EFFECTS OF ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS' PRAGMATIC SKILLS ON CAREGIVERS' ATTITUDES.
Contributors: University of South Florida.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 99
Subjects: Psychology, Social.; Gerontology.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Prior research has indicated that people like children with good pragmatics (the appropriate use of language in social contexts) more and are more willing to interact with them than children with poor pragmatics. Sometimes, though, knowing pertinent information about the child moderates the effect of poor pragmatics. The present study was the first attempt to determine the effects of deteriorating pragmatic skills on caregivers' attitudes toward, affect for, and intention to care for Alzheimer's patients. Ninety-three caregivers and 118 noncaregiving staff from local nursing homes listened to an audiotape in which a 72-year-old patient demonstrated either good or poor pragmatic skills in a conversation with a caregiver in a nursing home. Patients were described as being either an Alzheimer's patient, an orthopedic patient, or a well person control. Dependent variables included two measures of attitudes, two measures of affect, and two measures of behavioral intentions. Subjects' perceptions of the extent to which patients with poor pragmatics could control their behavior and had a stable condition were also measured. In general, caregivers had positive attitudes, affect, and behavioral intentions about the patients regardless of diagnosis or pragmatic competence. Noncaregivers demonstrated the typical response to poor pragmatics in both the Alzheimer's patient and the well person control, but had positive attitudes toward the orthopedic patient regardless of pragmatic competence. Weiner et al.'s model of helping was tested with respect to the patients with poor pragmatics. Results supported the model in that controllability was associated with affect and intention to help. Stability was related to intention to help but not to affect. Controllability and stability were also related to the patients' diagnoses. Discussion focuses on reasons why caregivers did not respond as predicted.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-01, Section: B, page: 0575.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, 1990.

School code: 0206.