Conceptual Cross-Modal Transfer in Deaf and Hearing Children

Deaf and hearing Ss were compared in studies on their ability to transfer a concept across sensory modalities. In the first experiment, Ss in the 3- to 5year range were tested on a series of problems involving the concepts of something versus nothing (e.g., light vs. no light, vibration vs. no vibration). Reinforcement of nothing was dependent upon age and not upon language ability. Thus the younger hearing and deaf Ss, did equally poorly despite relevant verbalizations by the hearing Ss, while older deaf and hearing Ss did equally well. In the second experiment, using the successive discrimination technique, 5- and 6-year-old Ss were compared on their use of the number concepts one and two in solving problems in the visual and tactile modalities. The results indicated that deaf Ss, although deficient in general language, possessed number symbols and used them as efficiently as hearing Ss. In both experiments, deaf Ss were more proficient in using tactual cues, suggesting that the tactile modality may not afford equivalent stimuli to deaf and hearing Ss.