Evaluations by staff, residents, and community seniors of patronizing speech in the nursing home: Impact of passive, assertive, or humorous responses

Two studies tested the impact of alternative communication in accommodation strategies. Nursing home staff and residents (and community-residing senio rs in Study 2) rated nurse-resident conversational scenarios in which a res ident responded passively, directly assertively, or humorously (indirectly assertively) to a patronizing nurse. The nurse then either maintained a pat ronizing manner or accommodated with a more respectful speech style. Even t hough all groups devalued the nurse who maintained a patronizing speech sty le, nursing home residents predictably showed the most acceptance. The dire ctly assertive response by the resident elicited more devaluation of the no naccommodating nurse than did either passive or humorous responses, but als o the least favorable ratings of the resident. Ratings of the humorous resp onse in Study 2 suggested that humor could be a good compromise response st yle for allowing the receiver of patronizing speech to express opposition t o a request, yet still maintain an appearance of competence and politeness.