Implicit learning of non-verbal regularities by deaf children with cochlear implants: An investigation with a dynamic temporal prediction task

Some deaf children continue to show difficulties in spoken language learning after cochlear implantation. Part of this variability has been attributed to poor implicit learning skills. However, the involvement of other processes (e.g. verbal rehearsal) has been underestimated in studies that show im...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2021-05, Vol.16 (5), p.e0251050-e0251050
Main Authors: Fastelli, Ambra, Mento, Giovanni, Marshall, Chloë Ruth, Arfé, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biology and Life Sciences
Cochlear implants
Deaf
Education
Educational aspects
Medicine and Health Sciences
Methods
Patient outcomes
People and Places
Psychological aspects
Social Sciences
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Summary:Some deaf children continue to show difficulties in spoken language learning after cochlear implantation. Part of this variability has been attributed to poor implicit learning skills. However, the involvement of other processes (e.g. verbal rehearsal) has been underestimated in studies that show implicit learning deficits in the deaf population. In this study, we investigated the relationship between auditory deprivation and implicit learning of temporal regularities with a novel task specifically designed to limit the load on working memory, the amount of information processing, and the visual-motor integration skills required. Seventeen deaf children with cochlear implants and eighteen typically hearing children aged 5 to 11 years participated. Our results revealed comparable implicit learning skills between the two groups, suggesting that implicit learning might be resilient to a lack of early auditory stimulation. No significant correlation was found between implicit learning and language tasks. However, deaf children's performance suggests some weaknesses in inhibitory control.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0251050