Patronizing Speech in Interability Communication toward People with Cognitive Disabilities

• Main Author: Morris, Vann
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Archive @ GSU 2007
• Subjects: Georgia State University; Graduate Degree; Student; Thesis; People with Cognitive Disabilities; Interability Communication; Patronizing Speech; Communication
• Online Access: http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/communication_theses/29; http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=communication_theses

Some people without disabilities may use patronizing speech when they talk to people with cognitive disabilities. This study asked college-aged students without disabilities to evaluate patronizing speech toward people with cognitive disabilities. They randomly read either one of two vignettes; in one vignette a cashier with no disability used patronizing speech toward a customer with a cognitive disability, and in the other vignette a cashier with no disability used nonpatronizing speech toward a customer with a cognitive disability. The participants evaluated the patronizing speech as being significantly less professional, appropriate, and common than the nonpatronizing speech. They rated the cashier as feeling significantly more warm, supportive, and nurturing when s/he used patronizing speech, and the customer as feeling significantly less respect when spoken to through patronizing speech. Significantly more participants believed they would have spoken differently than the cashier when s/he used patronizing speech.