Deaf Vision

Catalog description

How do linguistic and sensory experiences during development impact how we use language and think? Through the lens of deafness and sign language, it becomes possible to understand the ubiquitous nature of human language and language processing, the relation between cognition and language, and the neural organization of language. By comparing perception, language processing, and cognition for two different modalities, visual-manual versus auditory-spoken, we are able to ask, how does our language impact the way our brains are organized, how our brains function, and how we perceive the world? This class aims to provide answers to these questions with a theoretical and empirical cognitive science approach. The study of deafness and sign language allows cognitive scientists to address questions about the nature of linguistic and cognitive systems that otherwise could not be easily addressed. Students will learn about general theories of multisensory integration, brain function, visual perception, systems of visual attention, and executive function. Although research present is within the bulwark of cognitive science, such knowledge has implications for application within clinical and educational settings.