Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology

Abstract:

The discourse of Alzheimer's disease sufferers, studied in depth, is found to reveal the afflicted as being semiotic subjects, that is, persons for whom meaning is the driving force behind their behavior. This is despite the fact that the subjects are categorized, on the basis of standard psychometric measures, as being in moderate to severe stages of the disease. The research presented herein is meant to suggest the possibility that such disparities may be more common than is presently acknowledged, and that if so, such semiotic behavior as can be found in Alzheimer's sufferers may be used to help facilitate interactions between the afflicted and the healthy, and to inform further our understanding of cognition and intention by suggesting a complementary approach to assessing cognitive function. In keeping with the discursive approach to psychology, this study is based on the principle that meanings are jointly constituted by the participants to a conversation.