More than looks: Exploring methods to test phonological discrimination in the sign language Kata Kolok

The lack of diversity in the language sciences has increasingly be criticized as it holds the potential of producing flawed theories. Research on (i) more geographically diverse language communities and (ii) sign languages allow to corroborate, sharpen, and extend existing theories. The current paper is the first of its kind to combine both of these aspects. Here, we explore methodological adaptations of well-established experimental paradigms to study the acquisition of sign phonology in a sign language of rural Bali, Indonesia. The first study, a familiarization paradigm, calls for a mixed-methods approach for data analysis; behavioral measures suggest group-differences that remain obscure when only measuring looking time. The second study pilots a novel tablet-based habituation paradigm; it relies on touch-input instead of looking time which promises modality-neutrality. Both studies suggest limitations of these paradigms due to the ecology of sign languages and the sociocultural characteristics of the sample. Alongside methodological innovations of stimuli design, procedure and data analysis, this paper evaluates and discusses the complexity and effectiveness of dual adaptations in order to further advance and diversify the field.