The proposed work uses a variety of experimental paradigms found in the contemporary study of attention to investigate two broad hypotheses: first, that the functioning of visual attention may be different, and perhaps enhanced, among the deaf than among the hearing, and, second, that the visual and spatial demands imposed by the use of American Sign Language (ASL) may contribute to the attentional advantage enjoyed by the deaf. Research has demonstrated that the deaf outperform the hearing on tasks in such domains of visual cognition as motion perception, face perception, and mental imagery. Hearing signers tend to outperform hearing nonsigners in these areas, suggesting that facility with ASL is at the root of the deaf and the hearing. The domain of visual attention, however, has received comparatively little attention. Three series of experiments are proposed. The first two series investigate the hypotheses that deaf signers may modulate the focus of attention more rapidly than hearing nonsigners and that deaf signers may be less susceptible to the potential interference produced by irrelevant stimuli in the visual field. The final series examines potential differences between deaf signers and hearing nonsigners in the breadth of the focus of visual attention. In all three series of experiments, the performance of hearing signers is compared to the performance of deaf signers and hearing nonsigners to help elucidate the role of experience with ASL in producing the differences observed between the deaf signers and the hearing nonsigners. The experiments reflect promising extensions of my research interests in individual differences in attentional processes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA) (R15)
Project #
7R15DC005180-02
Application #
6729736
Study Section
Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neuroscience 8 (IFCN)
Program Officer
Cooper, Judith
Project Start
2002-02-01
Project End
2005-01-31
Budget Start
2002-10-01
Budget End
2005-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$114,448
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Lafayette
State
LA
Country
United States
Zip Code
70503