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Biomedical subjects

J L Bedrosian

Publications and source records attributed to J L Bedrosian.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Communicative competence as perceived by adults with severe speech impairments associated with cerebral palsy.

The effects of aided message length (single-word vs. phrase-generated messages) and partner feedback (presence vs. absence of expanded message repetitions) on perceptions of the communicative competence of an adult augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system user were examined. Subjects consisted of 12 nonambulatory adults with severe speech impairments associated with cerebral palsy. Four scripted videotaped conversational conditions involving the AAC system user and a typically speaking partner were employed to manipulate the two independent variables. A balanced incomplete block design was used. Following each viewing, subjects completed a questionnaire designed to assess the communicative competence of the AAC system user. Results indicated that neither independent variable had an impact on the subjects' ratings of communicative competence. Findings are compared with those from an earlier investigation, and clinical implications are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Variables influencing perceptions of the communicative competence of an adult augmentative and alternative communication system user.

The effects of aided message length, partner reauditorization, and observer background on perceptions of the communicative competence of an adult augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system user were examined. Two groups of subjects participated: naive adults with minimal exposure to nonspeaking persons, and speech-language pathologists currently working with AAC users. Four scripted videotaped conversational conditions involving an AAC user and a normally speaking partner were employed to manipulate aided message length and partner reauditorization. A balanced incomplete block design was used. Following each viewing, subjects completed a questionnaire designed to assess the communicative competence of the AAC user. Results indicated a significant interaction effect involving subject group and aided message length. The speech-language pathologists were affected by aided message length. Furthermore, significant differences between subject groups were found in specific conditions. Future research directions are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effects of speech output type, message length, and reauditorization on perceptions of the communicative competence of an adult AAC user.

The effects of speech output type, aided message length, and partner reauditorization on naive observers' perceptions of the communicative competence of an adult augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system user were examined. Subjects consisted of 48 naive adults with minimal exposure to nonspeaking persons. Eight scripted videotaped conversational conditions involving an AAC user and a normal-speaking partner were employed in the manipulation of the three independent variables. A balanced incomplete block design was used. Following each viewing, subjects completed a questionnaire designed to assess the communicative competence of the AAC user. Results indicated a significant main effect for aided message length only. Ratings of the AAC user were higher in conditions with phrases than in conditions with single-word messages. Of interest was the finding that the use of digitized versus synthesized speech output had no effect on observer ratings. Clinical implications are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Communicative performance of adolescents with severe speech impairment: influence of context.

The communicative performance of 4 preoperational-level adolescents, using limited speech, gestures, and communication board techniques, was examined in a two-part investigation. In Part 1, each subject participated in an academic interaction with a teacher in a therapy room. Data were transcribed and coded for communication mode, function, and role. Two subjects were found to predominantly use the speech mode, while the remaining 2 predominantly used board and one other mode. The majority of productions consisted of responses to requests, and the initiator role was infrequently occupied. These findings were similar to those reported in previous investigations conducted in classroom settings. In Part 2, another examination of the communicative performance of these subjects was conducted in spontaneous interactions involving speaking and nonspeaking peers in a therapy room. Using the same data analysis procedures, gesture and speech modes predominated for 3 of the subjects in the nonspeaking peer interactions. The remaining subject exhibited minimal interaction. No consistent pattern of mode usage was exhibited across the speaking peer interactions. In the nonspeaking peer interactions, request predominated. In contrast, a variety of communication functions was exhibited in the speaking peer interactions. Both the initiator and the maintainer roles were occupied in the majority of interactions. Pertinent variables and clinical implications are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Conversational turn-taking violations in mother-child interaction.

Conversational turn-taking violations and corresponding repair mechanisms in mother-child interaction were examined. Thirty mother-child dyads, with children ranging in age from 2:10 (years:months) to 6:3, were videotaped in a 10-min free play situation. The interactions were analyzed for several aspects of overlaps (i.e., simultaneous talking), including general characteristics, participant involvement, turn-taking repair mechanisms, topic characteristics, and communicative intent. Of the 246 overlaps identified, the majority were single, nonconsecutive, and internal (Gallagher & Craig, 1982). Mothers interrupted significantly more than did the children. In terms of repair mechanisms, children exhibited a greater frequency of discontinuation of talking when the mothers interrupted than did the mothers for the comparable situation. Both within and following the majority of overlaps, mothers and children maintained the same topic. Utterances consisting of informative statements were interrupted more often than those consisting of requests. In general, mothers did not appear to be as facilitative of their children's turn-taking skills as they are for other pragmatic skills.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

Conversational structure and topic performance in mother-child interaction.

Discourse participation and topic performance in mother-child interaction were examined. Thirty mother-child dyads, with children ranging in age from 2:10 to 6:3 (years:months), were videotaped in a 10-min free play situation. The interactions were analyzed using several measures of conversational participation and topic including discourse types, turn transitions, and maintenance. Results indicated that children in this age group shared similar characteristics of conversational participation with their mothers. However, the mothers of these children, like mothers of sensorimotor level children, maintained their role as facilitators of the structure and cohesiveness of discourse. Although the children, in general, were more discontinuous in their discourse than their mothers, they exhibited greater topic maintenance and use of shading, a more sophisticated conversational strategy, with increasing age and language abilities.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

Communicative performance of mentally retarded adults in four conversational settings.

A sociolinguistic analysis of the communicative performances and social interactions of four mentally retarded adults was conducted. Role relationships were examined along dimensions of dominance-submission and control in various conversational settings. Audiotape recordings were made of each adult's conversation while engaged in discourse with his speech-language pathologist, peers, parents, and with a normal young child. Relational communication coding schemes involving the analysis of questions and subsequent responses were applied to the data. Results indicated that the retarded adults, though not always able to hold a dominant position in a conversation, were capable of expressing the same types of control as normal adults. The types of control expressed by each subject varied as a function of the conversational setting. Furthermore, differences existed in the types and frequencies of control expressed across subjects. These findings suggest that a sociolinguistic approach provides important information regarding the mentally retarded adult's communicative performance.

Adult↗