Living With Silence

This is the first qualitative study using content analysis of elderly nursing home residents' statements to describe their perceptions of communication rules and beliefs that regulate their talking. Data were collected by using a role-play interview technique. The perceived communication rules and self-regulatory beliefs identified by residents were found to inhibit them from talking with one another. Implications of the study address communication as a basic human need that serves as an essential mechanism of adaptation to the nursing home environment.