Spoken language production in adults: examining age-related differences in syntactic complexity.

The use of complex syntax in the spoken discourse of young, middle-aged, and older adults was examined. The purpose of the study was to determine if syntactic complexity would show an age-related decline. Language samples were elicited from healthy adults in their 20 s, 40 s, and 60 s (n=20 per group) using a conversational (CON) task and a peer conflict resolution (PCT) task. Each sample was transcribed, segmented into utterances, and coded for main clauses and all types of finite and non-finite subordinate clauses. The results indicated that all groups produced greater syntactic complexity during the PCR task than the CON task as measured by mean length of utterance, clausal density, and the use of left-branching clauses. Additionally, the groups did not differ on any syntactic measures for either task. It is concluded that syntactic complexity in spoken discourse remains stable during the years that span early, middle, and later adulthood.

Critical thinking about fables: examining language production and comprehension in adolescents.

PURPOSE: This study was designed primarily to determine if a critical-thinking task involving fables would elicit greater syntactic complexity than a conversational task in adolescents. Another purpose was to determine how well adolescents understand critical-thinking questions about fables. METHOD: Forty adolescents (N=20 boys and 20 girls; mean age=14 years) with typical language development answered critical-thinking questions about the deeper meanings of fables. They also participated in a standard conversational task. The syntactic complexity of their responses during the speaking tasks was analyzed for mean length of communication unit (MLCU) and clausal density (CD). RESULTS: Both measures of syntactic complexity, MLCU and CD, were substantially greater during the critical-thinking task compared with the conversational task. It was also found that the adolescents understood the questions quite well, earning a mean accuracy score of 80%. CONCLUSIONS: The critical-thinking task has potential for use as a new type of language-sampling tool to examine language production and comprehension in adolescents.

Conversational and narrative speaking in adolescents: examining the use of complex syntax.

PURPOSE: Few tools are available to examine the narrative speaking ability of adolescents. Hence, the authors designed a new narrative task and sought to determine whether it would elicit a higher level of syntactic complexity than a conversational task in adolescents with typical language development. METHOD: Forty adolescents (Mage = 14;0 [years;months]; 20 boys and 20 girls) were individually interviewed. Each adolescent participated in a standard conversational task followed by a narrative task that involved listening to fables and retelling the stories. It was predicted that the narrative task would elicit a higher level of syntactic complexity than the conversational task because fables, although superficially simple stories, express rather sophisticated meanings. RESULTS: The narrative task elicited greater syntactic complexity than the conversational task as measured by mean length of C-unit and clausal density. Additionally, the 2 syntactic measures, mean length of C-unit and clausal density, were closely associated on both tasks. CONCLUSION: Fables can elicit a high level of syntactic complexity in adolescents with typical language development. Future studies are needed to build a normative database using fables.