Elderspeak and its corresponding relationship with Motherese

Presenter: Shaelyn Reyes

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 22-23

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Clare Sandy

Department: Anthropology

Funding Source/Sponsor: Class Project

President's Strategic Plan Goal: Adaptability and Responsiveness

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1rEH2nwkeM2t_dMvKblGRctENBhjSEkCN

Abstract:
Investigate motherese –the way adult caregivers talk to babies and toddlers contrasted with how elderspeak- an inappropriate simplified speech register that sounds like baby talk and is commonly used with older adults, especially in health care settings. Using ethnographic methods to collect data, such as interviewing elders, and mothers/parents. I will also utilize questionnaires to collect data on people’s reactions to the use of elderspeak and motherese. I was thinking of investigating the ways that we communicate with the old and the incredibly young. The relationships, usefulness, and social politeness in the different speech uses. For babies there is the idea, maybe an urban myth, that there is a usefulness in motherese. It is said that babies might actually hear a higher pitch easier, or something like that. I would like to research and see if there is a similar reason for elderspeak. Also possibly investigate the possibility that the correlation lies in the caretaker relationship and not in the usefulness of the speak itself.