Concept formation in students with visual impairments: evidence from a free association study
Journal
Hrvatska revija za rehabilitacijska istraživanja
Date Issued
2026-06-29
Author(s)
Ognenova, Emilija
DOI
10.31299/hrri.62.1.8
Abstract
Concept formation in children with visual impairments develops under conditions of reduced visual access, often resulting in greater reliance on linguistic, auditory, and tactile sources of information. Understanding how these students construct meaning is important for the development of effective inclusive educational practices. The present study examined conceptual understanding and language associations in students with visual impairments, with particular attention to symbolic and sensorybased representations across different semantic domains. The sample included 31 students, aged 9 to 19 years, from North Macedonia. Participants completed a free association task involving 25 concepts grouped into four categories: colours, natural phenomena, living organisms, and physical processes. Responses were analysed using quantitative and qualitative approaches in order to identify dominant association patterns. The results indicate a strong tendency toward symbolic and descriptive associations. Natural phenomena frequently served as central reference points, whereas associations related to animals and direct experiential knowledge were less common. Participants generated an average of 0.99 associations per stimulus concept in the domain of living organisms and 0.89 associations in the domain of physical processes. Overall, the results suggest a predominance of linguistically-mediated conceptualisation, rather than direct experience-based conceptualisation. The study further indicates that students with visual impairments tend to construct conceptual knowledge primarily through language and multisensory experience. Although conceptual organisation abilities appeared more developed in older participants, difficulties remained more noticeable in abstract semantic domains. The results highlight the importance of structured multisensory instruction and enriched experiential learning in supporting concept development among students with visual impairments.
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