Effect of sign language learning on temporal resolution of visual attention

The visual environment of sign language users is markedly distinct in its spatiotemporal parameters compared to that of non-signers. Although the importance of temporal and spectral resolution in the auditory modality for language development is well established, the spectrotemporal parameters of visual attention necessary for sign language comprehension remain less understood. This study investigates visual temporal resolution in learners of American Sign Language (ASL) at various stages of acquisition to determine how experience with sign language affects perceptual sampling. Using a flicker paradigm, we assessed the accuracy of identifying out-of-phase visual flicker objects at frequencies up to 60 Hz. Our findings reveal that third-semester ASL learners show increased accuracy in detecting high-frequency flicker, indicating enhanced temporal resolution. Interestingly, as learners achieve higher proficiency in ASL, their perceptual sampling reverts to typical levels, likely because of a shift toward predictive processing mechanisms in sign language comprehension. These results suggest that the temporal resolution of visual attention is malleable and can be influenced by the process of learning a visual language.