Date of Award
Spring 5-11-2018
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Daniel Koo
Second Advisor
Lorna C. Quandt
Abstract
What is the neurobiological underpinning of communicative actions? Studies have suggested that the same neural network of imitation is involved in producing communicative actions, regardless if the persons expressing communicative actions are deaf signers or hearing nonsigners. Through neuroimaging method and analysis, we can observe if experience with communicative actions leads to any differences in the neural processing of the one and two handed ASL signs in deaf signers and hearing non-signers. The results indicate that the posterior right parietal region of the brain shows a significant difference in activity during imitation of one handed and two handed ASL signs in deaf signers. However, no significant differences were found between deaf signers and hearing nonsigners’ one and two handed sign imitation. Some of the possible factors that drive the significant and lack of differences in imitation of communicative actions are presented.
Recommended Citation
Willis, Athena S., "The Neural Substrates of Communicative Actions: A Cognitive Psychophysiology Study of Sign Language Production and Imitation in Deaf Signers and Hearing Non-signers" (2018). Undergraduate University Honors Capstones. 63.
https://ida.gallaudet.edu/honors_capstones/63
