Representation of Image Schemas in language Descriptions of Sighted and Blind Children: 6-8, 8-10 Age Groups

The aim of the present study was to investigate the representation of image schemas in the language descriptions of sighted and blind children in the age groups of 6-8 and 8-10 years to determine the extent to which the lack of sense of sight can be represented in the representation of three image schemas (space, path and force schemas). For this purpose, of 10 blind children and sighted children were asked to describe 20 concrete situations in the form of interviews, A total, from collected data was elicited 944 sentences including three image schemas. Statistical studies show that sighted children used three image schemas significantly more than blind children. The average rank for sighted children is 33/4 and for blind children is 67/2. Blind children, because they lack one of the five senses, seem to have more limited sensory-perceptual perceptions than the group, and perceive a more limited range of environment and transmit it through language. This is if the age factor had little effect on the representation of the image schemas. In addition, these statistical results also show that blind children have used space schemas to a greater extent than blind children. In contrast, sighted children used the force schema significantly more than blind children, which seems to be different from the complexity of image schemas.