The Study of Deaf People’s Intelligence

Abstract

Deaf people provide a compelling natural experiment in the study of intelligence. The outcomes of this natural experiment are summarized in this chapter. Published and unpublished studies of deaf people deliberately, and in some cases unwittingly, describe the consequences of language deprivation, high rates of organic trauma, and the many other factors associated with deafness. Many studies intended to draw a parallel between the conditions experienced by deaf people and their consequent intelligence; many other studies simply reported intelligence test scores as part of research unrelated to deafness as a natural experiment. Regardless of the intent of the study, research reporting deaf people’s performance on tests of intelligence was examined and included in this review.