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Communication Dynamics in Therapy: a Linguistic Study From a Nursing Hone for the Elderly
Author(s) -
Måttsson J.,
den Haring M.J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 1369-6866
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2397.00073
Subject(s) - coding (social sciences) , dynamics (music) , nonverbal communication , psychology , face (sociological concept) , health care , function (biology) , nursing , medicine , cognitive psychology , linguistics , communication , sociology , pedagogy , philosophy , evolutionary biology , economics , biology , economic growth , social science
The vital importance of communication in therapy is widely recognized. This study focuses on the dynamics of face‐to‐face communication between patients and their caregivers during sessions of occupational therapy at a nursing home for the elderly. Communication is believed to be influenced by the social activities that are pursued during therapy. A stepwise linguistic method is developed to record, analyse and interpret transcriptions of verbal and non‐verbal behaviour by means of audio and video recordings. Utterances have been coded with regard to their function and content and are organized in a so‐called molecular coding scheme. This scheme models the dynamic interplay between communicators and makes it possible to analyse contextual influences on communication. It is believed that the approach advocated here could be of use to managers of healthcare operations where communication is paramount for the effectiveness of care.