Thinking styles of university deaf or hard of hearing students and hearing students.
DHH university students prefer less creative and big-picture thinking styles, so give them structured, visual, and peer-supported learning paths.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sanyin and colleagues gave a thinking-style quiz to 82 Chinese university students. Half were deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH); half had typical hearing. The survey asked how much they like to invent rules, see the big picture, follow steps, or work with others.
The team compared average scores between the two groups. They wanted to know if hearing status changes how students prefer to think and learn.
What they found
DHH students scored lower on four key styles. They were less likely to enjoy creating their own rules (legislative), seeing the whole picture (global), following set steps (executive), or learning with peers (external).
The gaps were medium to large. In plain words, DHH students leaned away from creative, big-picture, and highly structured approaches.
How this fits with other research
Cai et al. (2019) also worked with Chinese DHH students. They found vocabulary, not phonics, drove reading success. Both studies show DHH learners relying more on concrete words than on abstract patterns.
Jackson et al. (2025) surveyed Saudi university students with disabilities. Assistive tech helped grades, yet many still skipped it. Their "use gap" mirrors Sanyin’s style gap: good tools exist, but students may need extra support to benefit.
Almusawi et al. (2021) found DHH adults scored lower on COVID-19 health facts. Like Sanyin, they show DHH individuals processing information differently—not worse—when materials are not tailored.
Why it matters
If you teach or support DHH clients, don’t assume they will invent study plans or see how parts fit a whole. Build in step-by-step guides, visual maps, and peer check-ins. Check that tech and materials are actually used, not just offered. Small tweaks—like giving the whole picture first, then the steps—can close the style gap before it becomes a grade gap.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although their university enrollment has increased dramatically over the past two decades, deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) students face great challenges and a tremendous environmental adjustment when entering a mainstream university. This study aims to facilitate DHH students' university success through exploring differences in thinking styles between DHH and hearing students from Art and Design academic disciplines in two universities in China. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised II (TSI-R2) and its accommodated version were administered to 286 hearing and 256 DHH students, respectively. A demographic sheet was administered to all 542 participants. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results show that DHH students tended to score significantly lower on Type I thinking styles (legislative and global), Type II executive style, and Type III external style than hearing students. In addition, differences in Type I styles (liberal and hierarchical) and Type II executive style between DHH and hearing students were significantly influenced by institution. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The present research indicates that DHH and hearing students have significant differences in their thinking styles. This yields implications for the higher education of DHH students, and for deaf schools preparing DHH students for university entry.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2016 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.04.004