Have you ever thought about what makes for a good conversation? It’s not as straightforward as you may think.
“I think a lot of the times we think that conversation is very simple, right? That there's talking and that there's listening and we just kind of alternate. But we don't.”
Dr. Stephanie Borrie is a speech-language pathologist at Utah State University. She’s currently conducting research on the science behind a conversation.
“For people with neurological conditions, a lot of time they are associated with communication difficulties. It makes it difficult for the person to express their message. It makes it difficult for their conversational partner to understand the message. And then of course it makes it difficult for them to dynamically adjust and connect during the conversation,” said Borrie.
But Dr. Borrie said the exciting thing they’re finding is that while once it was thought to place the focus of treatment on the individual, now that’s expanded.
“It turns out that we can actually train communication partners to understand someone with a speech disorder. And so, to better understand them and then we're working on how to better connect in conversation, too,” she said.
“We currently have a five-year research study which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. And this study is looking at improving conversations for people with Parkinson's disease, and a speech disorder.”
Remembering, she said, that successful conversation is co-created.
“It is not just on one person, but both people dynamically working together. And so, if your partner misses a step, help them find it again.”
Otherwise, the effects of falling away from that are detrimental and create a domino effect, negatively impacting other parts of your life.
Borrie said, “When you can't connect, and have these successful conversations on a daily basis, it really affects your whole life, your quality of life. Like we all lose when someone with a communication disorder cannot engage and effectively engage and interact with others.”
She said the study is worth anyone over the age of 50 joining in.
“You may learn a little bit about your conversational style and then you'll also support research in how to have better conversations.”
To find out more about the study and to sign up, visit http://www.humaninteractionlab.com/2024/current-studies/.
