Revisiting Patterson's Paradigm: Gaze Behaviors in Deaf Communication

Eye contact and eye gaze behaviors within communication contexts are considered vital to clear linguistic transmission. Although much research has been done on eye contact and gaze behaviors, surprisingly little literature exists in this area concerning deaf populations. Due to linguistic necessity, certain factors influencing gaze behaviors during communication will differ between hearing and deaf groups. The present article explains a sequential model of eye gaze and eye contact behaviors (Patterson, 1982) developed and researched among hearing populations and explores possible similarities and differences in these behaviors in deaf people. It is found that characterizations of eye contact and eye gaze behaviors applied to hearing populations are not completely applicable to deaf groups. Empirical research is needed to validate the ideas presented here, and future research directions are indicated.