The associative learning of the deaf: The effects of word imagery and signability.

In two experiments, deaf and hearing subjects learned paired associate lists in which rated visual imagery and signability (a measure of the ease with which a word can be represented as a gestural sign) were orthogonally varied. Visual presentation of three alternating study-recall trials resulted in significant positive effects of imagery for both deaf and hearing subjects, whereas signability facilitated recall only for deaf subjects. Examination of the relation between item attributes and reported learning strategy indicated that both deaf and hearing subjects used imaginal mediators more frequently for high-imagery than low-imagery pairs. A gestural sign strategy was reported almost exclusively by deaf subjects, particularly for high-signability pairs. These results suggest that an examination of the effects of sign language variables will contribute to an understanding of the qualitative differences in the associative learning of the deaf and hearing.