Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Amy Gross

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Psychology

Title: Evaluation of Verbal Behavior in Older Adults

Committee:
Dr. R. Wayne Fuqua, Chair
Dr. Amy Naugle
Dr. Cynthia Pietras
Dr. Raymond Miltenberger

Date: Friday, April 23, 2010 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
2738 Wood Hall

Abstract:
Older adults make up a large and increasing portion of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Approximately 5% of older adults have a dementia diagnosis, and language deterioration is a common symptom associated with this disorder (Kempler, 2005). In order to assess and treat language deficits in older adults, accurate and sensitive measures of verbal skills are needed. Language has traditionally been considered an exiting entity, but the entity of language is unobservable and difficult to study or manipulate. Skinner (1957/1992) proposed a framework for studying verbal behavior, rather than the construct of language. He classified a number of verbal operants based on their function, describing the antecedents and consequences that control various forms of verbal behavior. A conceptualization based on the function of verbal behavior allows for altering the occurrence of verbal responses by manipulating the controlling conditions. To the author’s knowledge, there are no empirical studies evaluating verbal behavior in older adults using Skinner’s analysis of functionally independent verbal operants. The purpose of this study was to develop assessments using Skinner’s functional verbal behavior categories and apply those assessments to the evaluation of verbal behavior in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. The research addresses two questions. First, in what ways do verbal behavior problems differ between older adults with and without cognitive impairment, as assessed by the Dementia Rating Scale-2? Second, does language deteriorate in a pattern compatible with Skinner’s analysis of functionally independent verbal operants? Verbal behavior assessments were administered to 31 participants on two occasions, separated by one week. Results reveal individuals with cognitive impairment performed significantly more poorly on tacts than those without cognitive impairment; however, no differences were found on other forms of verbal behavior. These findings suggest tacts are sensitive to declining performance in older adults. Results also indicate participants from both groups performed better on tacts than intraverbals or mands, even though topographically identical verbal responses were required across these assessments. Differential performance across these assessments provides support for Skinner’s conceptualization of functionally independent verbal operants.