Cognitive Map Formation: A Comparative Study

Cognition is a mental process in the brain that helps to gain knowledge and understanding. The mental processes involved are such as thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem solving. Language, imagination, perception and planning are some of these high-level mind functions. This study has investigated if there is difference in the ability of cognitive map formation in normal children when compared to children who are Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). A matched group design was used in which each participant initially underwent a common task assessment. Participants (both normal and deaf or hard of hearing) were grouped based on the score in the IQ test, ensuring comparable IQ levels. The sample included 120 adolescents aged between 14 and 16; 60 DHH children and 60 children with normal hearing. From the results it was seen that the two groups differed significantly in their cognitive map formation ability. That is, contrarily to their normal-hearing peers, DHH children exhibited more facilitation during the learning phase of cognitive maps building, as indicated by less trials made and shorter time duration. Additional analyses showed no significant influence of socio-demographic variables between the two groups.