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~,4 Problems of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
stages of this disorder. It is possible that its origin is to be
traced much farther back than it is at present supposed. An
analysis of the hereditary factors involved would also be of
some interest.
V1. PROBLEMS OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT
The Conference realizes that not only the so-called " deaf," but also
those who are auditorily deficient in lesser degrees suffer seriously from
their difficulties of social adjustment due to inferior means of com-
munication. This difficulty cannot be entirely removed through even the
highest use of compensatory devices, either of instrumental character or
of substitutional nature (such as lip reading).
Not only is the achievement of social values by auditorily deficient
individuals hindered by this condition, but the emotional reaction upon
the individual himself is of a grave nature, reaching in many cases the
psychopathic level. Measures should be found for the amelioration of
these conditions. Although the results obtained in carrying out the
recommendations concerning the nursery school, and certain of the in-
vestigations included in the educational group, will undoubtedly be of
great assistance in this endeavor, we believe that certain other lines of
research should be followed to this end.
A. SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OF ADJUSTMENT
Whether studied through a national institute, or by more indepen
dent investigations, or both, there are definite problems demanding
attention, of which the following are among the more obvious:
I. The detailed emotional consequences of auditory deficiency.-
The Conference especially recorn~nends systematic and detailed
investigation of the specific emotional effects and changes en-
tailed through auditory deficiency, such as timidity, suspicion,
depression, feelings of inferiority, resentment, apathy, etc. Dif-
ferential erects should be correlated with degrees of deficiency,
age, period of incidence, training before and after incidence,
organic conditions and cultural circumstances.
Comparisons should be made with the recognized psycho-
neurotic types, and the investigation might well be continued to
the institutions for the mentally disordered in an effort to de-
termine the incidence and types of psychoses among the audi-
torily deficient.
a. The rehabilitation of the auditorily deficient. It is reco~nrnended
that the process of emotional and social readjustments be studied
with reference to the {actors assisting and retarding such re
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Problems of tote Deaf and Hard of Hearing 35
habilitation. Emotional responses to different teaching methods,
to differing supervisory conditions outside the classroom, to
different personality types, to industrial conditions, to organ-
ized play, to rhythmic and musical stimulation, are typical of
the data to be sought.
Attitudes of cordial persons toward the auditorily deficient.-
It is recorded that consideration be given to the attitudes
of normal persons, both children and adults, toward the deaf
and the hypacousic of different ages and degrees of deficiency.
In this connection, comparative studies of the social relations
of the blind with those of the deaf may prove useful. Efforts
should be made to discover means of improving the social set-
ting of the auditorily deficient by increasing the friendliness,
fraternity and cooperation between them and normal persons.
B. A C:ENTRAL INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF ADJUSTMENTAT~
PROBLEMS
The Conference recommends that steps be taken toward the
establishment of a research unit for the study of social and emotional
problems of auditory deficiency.
I. Type of research trait.-This unit would be either a part of a
more general institute dealing with various of the problems
recommended in this report, or a separate institute dealing pri-
marily with social and emotional adjustment.
2. Location.-This institute should be located in a considerable
center of population, where work for the deaf and hypacousic
is already well organized, and where there are university and
medical school facilities of adequate rank. New York, Chicago,
Boston, and Baltimore would meet the requirements from these
points of view. Proximity of important existing institutions for
hearing disability, such as the proposed nursery school, Gallaudet
College, or the Clarke School for the Deaf, would be an im-
portant consideration.
Organization.-The directing stay of such an organization
should include an otologist, an experimental psychologist and a
clinical psychologist. In the case material studied, the otologist
would be responsible for medical history and diagnosis of con-
dition, and for the medical factors in disposition. He should,
therefore, have a sufficient general medical background as well
as technical ability in his specialty.
The experimental psychologist should be a man capable of
conducting or directing research in that field, and should be
3.
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36 Problems of the Deaf and Hard: of Hearing
able to organize the technique of experimental psychology in
problems in other fields where they may be of help. He should
be especially familiar with acoumetric methods, and methods
which have been utilized in the attempts to gain insight into the
emotional life as such. In general, such a man would probably
represent the point of view of pure science in the psychological
approach, as compared with the more applied tendencies as-
sociated with the name of clinical psychology.
The clinical psychologist would have the conduct or super-
vision of the problems that come within the scope of social or
educational psychology. He would need a first class type of train-
ing and several years' experience in some portion of this field,
though not necessarily one concerned with auditory deficiencies;
and he must be a person of initiative and scientific resource.
A number of the problems require a person trained in social
work with the deaf, and the organization would hardly function
properly without at least one such worker.
To the directing staff might well be assigned a limited number
of fellows or scholars, prepared to devote their major energies
to some problem or group of problems under the immediate
supervision of the proper authority in the organization. Its
resources would also be open to students of affiliated graduate
schools, who were interested in relevant problems. Able ap-
plicants with hearing disabilities of their own should have con-
sideration from the standpoint of their primary interest, and
aptitude for personal contact with the case material.
The remaining special personnel would include a secretary to
take care of the business affairs of the institute, a clerk to look
after record keeping and the posting of data for statistical
use, and a mechanician responsible chiefly to the experimental
psychologist.
4. Space. The space required would be about fifteen rooms, in-
cluding an office and a small private laboratory or examining
room each for the orologist, the experimental psychologist and
the clinical psychologist; a general work room and four research
rooms for fellows, scholars and graduate students; an office for
the social worker; an office shared by the secretary and clerk; and
a shop for the mechanician. The question of a library would
depend upon location. In most locations otherwise suitable, the
library requirements would be almost entirely met by the facilities
of neighboring institutions.
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1
Problems of the Deaf andf Hard of Hearing 37
5. Clinical and teaching work. As practically necessary supple-
ments to the research functions of such an institute, clinical
work would lee carried on, and a small amount of teaching be
made available, the latter organized in connection with a neigh-
boring graduate school. It is understood that this teaching would
be in research with the deaf, not in teaching the deaf in the
ordinary sense, or in training their teachers in the established
techniques. The unit would be specially useful as a training
center in psychometric techniques for use with cases of hearing
disability. The clinic would combine ameliorative with research
functions, and would establish relations with neighboring insti-
tutions having useful contributions to make in the management
of individual cases.
6. Duration period. The appropriate duration of a research pro-
gram in this field cannot be estimated by scientific considerations.
The solution of all the problems here contemplated in five years
would simply open up another set of probems, and so on. It
is not even rational to talk of a point of diminishing returns. A
five year program has some basis in tradition, and it is here
probably sufficient, with vigorous prosecution by an interested
personnel, to make enough progress to show where further
progress can best be attempted. The chief reservation flows
from the fact that data accumulated during such a period, on
matters dealing with social adjustment, accumulate value with
the length of the individual's life; so that, assuming the ter-
mination of an intensive research program at the end of five
years, provisions should be made for such follow-up work as is
practicable of cases with whom the institute has worked, for a
longer period-perhaps ten years more. The machinery for
doing this could probably be provided through a neighboring
permanent institution with an active social service department,
the data being periodically reviewed from the background of
clinical and social psychology.
y. Designation of unit. A descriptive name for an organization
such as described would be " Institute of Research in Adjust-
ments of Persons with Hearing Disabilities." It is suggested
that consideration be given to the establishment of the nursew
school and this institute of research as coordinate institutions.
As an alternative to the central institute plan, the Conference
recommends consideration of the~establishment of fellowships
in various suitable population and university centers, as qualified
applicants appear. In principle this is a more economical means
Representative terms from entire chapter:
experimental psychologist
