The Capitalization Question: Not long ago, a reader asked us why we use the capitalized version of Deaf in our blog and website. This question brought us back to our thoughts last year, when we were in the middle of writing the text for the ASC website and debating the D/d issue. Opting to capitalize Deaf was not something we …
Read MoreDo You Smell What I Smell?: Deaf People’s Noses
The Overlooked Sense: Ask people which of their senses they’d be willing to give up first – chances are, it’s the sense of smell. Either that, or the sense of taste, with taste being more likely if they belong to the Picky Eaters Club. Smelling isn’t usually up there at the top of anyone’s favorite conversation topics list, but it’s …
Read MoreNot Just Drops of Water: Here’s an interesting finding. Frey compared the chemical make-ups of tears caused by eye irritants such as sliced raw onions, and tears caused by emotions. Tears caused by emotions were found to have more protein and beta endorphins in them. These emotionally induced tears appear to contain high levels of cortisol, an important hormone released …
Read MoreDeaf Adults and Self-Esteem: How We Have Changed
Evolving Definitions: Here’s an interesting psychology-related tidbit to think about. In their book, Deaf People: Evolving Perspectives from Psychology, Education, and Sociology, Andrews, Leigh & Weiner point out how we, as Deaf people, have changed in terms of how we define our self-esteem. The Old Days: Back in 1974, a study (Sussman) found that Deaf adults who thought they did …
Read MoreIs Homework Worth It?: According to an article in the Washington Post, one of the nation’s leading researchers on homework has once again concluded that homework does not offer as many benefits as people seem to think it does. The homework that is most helpful is reading. Many students, unfortunately, bring home overloaded backpacks each afternoon. Schools are pressured to …
Read MoreAre Deaf People’s Brains Wired Differently?
Not to Compare Apples and Oranges, But…: Someone asked us if it is true that Deaf and hearing people’s brains are wired differently. See below and decide for yourself. University College London Above: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) pictures show different areas of the brain that are used by Deaf and hearing individuals when processing langauge. Yellow and red mark …
Read MoreWhy One Should Not Compare Apples to Oranges: Deaf Students and Hearing Students
Back to School: With September underway, Deaf students are once again heading back to schools and universities and once again, on the front burner, are concerns about Deaf education, student achievement scores, reading levels, and other related topics. It’s inevitable that comparisons will be made between Deaf students’ performances and those of their hearing peers. Apples and Oranges: When an …
Read MoreWorld Map of Happiness: Adrian White, a British analytic social psychologist at the University of Leicester, has published the first world map of happiness, ranking 178 countries in order from happiest to least happiest. More than 100 studies that involved 80,000 people were used to determine the happiness rankings. In his research, White found that health is the best predictor …
Read MoreSomething to Ponder: Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteres be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a tatol mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos …
Read MoreThe Eyes Have It: People have always been fascinated by eyes. Quotes such as “the eyes are the mirror of the soul” and “you are the apple of my eye” remind us how mysterious and powerful eyes can be. Researchers know that eyes are important perceptual signals as well. We act differently when we are being watched and we often …
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