“That was a long time ago”

Memory work spanning the arc from normal healthy aging to cognitive impairment

Bibliographic Data

ID21200982
AuthorsElena Bandt (University of Aveiro), Annette Gerstenberg (0000-0001-7647-6986, University of Potsdam)
Year2024
Volume15
Issue1
Pages33-48
Publication date2024-02-21
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePragmatics and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1878-9714 • E-ISSN: 1878-9722
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/ps.23054.ban
OpenAlexW4391101730
LanguageEN
References cited18

The paper contributes to ongoing research on memory work with a focus on “memory work markers” ( mwm ), affirmative and negative constructions with first person singular verbs such as ‘I remember’ and ‘I know’. We observe them in a longitudinal approach, based on a hexagonal French corpus of biographical interviews, and compare speakers with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and cognitive impairment (CI) with matched speakers in normal aging. We observe a general tendency to use negative mwm more frequently in normal aging, while the speaker with AD uses positive as well as negative mwm for memory work performance, and the speaker with CI as tools for topic self-selection. We conclude that framing the process of remembering with mwm can preserve speakers’ autonomy and that an inclusive conversation style could be enhanced by the nuanced awareness of mwm and their relevance in interaction

Autonomy · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Conversation · Dementia · Linguistics · Political science · Communication · History · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Medicine · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology

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