Trained Eyes: Deaf Signers Look at Paintings with Viewing Patterns Similar to Those of Experts

We studied the perception of 16th- and 17th-century narrative paintings in three distinct groups: Deaf Sign Language users (ÖGS), Art History Experts, and Lay viewers. By combining eye-tracking data with open interviews, we aimed to test whether Deaf signers and art Experts would exhibit similar viewing behaviors due to their enhanced visual skills. We found that, despite lacking formal training in art history, Deaf viewers displayed oculometric patterns closely resembling those of Experts. These included shorter fixation durations, broader exploration of the pictorial surface, and increased attention to semantically meaningful elements such as symbolic objects and codified hand gestures. Both Deaf participants and Experts also used more concrete and detailed language to describe the paintings, in contrast to Lay viewers, who tended to offer more general and vague statements. Additionally, Deaf participants exhibited a distinctive pattern when viewing faces, focusing more on the mouth area than the eyes, likely due to visual habits of speech perception. These findings suggest a perceptual overlap between two populations with distinct cultural backgrounds and sensory experiences. Sign language mastery and early deafness may enhance visual perception and image interpretation. The results have broader implications for cognitive science, art history, and Deaf studies, demonstrating the value of cross-domain expertise in understanding human perception. They also support the inclusion of Deaf individuals in art history and museum careers, aligning with the concept of Deaf Gain.