Victor Kuperman
2019
Writing of age: Linguistic markers of cognitive, emotional, and social well-being among older adults * Social isolation and loneliness has been linked to decreased physical and mental well-being, but is challenging to recognize. The ability to share life experiences with others provides a unique opportunity for increased social interaction among older adults, even when physical mobility is limited.
Through the prism of language and a large-scale online effort to collect written life stories, this study will enable older adults to both share and tap into the experiences of others, boosting their social network and providing professionals with tools for identifying individuals at risk of social isolation.
INVESTIGATORS Victor Kuperman James Gillett Ranil Sonnara Aki-Juhani Kyröläinen
RESE ARCH IMPACT This research has resulted in the development of the WritLarge online application allowing people to access written life stories with 1,352 end-users engaged as participants. This work has also supported eight students/staff and yielded one publication, two conference presentations, three media items, and a new collaboration with the Department of Applied Linguistics at Brock University.
“MIRA/Labarge funding contributes to development of non-invasive methods to identify at-risk older adults and promote social engagement.” Victor Kuperman
* Progress on this research has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 research restrictions imposed in March of 2020.
PART 1: Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging (LCMA) | Catalyst grants | 2019 projects
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