really don't mean to offend anybody and it is a genuine question. If somebody has been deaf since birth then do they think in sign to themselves? cos I 'hear' my voice in my head as a thought then if you don't have the memory of sound then what is the thought process in?
2007-10-05 09:32:24 · 14 answers · asked by boo 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Firstly, no offence taking, an extremely fair and interesting question, lets hope my answer does it justice.
I am 55% deaf bilaterally.
I "think" in written form, like a ticker tape rolling along or subtitles on a TV etc.
I sometimes think of saying ta, or thanks but thankyou appears in my minds eye, and if I am typing it takes a lot of conscious effort to type the version that is different from the ticker tape word.
I was not born deaf, it happened literally overnight. I woke up like it.
therefore as I have become less dependent on the spoken word, I think in subtitles is the best way I can put it, as opposed to before when say the thought of the word horse would produce an image of a horse it now always produces the word horse in my minds eye.
As I learn to make more sense of lip reading, in difficult environments, a persons lip movements will trigger a word view in my head and almost unconsciously I find my self reading the sentence in my minds eye as the person speaks.As I listen to people with my aids my brain ticker tape kicks in and I see their sounds as written words.
Soe people consider it to be a form of that condition where people "taste words" or "taste sounds" as extra synapses have formed in their brain to cause it.
most odd to have switched from one type to the other but it now seems totally normal.
I suppose that it is testament to the adaptability of the brain.
Not exactly what you were looking for but I havent learnt to sign as other disabilities would preclude this for me, and Ive had my hearing loss only since 28/12/2004, and it appears to be remaining where it is, so current mind processes suit me just fine.
CRO xx
2007-10-05 22:15:58 · answer #1 · answered by CROCIATO 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am hoping someone who is profoundly deaf can answer this from personal experience. All I can contribute is that there is no reason for deaf people NOT to think in Sign, since it is known to function in the same way as any other language in the sense of creating neural pathways etc (and, like any other language, if learnt young when one is most receptive, it enables the learning of a further language by building on the structural understandings). Oliver Sacks' book "Seeing Voices" goes into this in a very readable way. In a way, I think the title might answer your question...... but it's a very long time since I read it and can't remember anything about the specific issue of thinking in Sign.
2007-10-05 09:47:48 · answer #2 · answered by Ambi valent 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If born deaf, yes. If deaf for an extended period, yes. Actually, a lot of thinking is more conceptual. Anyway, if someone has never heard words or sounds, they don't have them to form in their head. They, like everyone, think in concepts and pictures. When you think cat, do you *really* just hear the word? Or do you think cat as a concept? Does that cat concept thought ever come with a picture? More going on in there than just sound. When thinking about communicating with someone else, what the words should be, it's either concept or sign. Btw, there's nothing offensive about the question.
Deaf bf. I asked.
2007-10-05 09:55:05 · answer #3 · answered by Alex62 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes I know 2 people that are. I lived near (NCSD) deaf school for over 10 years. So growing up I got use to seeing people use sign language. I do know a little basic signs and I can also spell my name out. Haven't used it in so long I have forgotten many things. No I don't stare at people when I see it. It's common in this area to see people signing
2016-04-07 06:03:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great Question. The Guy I know who was born deaf loves to sing while holding onto and feeling vibrations from the piano. I've not asked him but will. I was also wondering why I talk with a very broad accent. but think in perfect English. !!!!
As an after thought WE all think in pictures not words. Think of a door ?............SEE
2007-10-05 09:45:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok.. definitely just a guess, but they do have a voice of some sort, even if they are mute ( i know sounds weird) but when they are like thinking to themselves and processing things, i'm sure their "voice" is the one doing the talking. they probably don't picture little hands making signs and stuff.. but that is really a good question.. i agree with everyone else! hee hee! hopefully someone will have a better guess, cause we probably don't know for sure. :)
2007-10-05 09:44:06 · answer #6 · answered by happyreagan77 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no. Deaf people think in concepts the same way anyone else does, and they use language in their mind the way anyone else does. They do remember how to say different things in sign language, such as whatever they might be thinking about. But when they see a cat they spell it c-a-t in their mind and not with hand signs.
2007-10-05 09:43:57 · answer #7 · answered by Joe from WI 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
what a good question dont know the answer I have a friend whos son is deaf they all sign to him i will ask her to ask him good talking point
2007-10-05 10:17:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also think that is a great question...and if you were born blind, what do you see in your mind? These are things I bet a lot of people think about but are afraid to ask!
2007-10-05 09:38:01 · answer #9 · answered by LincolnsMama 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually thats a good q!
sorry dont know the answer but i dont think they think in sign, as thats a skill they learn
2007-10-05 09:36:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋