Evaluations of elderspeak in a caregiving context

Elders peak is a form of speech commonly used to address older adults. It is characterized by objective features such as increased volume and high pitch and by subjective features such as a patronizing tone. This experiment examined the effects of two contextual variables (age of speaker and family relationship) on third-party observers' (n = 188) attributions about people using and people receiving elderspeak. Regardless of the age of the speaker or their relationship to the addressee, people both using and receiving elderspeak were regarded negatively. Those using elderspeak were seen as having a worse demeanor than those using typical speech. Those receiving elderspeak were seen as being in a worse mood and as having decreased ability. Furthermore, observers' age stereotypes did not moderate these negative ratings. The negative impact of elderspeak may overwhelm more subtle features of the context in which it is used.