Picture versus Personal Narratives
Older individuals differ in narrative quality when prompted by different stimuli. The participants used more cohesive ties on the personal narrative than on the pictorial narrative. This may be due to the sequential nature of the personal narrative task and the descriptive nature of the pictorial task. Additionally, the results of this study show that older adults use greater lexical diversity during the pictorial task than the personal narrative tasks. This may be also due to the descriptive nature of the pictorial task as the participants described the setting in more detail during this narrative condition. Prior research has evaluated the role of stimuli on narrative quality and supports the findings of the current study (Cooper, 1990; Estes 2012; Ulatowska, Chapman, Higley, and & Prince, 1998).
Older versus Younger Narrative Discourse …show more content…
The younger adults produced narratives with more T-Units and higher relevancy rates than older adults. This is likely due to the natural decline in memory and executive functioning that occurs during the normal aging process (Bakos et al., 2008; Juncos-Rabadan et al., 2005). The decline in memory, planning, and attention in older adults could result in shorter narratives with less relevant content. Additionally, the older participants used less cohesive ties than the younger participants. This is likely due to deficits in planning and
Older individuals differ in narrative quality when prompted by different stimuli. The participants used more cohesive ties on the personal narrative than on the pictorial narrative. This may be due to the sequential nature of the personal narrative task and the descriptive nature of the pictorial task. Additionally, the results of this study show that older adults use greater lexical diversity during the pictorial task than the personal narrative tasks. This may be also due to the descriptive nature of the pictorial task as the participants described the setting in more detail during this narrative condition. Prior research has evaluated the role of stimuli on narrative quality and supports the findings of the current study (Cooper, 1990; Estes 2012; Ulatowska, Chapman, Higley, and & Prince, 1998).
Older versus Younger Narrative Discourse …show more content…
The younger adults produced narratives with more T-Units and higher relevancy rates than older adults. This is likely due to the natural decline in memory and executive functioning that occurs during the normal aging process (Bakos et al., 2008; Juncos-Rabadan et al., 2005). The decline in memory, planning, and attention in older adults could result in shorter narratives with less relevant content. Additionally, the older participants used less cohesive ties than the younger participants. This is likely due to deficits in planning and