2025 Theses Doctoral

Exploring Executive Function, Theory of Mind, and Vocabulary for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children who use Listening and Spoken Language

This dissertation consisted of two studies investigating the development of deaf and hard of hearing children who utilize listening and spoken language. The first study examined cross-sectional, concurrent data to define the relationship between individual factors in recall, receptive vocabulary, and expressive vocabulary, for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Demographic information as well as standardized scores for recall, receptive vocabulary, and expressive vocabulary were extracted from a large dataset of deaf and hard of hearing children between the ages of 3;0 and 5;11 years from 35 specialized LSL education preschool programs. Significant group differences in recall as well as receptive and expressive vocabulary were revealed by type of hearing technology, number of children in the household, age of intervention, and primary home language among deaf and hard of hearing preschool-age children.

The second study explored the relations between theory of mind, recall, and executive functioning in 31 preschool-age deaf and hard of hearing children, when controlling for receptive vocabulary and chronological age. Family environment, including family relationships, personal growth, and system maintenance, were also investigated in relation to theory of mind, recall, and executive functioning. Participants’ theory of mind, recall, executive functioning, and receptive vocabulary were measured and each participant’s caregiver completed a questionnaire regarding their respective family environment.

Significant relations were demonstrated between executive functioning and theory of mind as well as recall and theory of mind. Family relationships, personal growth, and system maintenance within family environment accounted for a significant amount of variance in theory of mind and executive functioning.