Developmental Effects on the Reception of Signs in Peripheral Vision by Deaf Students

Like the 15-to 18-year-old deaf students tested previously, younger students (8-12 years) in a residential program can identify signs in isolation presented well into the periphery by live signers. Combined analysis of the data from both age groups revealed a significant effect of age on performance and also an interaction between age group and performance on the three types of sign stimuli used; the face signs being more difficult for the younger children. Possible implications of the children’s abilities for the amount of linguistic input available to them, distractibility in the classroom, and the use of peripheral vision in educational settings are discussed.