sign language

any system of communication in which signs formed by hand configuration and movement are used instead of spoken language. The term refers particularly to the system used by people who are deaf or have severe hearing loss, which has its own syntax and methods of conveying nuances of feeling and emotion and is now accepted by most linguists as exhibiting the full set of defining characteristics of human oral–aural language. The particular system of hand signs and movements used primarily in the United States and Canada is called American Sign Language (ASL). Forms of sign language are sometimes used also to communicate with children with certain neurological disorders and with nonhuman primates, but these systems are far less sophisticated than those used by people with hearing impairment. Also called signing. See fingerspelling.

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Psychology term of the day

July 27th 2024

Delphi technique

a method of developing and improving group consensus by eliminating the effects of personal relationships and dominating personalities. Conflict is managed by circulating a questionnaire, which is edited and summarized on the basis of the last round of comments and then reissued for further response by those participating in the survey. The Delphi technique is used in many situations where convergence of opinion is desirable (e.g., for defining goals, setting standards, or identifying and ranking needs and priorities).