A Study on the Relationship Between Visual Memory Span and Speech-reading Ability

Abstract

The adult, whose hearing is so impaired that communication by auditory means is impossible or severely limited, uses visual means as an alternative. It is called speech-reading or lip-reading, which is the art of comprehending the speech of others through the visual interpretation of gestures, facial movements, and especially lip movements. So the visual perception is related to the process of speech-reading. The visual memory span, which is the ability of reproducing the sensory impression after a short-term visual stimulus is given, is considered as a factor to estimate the potentiality of speech-reading. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship of visual memory span to achievement in speech-reading. To 43 hearing impaired adults, speech-reading tests and a visual memory span test were administered. After one year, the same speech-reading tests were administered. The results of the present study suggested that visual memory span is related to the potentiality of speech-reading.