Constraint-Based Error Patterns in ASL Sentence Processing

Error analysis of data from the American Sign Language Sentence Reproduction Test provides the opportunity to explore online processing in sign language. We have analyzed the data from 3 distinct groups of adult and younger signers from similar home backgrounds but who vary in ASL fluency. The analysis reveals that signers with different levels of competence and knowledge of ASL grammar make very different types of errors, and these errors provide insights into how they process ASL sentences. These results have implications for current models of working memory across spoken and signed modalities.