The effects of digital symbol format on the naming, identification, and sentence production incorporating verbs for individuals with aphasia

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To investigate the effects of symbol format and verb argument structure on the naming, identification, and sentence generation in people with aphasia (PWA).

Methods: A 2 × 2 randomized, mixed factorial design was used. Symbol format was the between-subjects variable with a photograph condition and a video condition. Verb argument structure was the within-subjects variable and included two- and three-argument verbs. Twenty-one participants were recruited and randomly assigned into either the photograph condition (n = 9) or the video condition (n = 12). Independent t-tests determined if any differences between the groups were present with respect to their standard language scores in Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) and the Northwestern Assessment of Verbs and Sentences (NAVS). A MANOVA was conducted to determine the effects of symbol format and argument structure on the three experimental tasks, including verb naming task, identification task, and sentence generation task.

Results: No significant differences were found between groups on the WAB-R or the NAVS. A significant multivariate and univariate effect was found for argument structure on all three experimental tasks. Two- argument verbs were easier to name, identify, and use in a sentence when compared to three-argument verbs. While there was no multivariate or univariate effect for symbol format, there was a medium effect size. The participants accurately named more verbs in the video condition when compared to the photograph condition.

Conclusion: These findings add support to the Argument Structure Complexity Principle. The effect of symbol format requires further research with respect to sentence generation, but videos may be used to support naming in PWA.

KEYWORDS:

• Aphasia
• videos
• photographs
• argument structure
• augmentative and alternative communication

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all who participated in the study: individuals with aphasia, their family members and caregivers, and student assistants, for the time and help given throughout.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.