythm suggests that perceived success of repair is associated with the amount of change. Conclusions: The results of the acoustic analysis method used in the study were compatible with results obtained by previous studies using perceptual analyses (Couper-Kuhlen, 1993). There was a significant difference in prosodic tempo between self- and other-initiated repairs for the non-disordered speakers who slowed down during other-initiated repairs and sped up during self-initiated repairs. In contrast, speakers with aphasia changed prosodic tempo based on partner familiarity. They used faster tempo with unfamiliar partners and slower tempo with familiar partners during repairs. Although slower tempo did not aid in the successful resolution of the repair, magnitude of change was found to be significantly greater during successful repairs compared to unsuccessful repairs.

Publication Title

Aphasiology

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