Chapter 2: Attitudes

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Chapter 2 Attitudes Ageism

• and how language is interwoven with both

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Attitudes

• 3 components behavioral, cognitive, affective
• These components color
• how young people feel toward old people
• how people feel and think about the aging process
• how people behave as they grow older

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Concerns young people have
For better or for worse, January 20, 2006
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Age norms you assign them well talk

• 1. Wearing a short skirt and high heels
• 2. Living alone
• 3. Getting married
• 4. Raising children
• 5. Being considered sexy
• 6. Drinking alcohol
• 7. Driving a sports car
• 8. Having others make decisions for you

• 9. Displaying affection in public
• 10. Running a marathon
• 11. Running for U.S. president
• 12. Retiring
• 13. Becoming pregnant
• 14. Enrolling in a 4 year college degree program
• 15. Receiving a heart transplant

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Age norms cultural reflections?
Ben http//www.comics.com
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Age normscultural reflections 2
What do these have in common?
Clips from http//www.biology.duke.edu/cunningham/
Villains.html
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Age norms language development

• Age 3 talk about ideas and feelings
• Age 7 milestones with abstractions
• Age 8 milestones jump in complexity
• Teen years social and linguistic complexity

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Psychological state terms by age 3

• As children approach their third birthday, their
  talk about psychological states changes in
  several ways. Children begin to refer to the
  causes and consequences of feelings more often
  and discuss a wider variety of feeling states.
  Brown and Dunn (1991) suggested that these
  developmental changes in childrens emotional
  state language influence their ability to enter
  into conversations about psychological states.
  Through these conversations, children have the
  opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the
  mental states motivating human behavior.
• A second important developmental change that
  takes place around age 3 is that children begin
  to make references to cognitive states and to use
  words such as think and know.

Lee Rescorla (2002).The use of psychological
state terms by late talkers at age 3. Applied
Psycholinguistics 234
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Child language development age 7

• Should have mastered the consonants s-z, r,
  voiceless th, ch, wh, and the soft g as in George
• Should handle opposite analogies easily
  girl-boy, man-woman, flies-swims, blunt-sharp
  short-long, sweet-sour, etc
• Understands such terms as alike, different,
  beginning, end, etc
• Should be able to tell time to quarter hour
• Should be able to do simple reading and to write
  or print many words

http//www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/la
nguage_development.shtml
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Child language development age 8

• Can relate involved accounts of events, many from
  a time in  the past
• Should be few lapses in grammar e.g. pronouns,
  plurals
• All speech sounds, including consonant blends,
  established
• Should read with ease and write simple
  compositions
• Social amenities should be present in appropriate
  situations
• Control of rate, pitch, and volume are
  well/appropriately established
• Can carry on conversation at rather adult
  levelFollows fairly complex directions with
  little repetitionHas well developed time and
  number concepts

http//www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/la
nguage_development.shtml
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Advanced language stage over 12

• Adolescents essentially communicate in an adult
  manner, with increasing maturity throughout high
  school. Teens comprehend abstract language, such
  as idioms, figurative language and metaphors.
  Explanations may become more figurative and less
  literal. Literacy and its relationship to
  cognition, linguistic competency, reading,
  writing and listening are the primary focus in
  this age group. Teens should be able to process
  texts and abstract meaning, relate word meanings
  and contexts, understand punctuation, and form
  complex syntactic structures.

http//www.medem.com/medlb/medlib_entry.cfm
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Language, stage, identity formation

• Its weird, I was so mad Developing
  Discursive Identity Defenses in Conversational
  Small Stories of Adolescent Boys
• Luke Moissinac Michael Bamberg, Clark
  University
• Accepted for publication in the Texas Speech
  Communication Journal Special Issue, Narratives
  We Live By, October 2004
• Abstract
• We view identities (and masculinities) as
  fluid and contextually sensitive, constantly
  being accommodated to interlocutors through the
  use of increasingly sophisticated discursive
  skills, especially during adolescence. Based on
  analysis of the interactions of one cohort group
  of boys observed at the ages of 10 and13, we show
  how the development of discourse abilities is
  intertwined with the management of situated
  identities. . . . Specifically, our data
  demonstrate that 10-year-olds mount only
  rudimentary defenses to threatened identities
  whereas 13-year olds are able to construct more
  elaborate devices against identity challenges
  such as such as concessions, externalizations,
  and normalizations

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Sampling advanced language (adapted from
Retherford 2004)

• Sample the changes Oral and written narratives
• Hadley (1998) Nippold(1998) Scott Stokes
  (1995)
• Semantics
• ??Cohesion Markers (Halliday Hasan, 1976) how
  words are
• connected within a sequence
• lexical cohesion-by selection of vocabulary,
  using semantically close items repetition,
  synonym, antonym,metonymy
• reference personal (Sharon, her) demonstrative,
  comparative
• substitution These cookies are stale. Buy some
  fresh ones.
• ??Connectives
• Quirk et al (1985) Nippold, Schwarz,
  Undlin(1992) Nippold(1998)
• In English, cohesion is most simply
  marked by connectives such as and, but, or so.

http//www.thinkingpublications.com/LangConf04/Pos
terSessions/PostersessionsPDFs/Retherford.pdf
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Semantics of advanced language

• How Literate is the Lexicon (Nippold, 1998)
• Does the speaker produce/comprehend
• Nouns for technical and curriculum activities
• ??salutation, oppression, circumference, proton
• Verbs to refer to metacognitive activities
• doubt, infer, hypothesize, conclude, assume
• Verbs to refer to metalinguistic activities
• assert, concede, imply, predict, interpret,
  confirm
• Verbs with presuppositional aspects to their
  meaning
• Factitive truth assumed know, notice, forget,
  regret
• Nonfactitivetruth is uncertain think,
  believe, figure, suppose

Retherford 2004, continued
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(what is a presupposition?)

• A presupposition is background belief, relating
  to an utterance, that  
• must be mutually known or assumed by the speaker
  and addressee for the utterance to be considered
  appropriate in context
• generally will remain a necessary assumption
  whether the utterance is placed in the form of an
  assertion, denial, or question, and
• can generally be associated with a specific
  lexical item or grammatical feature
  (presupposition trigger) in the utterance.
• Identify the presuppositions in Jane regretted
  that she had stopped buying crystal before she
  left Ireland.

http//www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisti
cTerms/WhatIsAPresupposition.htm
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Social expectations about language

• Value judgments about language are socially based
• People notice and evaluate ways of talking
  that are different from their own
• They hear words and accents and assign gender,
  age, region, class, and even ethnicity
• And attitudes arise . . .

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When reality intersects with attitude

• Female adult voices typically show a pitch
• that is 75 higher than the males
• different vocal cord length mass
• Male vocal tract length is 15 longer
• resulting in different resonance (and
• greater risk of choking on food)
• Vocal organs show sexual dimorphism
• Gender is something assigned or constructed

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Gender-cued language and attitudes

• Lexical and morphological differences
• morphology in some languages (Japanese)
• emotive words color terms
• Stylistic differences claimed
• go-aheads, hedges F
• interruptions, direct orders M
• Difference or dominance?
• rapport or informational?

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Generational differences in lexicon
Pickles. January 20, 2006.
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Preston on linguistic prejudice

• A primary linguistic myth, one nearly universally
  attached to minorities, rural people and the less
  well educated, extends in the United States even
  to well-educated speakers of some regional
  varieties. That myth, of course, is that some
  varieties of a language are not as good as
  others.

http//www.pbs.org/speak/speech/prejudice/attitude
s/
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Preston collected perceptions of correct speech
Mean scores for correct Lowest ratings South
and NYC 150 EuroAm, both sexes, all ages
classes, from Michigan
http//www.pbs.org/speak/speech/prejudice/attitude
s/
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Perceptions of pleasant speech
Mean scores for pleasant By Alabamians Again,
1low
http//www.pbs.org/speak/speech/prejudice/attitude
s/
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Just in case you didnt get it
Hand-drawn, from Michigan http//www.pbs.org/speak
/speech/prejudice/attitudes/
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You try it rate this speaker

• Use the rating form provided. Transcript goes
  with the voice clip
• Well listen to it three times.
• Now I was born in Charlotte in the Presbyterian
  Hospital. And it was downtown on the corner of
  Mint and Trade. Upstairs over the drugstore.
• And um my father was afraid the doctor who lived
  down the hill wouldn't get there in time so he
  took my mother to the hospital on the streetcar
  -- on a Saturday night and I was born Easter
  Sunday morning.
• Easter Sunday?
• Yeah. (laughter)

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Auditor perception of discourse F1 of 3

• Factor 1 About the Tellers Competence including
  Credibility
• (Multiple Regression Relationship with Construct
  of Auditors Rural--Urban Place
• of Origin)
• Loading Item Response
• .67 5 The Teller is friendly
• .67 7 The Teller likes telling stories
• .62 17 The Teller knows other stories
• .59 21 I think the Interviewer, as a person,
  is polite
• .51 28 In everyday life, the Teller is polite
• .47 23 I believe that people said what the
  Teller
• 
  reported them as
  saying
• .41 12 The story the teller says is true
• .40 35 The Interviewer likes talking with the
  Teller
• .37 8 The Teller likes the Interviewer
• .37 43 The Teller tells stories superbly
• .36 33 The Teller knows more than she/he tells
• .35 38 The Interviewer thinks the Teller tells
  stories well
• .35 40 I know the Tellers story style
• .32 24 The Interviewer is interested in the
  Teller

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Additional significant relationships in Factor 1
Evaluating competence of TELLER

• (Note Multiple Regression finds a Relationship
  between Place of Origin and Factor Score 1, when
  controlling for other demographics ,which
  accounts for 12 of the variance.
• As auditors construct of place of origin is more
  rural, they assign greater competence to the
  Teller)
• Item Demographics
• Class Place of origin
  M Educ F Educ
• 
  w-lmc-mc- country-town-smcity- gr-hs
  -some coll- gr-hs-some coll-
• umc-u bigcity suburb-big
  city full coll-profess ull
  coll-profess
• Teller is friendly .01436 . .00050
• 7. Teller likes telling stories
  .00957
• 12. Tellers story is true 01357 .04700
• 17. Teller knows other stories .00248 .00275
• 21. Interviewer is polite .00007 .04879
• 24. Interviewer is interested in
  Teller .04469 .00040

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Factors affecting language in aging

• Each of these factors can affect language
  production and cause social withdrawal, as people
  age
• hearing and vision impairment
• slower processing of information
• mild memory difficulties
• shrinking network of friends

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What aging sounds like

• Voices are heard as hoarse, high pitched,
  breathy, tremulous or shaky
• Men are heard as hesitant
• Women are heard as passive
• Mulac Giles 1996

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Stereotyped projections of elder speech

• Tangential speaker wanders off the topic
• Vacillating speaker cant make choices
• Repetitive speaker repeats same words
• Too wordy speaker gives too many details

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Age-biased reactions Ryans research

• overly familiar talk
• shouting
• non-listening
• showing disapproval
• condescension
• dismissive comments

• avoidance
• impatience
• controlling talk
• baby talk or
• Elderspeak (simplified speech)

• Often, we dont realize that we have changed our
  speech when we talk to an older person.

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Overaccomodation

• Can be seen as patronizing wrong message!
• Overaccommodation - such as babytalk, Elderspeak,
  or being overly familiar - means we are talking
  to the stereotype of being old and not to the
  individual.
• Thats not the message we want to send.
• (Ryan Cole, 1990)

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Underaccommodation

• Freezing people out sending the wrong message
• We under-accommodate a speakers needs when we
  show that we are not listening, or use dismissive
  comments, condescension, or controlling talk. We
  move away from them.
• Thats not the message we want to send.
• (Giles et al, 1990)

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How we change our speech 1

• Conversation with adult 54 years old
• 1. I tended to display my interest by nodding
  much more instead of interrupting

• Conversation with adult 94 years old
• I was much more likely to interrupt with
  interjections and clarifying statements
• Example from Batson 2003

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How we change our speech 2

• With the person aged 54
• 2. I participated actively with my honest
  opinions in this dialogue

• With the person aged 94
• I was much more likely to sugar-coat my
  opinions and/or modify my more modern points of
  view
• Example from Batson 2003

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How we change our speech 3

• With the person aged 54
• 3. I spoke more softly and more quickly

• With the person aged 94
• My voice was much louder, and I spoke slower than
  usual
• Example from Batson 2003

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How we change our speech 4

• With the person aged 54
• 4. I was less unnecessarily pleasant, meaning,
  I didnt use complimentary language unless very
  appropriate

• With the person aged 94
• I consistently mentioned how nice the individual
  looked, and how I enjoyed talking to him/her
• Example from Batson 2003

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Age-associated differences in communication
expectations

• Ryan Butler (1996 192) comment that some
  distinctions between young and old adults that
  influence intergenerational relationships arise
  from historical differences in socialization
• This affects patient-provider roles. Haug
  (1996252) reports less time given to
  consultations for patients 60 and older, and that
  doctors may speak more slowly, in a louder
  voice, use simplified language, and take on a
  patronizing air, blaming older patients, but not
  younger, for forgetfulness

Special issue, Health Communications 8.3 (1996)
38
Healthcare worker interactions

• Burda (20058) notes that older people either
  have little experience with or feel questioning
  professionals is inappropriate. Since many
  interactions involve tasks (ADL), noncompliance
  may ensue -- particularly if the older person
  doesnt understand the healthcare workers
  accent.
• Hmmm. Were back _at_ attitudes

Burda, A. Hageman, C. Perception of accented
speech by residents in assisted-living
facilities, J Medical Speech-Language Pathology
13, 7-14
39
Language issues for new nurses whats beneath
the surface?
Smith JONAS Healthc Law Ethics Regul, Volume
6(1).March 2004.15-16
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Workforce demographics, NC
www.nursenc.org/research/Trends2001/workforce_demo
s.pdf
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Ageism in general

• In North America and Europe, Older adults are
  often marginalized, given low social status, and
  either ignored in the media or portrayed in roles
  reinforcing negative stereotypes (Nelson, 2002).
• Unfavorable stereotypes characterize older people
  as forgetful, sick, unattractive, useless,
  lonely, and dependent (Hess Blanchard-Fields,
  1999 Nelson, 2002 Palmore, 1999).
• Trait sorting studies have identified several
  negative prototypes of older persons such as
  shrew-curmudgeon, despondent, and severely
  impaired (Ryan et al 2004 344)

Nussbaum, J., Pitts, M., Huber, F., Krieger, J.,
Ohs, J. 2005. Ageism and ageist language across
the life span. Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 61,
pp. 287--305
42
Jigsaw Ageism, news stories

• http//www.csmonitor.com/2004/1018/p07s01-woap.htm
  l Japanese homeless
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4041713.stm
  Ageism UK
• http//jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/13141.htm
  Australia
• http//www.graypanthersmetrodetroit.org/Ageism.htm
  l Gray Panthers in Chicago
• http//www.trentu.ca/news/view/aging.html Canada
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4411937.stm
  BBC on US legislation
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2975754.stm
  Generation X UK
• http//www.suzanne.tv/show.asp?sid410 Ageism -
  boomers
• http//www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid12815371
  BRD1817PAG461dept_id222087rfi6 Ageism -
  boomers

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Intergenerational communication 3 models

• CAT communication accommodation
• Convergent X divergent strategies
• CPA communicative predicament
• Problematic talk lt negative stereotypes
• CEM communication enhancement
• Tailor speech to individual needs and thereby
  reduce stereotypes

Nussbaum, J., Pitts, M., Huber, F., Krieger, J.,
Ohs, J. 2005. Ageism and ageist language across
the life span. Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 61,
pp. 287--305
44
Youth X old age in Asia X Canada

• Views of the old in the East often resemble the
  Wests.
• Expectations about declining personal vitality
  increasing benevolence in old age were found
  among young and old respondents in the East
  (Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong, Korea,
  Philippines and Thailand) and West (U.S.A.,
  Australia, New Zealand Harwood et al., 1996,
  2001).
• Accepting public norms of filial obligation and
  honor need not conflict with negative inner
  beliefs about aging and older people

Ryan, E., Jin, Y., Anas, A., Luh, J. (2004
)Communication beliefs about youth and old age in
Asia Canada. J Cross-Cultural Gerontology 19
343360,.
45
Ryans cross-cultural work suggests

• Educational interventions the CEM model - to
  improve intergenerational communication between
  young and old may be more likely to succeed if
  they target
• fostering of positive attitudes toward empathic,
  socially skilled, story-telling aspects of
  communication in later life
• rather than the reduction of negative attitudes.

Ryan, E., Jin, Y., Anas, A., Luh, J. (2004
)Communication beliefs about youth and old age in
Asia Canada. J Cross-Cultural Gerontology 19
343360.
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Ageism, language and marketing What are the
appeals? What are the stereotypes? While well
discuss aging and the media later in the
semester, here, we pause to preview some
pervasive features of ageism --
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