Discriminating signs: Perceptual precursors to acquiring a visual-gestural language

Wilbourn, Makeba Parramore; Casasola, Marianella

doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2006.08.006

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…which even very young (4–5 months) English infants could discriminate. Thus, the present findings, taken together with those of Wilbourn and Casasola, yield a more nuanced understanding of the developmental trajectory of the acquisition of handshape distinctions by infants exposed to ASL, suggesting a role for visual salience of the parameters marking these distinctions. Clearly, further work investigating the acquisition of different ASL handshape contrasts as well as different types of ASL contrasts is necessary to flesh out this understanding.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

“…Finally, because both our results and those of Baker et al. (2006) show that young infants are, indeed, capable of discriminating at least some handshapes, we suggest that discrimination of handshape per se cannot simply be a later developing ability, as suggested by Wilbourn and Casasola (2007). However, while our data show that young infants and ASL infants can demonstrate discrimination of handshape contrasts, it might yet be the case that contrasts involving different visual parameters have different acquisition trajectories.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Although previous work has used a habituation design (Baker et al., 2006; Wilbourn & Casasola, 2007) in which infants are first shown one instance repeatedly and then tested on their detection of a new stimulus, we used an alternating–nonalternating preference task in which discrimination is measured by differences in looking time to two trial types (Best & Jones, 1998; Mattock, Molnar, Polka, & Burnham, 2008; Maye, Werker, & Gerken, 2002; Teinonen, Aslin, Alku, & Csibra, 2008; Yeung & Werker, 2009; Yoshida, Pons, Maye, & Werker, 2010). In nonalternating trials, a single token is presented over and over, for example, A 1 A 1 A 1 A 1 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptual Narrowing of Linguistic Sign Occurs in the 1st Year of Life

et al. 2012

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Over their 1st year of life, infants'"universal" perception of the sounds of language narrows to encompass only those contrasts made in their native language (J. F. Werker & R. C. Tees, 1984). This research tested 40 infants in an eyetracking paradigm and showed that this pattern also holds for infants exposed to seen language-American Sign Language (ASL). Four-month-old, English-only, hearing infants discriminated an ASL handshape distinction, while 14-month-old hearing infants did not. Fourteen-month-old ASL-learning infants, however, did discriminate the handshape distinction, suggesting that, as in heard language, exposure to seen language is required for maintenance of visual language discrimination. Perceptual narrowing appears to be a ubiquitous learning mechanism that contributes to language acquisition.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

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confidence: 99%

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Perceptual Narrowing of Linguistic Sign Occurs in the 1st Year of Life

et al. 2012

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“…Similar results have been reported for a vowel length distinction used in Japanese wherein infants younger than 10 months fail to discriminate categorically (Sato, Sogabe, & Mazuka, ), whereas by 10 months of age they do (Mugitani, Pons, Fais, Werker, & Amano, ; Sato et al, ). Similarly, while young infants show a change between 6 and 10 months of age for categorical discrimination of the Flat versus Open hand sign (Baker et al, ; Palmer et al, ), they fail to show evidence of discriminating some other hand shapes used in sign at both 6 and 10 months (Wilbourn & Casasola, ). In all of these examples, experience played a role in inducing or enhancing sensitivity to a language distinction.…”

Section: Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptual narrowing during infancy: A comparison of language and faces

Maurer

Werker

2013

Developmental Psychobiology

276

206

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In this article, we begin with a summary of the evidence for perceptual narrowing for various aspects of language (e.g., vowel and consonant contrasts, tone languages, visual language, sign language) and of faces (e.g., own species, own race). We then consider possible reasons for the apparent differences in the timing of narrowing (e.g., apparently earlier for own race than for own species). Throughout we consider whether the evidence fits a model of maintenance/loss or is better characterized as enhancement/attunement to exposed categories. Finally, we consider evidence on the malleability of the timing and its implications for the role of endogenous factors versus learning in controlling when narrowing occurs. Overall, the comparison across domains revealed many similarities but also striking differences which lead to suggestions for future research.

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“…ASL is a “visual, gestural language” that differs greatly from English and other verbal languages. [45] …”

Section: Introduction: Emergency Preparedness Communication For Vulnementioning

confidence: 99%

Availability and Readability of Emergency Preparedness Materials for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and Older Adult Populations: Issues and Assessments

et al. 2013

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A major public health challenge is to communicate effectively with vulnerable populations about preparing for disasters and other health emergencies. People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HH) and older adults are particularly vulnerable during health emergencies and require communications that are accessible and understandable. Although health literacy studies indicate that the readability of health communication materials often exceeds people’s literacy levels, we could find no research about the readability of emergency preparedness materials (EPM) intended for Deaf/HH and older adult populations. The objective of this study was to explore issues related to EPM for Deaf/HH and older adult populations, to assess the availability and readability of materials for these populations, and to recommend improvements. In two California counties, we interviewed staff at 14 community-based organizations (CBOs) serving Deaf/HH clients and 20 CBOs serving older adults selected from a stratified, random sample of 227 CBOs. We collected 40 EPM from 10 CBOs and 2 public health departments and 40 EPM from 14 local and national websites with EPM for the public. We used computerized assessments to test the U.S. grade reading levels of the 16 eligible CBO and health department EPM, and the 18 eligible website materials. Results showed that less than half of CBOs had EPM for their clients. All EPM intended for clients of Deaf/HH-serving CBOs tested above the recommended 4th grade reading level, and 91% of the materials intended for clients of older adult-serving CBOs scored above the recommended 6th grade level. EPM for these populations should be widely available through CBOs and public health departments, adhere to health literacy principles, and be accessible in alternative formats including American Sign Language. Developers should engage the intended users of EPM as co-designers and testers. This study adds to the limited literature about EPM for these populations.

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Discriminating signs: Perceptual precursors to acquiring a visual-gestural language

Cited by 7 publications

References 18 publications

Perceptual Narrowing of Linguistic Sign Occurs in the 1st Year of Life

Perceptual Narrowing of Linguistic Sign Occurs in the 1st Year of Life

Perceptual narrowing during infancy: A comparison of language and faces

Availability and Readability of Emergency Preparedness Materials for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and Older Adult Populations: Issues and Assessments

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