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Related Experiment Videos

Short-term memory span: insights from sign language.

Mrim Boutla1, Ted Supalla, Elissa L Newport

  • 1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.

Nature Neuroscience
|August 18, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Short-term memory (STM) capacity differs between American Sign Language (ASL) and English users. This study reveals the difference is not due to memory deficits but visual versus auditory processing, impacting STM span.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Linguistics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Short-term memory (STM) capacity is typically cited as 7 +/- 2 items for spoken language.
  • American Sign Language (ASL) users exhibit a smaller STM span of 5 +/- 1 items.
  • Previous theories attributed this difference to phonological factors or reduced memory in deaf individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reasons behind the differing STM spans in ASL and English.
  • To determine if phonological factors, item duration, or general memory deficits explain the reduced STM span in ASL.
  • To compare working memory resources between ASL users and English speakers.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of STM span across ASL and English users.
  • Controlled experiments to rule out phonological and item duration effects.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of working memory capacity during language processing tasks.

    • Main Results:

    • The reduced STM span in ASL is not attributable to phonological factors, item duration, or inherent memory limitations in deaf individuals.
    • Hearing and deaf individuals demonstrate comparable working memory resources during language use.
    • ASL users show a shorter STM span, suggesting it's not a universal norm but influenced by modality.

    Conclusions:

    • The spoken STM span of 7 +/- 2 is likely an exception, influenced by auditory-based representations.
    • Visual-based representations in ASL may lead to a smaller STM span.
    • Norms for assessing memory in deaf individuals may need adjustment.