Elicitation Procedures of Discourse Samples

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the discussion of how discourse samples can be meaningfully elicited in both the clinical and research contexts. It starts with a brief summary of the operational definitions of discourse production and the factors to consider when one elicits discourse outputs from the unimpaired or clinical populations. Various types of discourse production (such as descriptive discourse, procedural discourse, expository discourse, and conversational discourse) and their corresponding characteristics are described. In addition, details of different elicitation methods are explored and the pros and cons of these methods are carefully compared and contrasted. In the next section, the clinical significance of measuring discourse production is described and explained. Specific principles of discourse elicitation across speakers with aphasia and other related language disorders, in light of their corresponding clinical features of discourse deficits, are discussed. It is expected that readers will be able to apply different methodologies in collecting narrative samples for the purpose of clinical evaluation versus conducting research about oral discourse. Readers can also justify the use of various pictorial stimuli or other materials to collect narrative samples and explain the possible reasons for lower reliability on discourse elicitation and analysis.