Characterizing Communication in Group Settings Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Development of the Multiparty Communication Questionnaire

PURPOSE: Group, or multiparty, settings present a particularly challenging communication context for speakers, who must keep track of a myriad of interpersonal, informational, and contextual factors and then flexibly adjust their language to meet the needs of the group. While there are existing questionnaires to capture the well-documented communication disruptions that individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience in dyads, there are no measures of multiparty communication. We developed the Multiparty Communication Questionnaire (MCQ) and assessed whether individuals with TBI self-reported more communication difficulties in multiparty settings than noninjured peers. We also sought to establish the psychometric properties of this initial version of the MCQ. METHOD: The MCQ was administered to 61 individuals with TBI and 61 demographically matched noninjured comparison (NC) participants. Exploratory factor analysis, classical test theory, and item response theory frameworks were applied to evaluate item and test characteristics. A subset of participants repeated the MCQ to establish test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Individuals with TBI self-reported significantly more difficulties with multiparty communication than NCs, demonstrating construct validity. Thirty-nine percent of individuals with TBI reported that their injury impacted their opportunities for multiparty communication. While three items need revision or replacement, the MCQ demonstrated good internal consistency, excellent reliability, and acceptable construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: With continued validation, the MCQ holds promise in advancing our understanding and management of cognitive-communication disorders in group settings. Clinically, the MCQ may help identify multiparty communication challenges and guide counseling, goal setting, intervention, and communication partner training. The MCQ may also be useful as an outcome measure in research settings. Future directions include development of communication partner and clinician versions. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.33311808.