Assessing the Comprehension of Spatial Perspectives in ASL Classifier Constructions

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Spatial classifier expressions in American Sign Language (ASL) utilize hand location to represent object positions.
• Shared Space uses physical object arrangement, while Signer Space requires mental perspective-taking for non-present objects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess comprehension of ASL locative expressions in Shared and Signer Space.
• To evaluate the impact of viewing angle (Face-to-face vs. 90° offset) on comprehension.
• To investigate the relationship between ASL spatial comprehension, nonverbal intelligence, and ASL proficiency.

Main Methods:

• Development of the ASL Spatial Perspective Comprehension Test (ASPCT).
• Testing 38 Deaf signers on their comprehension of spatial expressions under varying conditions.
• Correlational analysis with nonverbal intelligence and ASL proficiency measures.

Main Results:

• Deaf signers showed better comprehension in Shared Space compared to Signer Space.
• Viewing angle significantly affected Signer Space comprehension, with a 90° offset being easier than Face-to-face.
• ASPCT performance positively correlated with nonverbal intelligence and ASL proficiency.

Conclusions:

• The mental transformation for Signer Space comprehension is not automatic and is cognitively demanding.
• Perspective-taking in ASL is influenced by environmental factors like viewing angle.
• Cognitive abilities and language proficiency are crucial for understanding complex ASL spatial constructions.