THE LEARNING OF PAIRWISE ASSOCIATIONS IN THE DEAF WITH AND WITHOUT USING SIGN LANGUAGE

In previous experiments our group has shown that test subjects with no rmal hearing are able to draw pertinent information from visual signal s generated from the analysis and transformation of speech. However, t he results of these tests could be applied indiscriminately to the dea f. More recently we have studied the speed with which deaf subjects co uld learn to identify visual patterns generated from speech, the stabi lity of learning, and the strategies developed by our subjects for lea rning sonogram-like patterns. The subjects tested were taught under tw o different conditions: pedagogy based on sign language and pedagogy b ased on speech. Deaf subjects and subjects with normal hearing dealt w ith associating visual patterns with meanings in a similar fashion. De af subjects required more repetitions to associate patterns with meani ngs than those with normal hearing, but they needed less time. The dea f developed strategies that increased their ability to learn new lists of patterns. In general, the deaf learned lists of patterns in the fr amework of feedback training well. Interestingly, the deaf taught on t he basis of sign language did better than those taught on the basis of speech.