Gender Differences in Macrostructure and Microstructure of Discourse Production in Healthy Elderly Adults

Objectives: Discourse production abilities in elderly adults are known to differ by gender. This study aimed to analyze discourse production in a story retelling task among healthy elderly adults at both macrostructural and microstructural levels, and to examine genderrelated differences. Methods: Sixty healthy elderly adults participated in this study. A story retelling task was used to elicit discourse. Macrostructure was analyzed using story grammar analysis, while microstructure was assessed through information unit (IU) analysis. Results: First, the story grammar total rate was significantly higher in the female group than in the male group, whereas there was no significant gender difference in the number of complete episodes. In terms of story grammar subcategories, females showed significantly higher production rates in the background and attempt components compared to males. Second, females outperformed males across all IU measures. Third, regardless of gender, both story grammar total rate and the number of complete episodes were significantly correlated with all IU measures. That is, the ability to structurally organize discourse is closely related to the amount and efficiency of information. Conclusion: This study examined gender-related differences in the macrostructure and microstructure of narrative discourse production among healthy elderly adults. The findings suggest that gender should be considered when evaluating and planning interventions for communication in healthy elderly adults.