Exploring Harmful Illocutionary Forces Expressed by Older Adults with and Without Alzheimer’s Disease: A Multimodal Perspective

This study examines the multimodal pragmatic abilities of older adults experiencing typical aging in contrast to those with Alzheimer’s disease, via the statistical and comparative analysis of harmful illocutionary forces expressed in their discourse. The results indicated that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease showed a noticeable lack of emotional engagement, which hindered the felicity of illocutionary forces. Furthermore, these patients struggled to use appropriate prosodic indicators, alongside a diminished integration of conventional gestures. Highlighting the significance of multimodal illocutionary force indicators in speech acts, this study contributes to a more intricate comprehension of interpersonal communication.