From Times of Oman: Deaf quicker at catching body language

Deaf people who rely on sign language are quicker at catching on to body language than people with normal hearing, reveals a study.

The latest study suggests the deaf may be adept at picking up on subtle visual traits in the actions of others, an ability that could be useful for some sensitive jobs, such as airport screening.

“There are a lot of anecdotes about deaf people being better able to pick up on body language, but this is the first evidence of that,” said David Corina, professor of linguistics, University of California-Davis Centre for Mind and Brain.

Corina and graduate student Michael Grosvald, measured the response times of both deaf and hearing people to a series of video clips showing people making American Sign Language signs or non-language gestures, such as stroking the chin, the journal Cognition reported.

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