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Article published In: Dementia-compromised language conflict and aggression
Edited by Boyd Davis
[Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 4:1] 2016
► pp. 8–34

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Avoiding interactional conflict in dementia

The influence of gender styles in interactions

 | Southeastern Louisiana University, USA
 | Linköping University, Sweden
Published online: 11 August 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.4.1.01gue
Sociolinguistic research in the general population has established the existence of gender differences in the social use of language. In particular, it has been noted that women use more markers of politeness, small talk and structural devices (e.g. minimal responses, tag questions) to help maintain their conversations. Analysis of interactions involving people with dementia (PWD) suggests that these gender based differences were still present in the face of dementia. Furthermore, the use of these forms of language helped the women with dementia to avoid conflict and extend the length of their interactions. This study investigated whether the use of such language helped or hindered women with dementia in maintaining conversational satisfaction.
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