Effects of Video Reversal on Gaze Patterns during Signed Narrative Comprehension

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Effects of Video Reversal on Gaze Patterns during Signed Narrative Comprehension
Language: English
Authors: Bosworth, Rain, Stone, Adam, Hwang, So-One
Source: Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. Jul 2020 25(3):283-297.
Availability: Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2020
Sponsoring Agency: National Institutes of Health (DHHS)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contract Number: R01EY024623
1423500
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Video Technology, Eye Movements, Behavior Patterns, American Sign Language, Language Proficiency, Age Differences, Comprehension, Adults, Language Acquisition, Hearing Impairments, Correlation, Story Telling
DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enaa007
ISSN: 1081-4159
Abstract: Language knowledge, age of acquisition (AoA), and stimulus intelligibility all affect gaze behavior for reading print, but it is unknown how these factors affect "sign-watching" among signers. This study investigated how these factors affect gaze behavior during sign language comprehension in 52 adult signers who acquired American Sign Language (ASL) at different ages. We examined gaze patterns and story comprehension in four subject groups who differ in hearing status and when they learned ASL (i.e. Deaf Early, Deaf Late, Hearing Late, and Hearing Novice). Participants watched signed stories in normal (high intelligibility) and video-reversed (low intelligibility) conditions. This video manipulation was used because it distorts word order and thus disrupts the syntax and semantic content of narratives, while preserving most surface phonological features of individual signs. Video reversal decreased story comprehension accuracy, and this effect was greater for those who learned ASL later in life. Reversal also was associated with more dispersed gaze behavior. Although each subject group had unique gaze patterns, the effect of video reversal on gaze measures was similar across all groups. Among fluent signers, gaze behavior was not correlated with AoA, suggesting that "efficient" sign watching can be quickly learnt even among signers exposed to signed language later in life.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2020
Accession Number: EJ1256387
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:Language knowledge, age of acquisition (AoA), and stimulus intelligibility all affect gaze behavior for reading print, but it is unknown how these factors affect "sign-watching" among signers. This study investigated how these factors affect gaze behavior during sign language comprehension in 52 adult signers who acquired American Sign Language (ASL) at different ages. We examined gaze patterns and story comprehension in four subject groups who differ in hearing status and when they learned ASL (i.e. Deaf Early, Deaf Late, Hearing Late, and Hearing Novice). Participants watched signed stories in normal (high intelligibility) and video-reversed (low intelligibility) conditions. This video manipulation was used because it distorts word order and thus disrupts the syntax and semantic content of narratives, while preserving most surface phonological features of individual signs. Video reversal decreased story comprehension accuracy, and this effect was greater for those who learned ASL later in life. Reversal also was associated with more dispersed gaze behavior. Although each subject group had unique gaze patterns, the effect of video reversal on gaze measures was similar across all groups. Among fluent signers, gaze behavior was not correlated with AoA, suggesting that "efficient" sign watching can be quickly learnt even among signers exposed to signed language later in life.
ISSN:1081-4159
DOI:10.1093/deafed/enaa007