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Biomedical subjects

E B Ryan

Publications and source records attributed to E B Ryan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Korean beliefs about everyday memory and aging for self and others.

Studies in the West have demonstrated that more everyday memory problems are expected for typical older adults than for typical young adults. In order to examine memory beliefs about aging in Asia, we conducted a study in Korea which parallels that of Ryan and Kwong See (1993). We used the three self-efficacy scales of the Metamemory in Adulthood instrument (Dixon & Hultsch, 1983) to determine whether age changes are anticipated for oneself as well as for typical adults. Young adults (N = 468; mean age = 21.0 years) rated the memory of either typical adults (aged 25, 45, or 65 years) or themselves at one of these ages. As in Ryan and Kwong See (1993), anticipation of decline was obtained on two of the three self-efficacy scales (i.e., capacity and change). In addition, beliefs about everyday memory decline (i.e., capacity and locus) were weaker for the self than for typical others. Hence, support was obtained for negative stereotypes about memory and aging in Korea as well as a self-protection bias indicating stronger anticipation of age-related decline among others.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Social perceptions of failures in memory monitoring.

Can repetitious verbal behavior elicit negative stereotypes about age, memory, and competence? Young adults (n = 102, M age = 19.3 years) and community-dwelling older adults (n = 98, M age = 67.3 years) read a script containing a hypothetical conversation between 2 female targets. In the experimental condition, 1 of the targets repeated several statements during the conversation. Significant Target x Condition interactions were obtained on measures of perceived age, competence, and memory ability. The results demonstrate that conversational behavior may contribute to negative age-related perceptions in the same way as other external markers of age (e.g., vocal and facial features).

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Implications for physician communication.

This article addresses the importance of language, speech, and communication accommodations between the physician and the patient with dementia. Following a brief summary of common profiles of speech, language, and communication in several different types of dementia, the authors discuss key elements based on a comprehensive model of communication enhancement for individuals with dementia. The primary emphasis of this article is that physicians must select individually tailored communication strategies drawn from a sound knowledge of patients' skills. More importantly, the article stresses that communication is not just the exchange of information, but communication includes components that help establish mutual respect and maintain patients' self-identity and autonomy.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Evaluations by staff, residents, and community seniors of patronizing speech in the nursing home: impact of passive, assertive, or humorous responses.

Two studies tested the impact of alternative communication in accommodation strategies. Nursing home staff and residents (and community-residing seniors in Study 2) rated nurse-resident conversational scenarios in which a resident responded passively, directly assertively, or humorously (indirectly assertively) to a patronizing nurse. The nurse then either maintained a patronizing manner or accommodated with a more respectful speech style. Even though all groups devalued the nurse who maintained a patronizing speech style, nursing home residents predictably showed the most acceptance. The directly assertive response by the resident elicited more devaluation of the nonaccommodating nurse than did either passive or humorous responses, but also the least favorable ratings of the resident. Ratings of the humorous response in Study 2 suggested that humor could be a good compromise response style for allowing the receiver of patronizing speech to express opposition to a request, yet still maintain an appearance of competence and politeness.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Age-biased interpretation of memory successes and failures in adulthood.

This study extends previous research, which has demonstrated that age stereotypes bias the interpretation of everyday memory failures, by examining the responses of 81 young and 84 old participants to questions about the meaning and causes of memory successes and failures. The scenarios used described memory situations in which age differences would be small or nonexistent and included situtional factors that could account for the memory outcome, providing a more stringent test of the age-bias hypothesis. Under such testing conditions, memory successes in old targets are seen to be less typical than for young targets. Moreover, memory failures are seen to be more strongly caused by lack of ability and viewed as more worrisome. Finally, memory outcomes, in general, are perceived to be less controllable for old targets.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Cognitive mediation of adult age differences in language performance.

Young (M = 20 years) and old (M = 68 years) adults completed language processing tasks, measures of working memory capacity (backward span and the n-back lag task), inhibitory efficiency (Stroop interference), and processing speed (color naming). regression analyses revealed that each of the resource measures significantly predicted language performance and attenuated variance in language performance that would otherwise be attributed to age. When speed variance was entered into the equation first, the mediating influence of the inhibition and working memory measures remained significant. When speed and inhibition differences were controlled, the working memory measures could not reliably predict language performance. These results suggest that language performance differences may be fundamentally mediated by age differences in processing speed and inhibitory efficiency.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Changing the way we talk with elders: promoting health using the communication enhancement model.

Good communication is an essential component of optimal delivery of health care and health promotion efforts. In this article, we address the communication predicament faced by older adults when their opportunities for optimal care are limited by inappropriate communication with formal care providers. We then introduce the Communication Enhancement Model which promotes health in old age by stressing recognition of individualized cues, modification of communication to suit individual needs and situations, appropriate assessment of the health/social problems, and empowerment of both elders and providers. Applications of the Communication Enhancement Model are discussed for two high-risk groups (elders from ethnocultural communities and elders with dementia) to show how it can function as a guide for the development and evaluation of educational interventions with health and social professionals working with elders.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Patronizing the old: how do younger and older adults respond to baby talk in the nursing home?

To test the implications of Communication Accommodation Theory for intergenerational talk to dependent older persons, eighty young adults and seventy-one older adults evaluated speakers in a brief taped conversation. Specifically, the study was conducted to determine whether the apparent nurturant quality of the baby talk tone of voice and parental style would compensate for the lack of respect associated with this type of patronizing talk to elders. The talk was either secondary baby talk or a neutral variant addressed to an elderly resident in a nursing home by either a nurse or a volunteer. The caregivers who used baby talk were rated as significantly less respectful and competent than their peers in the neutral condition, but no differences were observed for nurturance of the caregiver. The recipients of baby talk were perceived to be less satisfied with the interaction. These findings were true for both caregiver roles and both respondent age groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Inappropriate accommodation in communication to elders: inferences about nonverbal correlates.

According to Communication Accommodation Theory, overaccommodation in intergenerational communication with elders is frequently based on stereotyped expectations of frailty and dependence. This study examined the role of nonverbal behaviors in such overaccommodation. Adult volunteers (N = 120; mean age = 29 years) read either a patronizing or neutral version of one of three conversations between a nursing home resident and a nurse. As in our earlier study, the nurse's use of the patronizing conversational style was rated as less respectful, less nurturant, and more frustrating for the resident than the neutral style. The main analyses indicated that negative nonverbal behaviors were rated as significantly more likely to occur with the patronizing style while positive nonverbal behaviors were rated as significantly less likely. The negative evaluative impact of patronizing style was especially apparent for instrumental task situations with high compliance demands. The effects for conversational style were essentially replicated for a smaller sample (N = 50) of formal care providers.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Intergenerational communication: evaluations and analyses of talk exchanged between older adults and younger adults.

This special journal issue focuses on potential barriers and facilitators of successful intergenerational encounters. Communication Accommodation Theory has provided a useful and broad-based conceptual framework for understanding the nature of both appropriate and inappropriate modifications made in intergenerational communication. The first three articles concern the nature, eliciting conditions, and interpretations of patronizing speech. The last three articles shift from the manner of communication to an examination of the content of communication between young and older adults through discourse analysis.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Age-based beliefs about memory changes for self and others across adulthood.

This study is intended to clarify the nature of beliefs about aging and memory. Earlier experiments (e.g., Ryan, 1992) had demonstrated that more frequent everyday memory problems are expected for typical older adults than for typical young adults. We used three self-efficacy scales of the Metamemory in Adulthood instrument (Dixon & Hultsch, 1983) to examine whether age changes are anticipated for oneself as well as for typical adults. Volunteers (N = 224; mean age = 35 years) completed the questionnaire about the memory of either typical adults (aged 25, 45, 65, or 85 years) or themselves at one of these ages. The anticipation of decline was obtained on two of the three self-efficacy scales (i.e., capacity and change) for both typical adults and for oneself. In contrast to Ryan's 1992 study, significant differentiation between target ages of 45 and 65 was observed on these more age-sensitive measures. Beliefs about memory change across adulthood were no weaker for the self than for typical others. Hence, this study supports the potential influence of general age-based beliefs upon individual self-efficacy beliefs and memory performance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Beliefs about memory changes across the adult life span.

Beliefs about age-related differences in memory were examined with an adaptation of the Short Inventory of Memory Experiences. In Experiment 1, 142 adults (mean age = 36 years) reported significantly more positive expectations for memory in everyday life for persons aged 25 years than for those aged 70 years. In Experiment 2, a between-subjects design with 189 adults (mean age = 34 years) was employed to examine the generality of memory beliefs about age-related change and the anticipated slope. Beliefs about the memory of 25-year-olds were significantly more positive than for 45- and 65-year-olds, which were correspondingly higher than for 85-year-olds. Secondary regression analyses revealed that participants with good memory self-perceptions anticipated better memory performance for others overall. In addition, older respondents exhibited more differentiated memory beliefs across age groups than younger respondents, especially at the two younger target ages. Examination of age-based memory beliefs with this type of instrument provides a new opportunity to integrate cognitive and social psychological approaches to the study of memory in aging.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Attitudes toward younger and older adults learning to use computers.

Person perception and direct attitude paradigms were employed to examine age bias in the achievement-oriented setting of computer learning. Two samples of volunteers (80 undergraduates and 120 science museum visitors) evaluated a target person (a man or woman, aged either 25 or 70 years) described as being enrolled in a computer course and made causal attributions after outcome feedback. Age effects were significant, but gender effects were not observed. Older adults were considered less likely to succeed in the course and less typical for their age group, although the older course enrollees were viewed as more competent overall than their younger peers in the course. In the undergraduate sample only, causal attributions indicated that the success of older adults was less related to the task than for young adults, and that their failure was less related to lack of effort and more related to their age. Analyses of the direct attitude items yielded predictably stronger age effects in both studies, accounting for 61-80% of the variance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Depression in elderly persons and its correlates in family practice: a Canadian study.

Depression was studied in a Canadian community sample of 582 men and 906 women over the age of 65 years. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) provided the measure of depressive symptomatology. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to confirm clinical diagnosis. A total of 8% of the sample (4.3% of men and 10.4% of women) were at or above the cut-off point of 16 on the Depression Scale. Significant Pearson correlations with depression were found for gender and education. The married and never married persons showed low depression while the widowed, separated, or divorced appeared to be at high risk. The relationship of marital status to depression is primarily a woman's issue as most elderly men are married. This finding may have implications for policy and program planning for this population.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Evaluative perceptions of patronizing speech addressed to elders.

Within a speech accommodation framework, speech modifications based on stereotyped expectations of elderly persons (such as patronizing speech) are hypothesized to convey less respect. Adult volunteers (N = 186) read scripts of a conversation between a nurse caregiver, using either patronizing speech or a more neutral variant, and a 76-year-old nursing home resident, depicted either as alert or forgetful. Respondents viewed the nurse in the patronizing condition as significantly less respectful and less nurturant and the recipient as more frustrated. The patronizing nurse was also rated as significantly less competent and benevolent than her counterpart in the neutral condition. The ecological validity of the contrasts between scripts was confirmed by inferences that patronizing speech was more shrill, louder, and produced with more exaggerated intonation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Evaluations of older and younger adult speakers: influence of communication effectiveness and noise.

University students (N = 96) performed 3 communication tasks presented to them either by young men (mean age = 26 years) or by older men (mean age = 77 years). In counterbalanced order, students heard speakers in 3 message conditions (effective, ineffective, and noise). The messages of older men and the older men themselves were evaluated less positively than were younger men. In line with the hypothesis of age-biased behavioral interpretation, older adults speaking effectively were not accorded the same evaluative benefits over their less effective guises, especially on competence ratings, as were younger speakers. Furthermore, the noise condition was predictably more detrimental to ratings of the older speakers, who were more vulnerable to generalized negative affect.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Encoding difficulty and memory enhancement for young and older readers.

Memory for text that required active construction (generation) on the part of the reader to comprehend some of the information was examined. (Letters were deleted from the words composing some of the idea units of the text). For both high school students and older adults, idea units that had letters deleted were remembered better than idea units with intact words on a cued-recall test. This pattern held for easier as well as for harder letter deletions. It was concluded that retention of textually presented information can be improved in older adults if the presentation format of the text induces or guides mental operations that support good encoding. Production-deficiency accounts and attentional/resource deficiency accounts of age-related text memory decrements are discussed in light of the present results.

Adolescent↗