{{Short description|Unusually formal speech}} In psychiatry, '''stilted speech''' or '''pedantic speech'''<ref>McKenna P.J., Oh T.M. (2012.) ''[http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521009058&ss=ind#ind-pie-i00-345 Schizophrenic Speech: Making Sense of Bathroots and Ponds that Fall in Doorways]'', Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-521-00905-8}}</ref> is communication characterized by situationally inappropriate formality.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of autism spectrum disorders|date=2013|publisher=Springer|others=Volkmar, Fred R.|isbn=9781441916976|location=New York, NY|oclc=822231140}}</ref> This formality can be expressed both through abnormal prosody<ref name="Rosenblau2017">{{cite journal |last1=Rosenblau |first1=G |last2=Kliemann |first2=D |author3-link=Isabel Dziobek |last3=Dziobek |first3=I |last4=Heekeren |first4=HR |title=Emotional prosody processing in autism spectrum disorder |journal=Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience |date=February 2017 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=224–39 |doi=10.1093/scan/nsw118 |pmid=27531389 |pmc=5390729 }}</ref> as well as speech content that is "inappropriately pompous, legalistic, philosophical, or quaint".<ref>Peter F. Liddle, Royal College of Psychiatrists ''Disordered mind and brain: the neural basis of mental symptoms'', 301 pages [https://books.google.com/books?id=3IkzJ_8XNukC&dq=stilted+speech+schizophrenia&pg=PA105 RCPsych Publications, 2001] Retrieved 2012-01-12 {{ISBN|1-901242-65-X}}</ref> Often, such speech can act as evidence for autism spectrum disorders (ASD)<ref name="Rosenblau2017"/> or a thought disorder,<ref>Victor Peralta, Manuel J. Cuesta, Jose de Leon Title:''Formal thought disorder in schizophrenia: A factor analytic study'', Publication:Comprehensive Psychiatry [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010440X9290005B Elsevier March–April 1992], Elsevier Retrieved 2012-01-12</ref> a common symptom in schizophrenia<ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:NQnqEyaR5QsJ:www.ai.uga.edu/caspr/litreviewsr-published.pdf+stilted+speech&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiENtwQyu4wuw3dOfi-u8TCIBoGQFx9RKSnA4Hl_G-oUxnH4Wf_GuJ6NBk_WTHiZrFrz796lSJNU3NDcifHkCjEo052XA8iKP5orwga4eKae7WEBmGhZIkr54VCfq_dgd-03bLW&sig=AHIEtbQfUvEnOPxsYRfCWrzSdc5tqR5-6g] {{doi|10.1016/j.schres.2005.01.016}} Retrieved 2012-01-12</ref> or schizoid personality disorder.<ref>{{cite book |vauthors=Khan M |date=2022 |title=Emerging trends in medical sciences |chapter=Understanding and psychosocial treatment of schizoid personality disorder: a cognitive behavioural, psychoanalytical and bio energetic analysis approach |volume=4 |pages=45–62 |veditors=Naik S |publisher=Integrated publications |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-93-95118-07-1}}</ref><!-- comment preventing User:WikiCleanerBot to move the comma after Khan (2022), which only supports the stilted speech in ScPD -->
To diagnose stilted speech, researchers have previously looked for the following characteristics:<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Ghaziuddin|first1=M.|last2=Gerstein|first2=L.|date=December 1996|title=Pedantic speaking style differentiates Asperger syndrome from high-functioning autism|journal=Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders|volume=26|issue=6|pages=585–595|issn=0162-3257|pmid=8986845|doi=10.1007/bf02172348|hdl=2027.42/44615|s2cid=8508542 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> * Speech conveying more information than necessary * Vocabulary and grammar expected from formal writing rather than conversational speech * Unnecessary repetition or corrections While literal and long-winded word content is often the most identifiable feature of stilted speech, such speech often displays irregular prosody, especially in resonance.<ref name=":1"/> Often, the loudness, pitch, rate, and nasality of pedantic speech vary from normal speech, resulting in the perception of pedantic or stilted speaking. For example, overly loud or high-pitched speech can come across to listeners as overly forceful while slow or nasal speech creates an impression of condescension.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Shriberg|first1=L. D.|last2=Paul|first2=R.|last3=McSweeny|first3=J. L.|last4=Klin|first4=A. M.|last5=Cohen|first5=D. J.|last6=Volkmar|first6=F. R.|date=October 2001|title=Speech and prosody characteristics of adolescents and adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome|journal=Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research|volume=44|issue=5|pages=1097–1115|issn=1092-4388|pmid=11708530|doi=10.1044/1092-4388(2001/087)|citeseerx=10.1.1.385.7116|s2cid=1676598 }}</ref>
These attributions, which are commonly found in patients with autism,<ref name=":0"/> partially account for why stilted speech has been considered a diagnostic criterion for autism.<ref name=":1"/> Stilted speech, along with atypical intonation, semantic drift, terseness, and perseveration, are all known deficits with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=de Villiers|first1=Jessica|last2=Fine|first2=Jonathan|last3=Ginsberg|first3=Gary|last4=Vaccarella|first4=Liezanne|last5=Szatmari|first5=Peter|date=August 2007|title=Brief report: a scale for rating conversational impairment in autism spectrum disorder|journal=Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders|volume=37|issue=7|pages=1375–1380|doi=10.1007/s10803-006-0264-1|issn=0162-3257|pmid=17082976|s2cid=6433996 }}</ref> Often, stilted speech found in children with autism will also be especially stereotypic or in some cases even rehearsed.<ref name=":2" />
Patients with schizophrenia are also known to have stilted speech. This symptom is attributed to both an inability to access more commonly used words and a difficulty understanding pragmatics — the relationship between language and context.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Covington|first1=Michael A.|last2=He|first2=Congzhou|last3=Brown|first3=Cati|last4=Naçi|first4=Lorina|last5=McClain|first5=Jonathan T.|last6=Fjordbak|first6=Bess Sirmon|last7=Semple|first7=James|last8=Brown|first8=John|date=2005-09-01|title=Schizophrenia and the structure of language: the linguist's view|journal=Schizophrenia Research|volume=77|issue=1|pages=85–98|doi=10.1016/j.schres.2005.01.016|issn=0920-9964|pmid=16005388|citeseerx=10.1.1.532.2190|s2cid=7206375 }}</ref> However, stilted speech appears as a less common symptom compared to a certain number of other symptoms of the psychosis (Adler ''et al'' 1999).<ref>Jeffrey A. Lieberman, T. Scott Stroup, Diana O. Perkins, American Psychiatric Publishing ''The American Psychiatric Publishing textbook of schizophrenia'' - 435 pages [https://books.google.com/books?id=bk4IPCprqicC&dq=stilted+speech+schizophrenia&pg=PA100 American Psychiatric Pub, 2006] Retrieved 2012-01-12 {{ISBN|1-58562-191-9}}</ref> Stilted speech is also exhibited as a symptom in the narcissistic personality disorder (Akhtar & Thomson 1982).<ref>S. Akhtar and J. Anderson Thomson, "Overview: Narcissistic Personality Disorder" [http://www.jandersonthomson.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/narcissim-paper.pdf ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' '''139''':1] Retrieved 2012-01-12</ref>
== See also == * Communication deviance * Infodumping * Literary language * {{slink|Otaku|Etymology}} * Register (sociolinguistics)
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Symptoms and signs of mental disorders Category:Communication disorders Category:Autism