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Wei W, Xu C, Caviola S, Mammarella IC. Affective and cognitive factors associated with Chinese and Italian children's arithmetic performance. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:466. [PMID: 39217405 PMCID: PMC11366164 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01965-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the cognitive and affective factors associated with cross-cultural differences in arithmetic tasks. METHODS A total of 404 third- and fourth- graders were recruited from China and Italy to complete exact arithmetic, arithmetic estimation and cognitive tasks (i.e., short-term memory, executive functions, and fluid reasoning). Their mathematical anxiety was also measured. RESULTS The results showed that Chinese children performed better than Italian children in both arithmetic tasks and in shifting task. Italian children performed better in visuospatial updating task and reported higher levels of mathematical anxiety than their Chinese peers. Multi-group path analyses showed that the patterns of relations among cognitive factors (i.e., short-term memory, inhibition and shifting), mathematical anxiety, and arithmetic performance were similar across groups. The only exception was that visuospatial updating uniquely predicted arithmetic estimation for Chinese but not for Italian children. CONCLUSIONS Chinese children outperformed their Italian peers in the exact arithmetic task, likely due to the greater emphasis on arithmetic fluency in Chinese mathematics education, both in schools and at home. They also had a slight advantage than Italian peers in the arithmetic estimation task. The unique link between updating and arithmetic estimation found in Chinese children but not Italian children suggests that, although arithmetic estimation is not emphasized in the curricula of either country, instruction and practice in exact arithmetic may enhance Chinese children's efficiency in solving arithmetic estimation problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hang Zhou, 310028, China.
| | - Chang Xu
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Sara Caviola
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Orefice C, Cardillo R, Lonciari I, Zoccante L, Mammarella IC. "Picture this from there": spatial perspective-taking in developmental visuospatial disorder and developmental coordination disorder. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1349851. [PMID: 38708023 PMCID: PMC11066165 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Either Developmental Visuospatial Disorder (DVSD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) present with difficulties in visuospatial processing, even though entailing different degrees of impairment. Among the visuospatial domain, spatial perspective taking is essential to interact with the environment and is significantly involved in many daily activities (e.g., environment navigation and spatial orienting). Notwithstanding, no previous studies have investigated this spatial domain in children with DVSD and limited evidence is available regarding DCD. Consistent with a transdiagnostic approach, the first goal of the present study was to compare spatial perspective taking abilities of these groups, also including a control group of not diagnosed peers (ND). Secondly, the role of different fine-motor and visuo-spatial predictors on the spatial perspective taking performance was considered. Method A total of 85 participants (DVSD = 26; DCD = 26; ND = 33), aged between 8 and 16 years old, were included in the study. Tasks assessing spatial perspective taking, fine-motor, visual imagery, and mental rotation skills, as well as visuo-spatial working memory were administered. Results and Discussion Overall, our results confirmed weaknesses in spatial perspective taking in both clinical groups, with the DVSD obtaining the lowest scores. Similarities and differences in the predictors accounting for the performance in the spatial perspective taking task emerged, suggesting the possible employment of different fine-motor or visuospatial strategies by group. Findings are discussed considering the potential impact they may have both in research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Orefice
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Isabella Lonciari
- Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, University Pediatric Hospital “IRCCS Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
| | - Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Irene C. Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Lievore R, Cardillo R, Mammarella IC. Let's face it! The role of social anxiety and executive functions in recognizing others' emotions from faces: Evidence from autism and specific learning disorders. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38327107 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Youth with different developmental disorders might experience challenges when dealing with facial emotion recognition (FER). By comparing FER and related emotional and cognitive factors across developmental disorders, researchers can gain a better understanding of challenges and strengths associated with each condition. The aim of the present study was to investigate how social anxiety and executive functioning might underlie FER in youth with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and specific learning disorders (SLD). The study involved 263 children and adolescents between 8 and 16 years old divided into three groups matched for age, sex, and IQ: 60 (52 M) with ASD without intellectual disability, 63 (44 M) with SLD, and 140 (105 M) non-diagnosed. Participants completed an FER test, three executive functions' tasks (inhibition, updating, and set-shifting), and parents filled in a questionnaire reporting their children's social anxiety. Our results suggest that better FER was consistent with higher social anxiety and better updating skills in ASD, while with lower social anxiety in SLD. Clinical practice should focus on coping strategies in autistic youth who could feel anxiety when facing social cues, and on self-efficacy and social worries in SLD. Executive functioning should also be addressed to support social learning in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Lievore
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Ikeda Y, Kita Y, Oi Y, Okuzumi H, Lanfranchi S, Pulina F, Mammarella IC, Allen K, Giofrè D. The Structure of Working Memory and Its Relationship with Intelligence in Japanese Children. J Intell 2023; 11:167. [PMID: 37623550 PMCID: PMC10455765 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11080167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a host of research on the structure of working memory (WM) and its relationship with intelligence in adults, but only a few studies have involved children. In this paper, several different WM models were tested on 170 Japanese school children (from 7 years and 5 months to 11 years and 6 months). Results showed that a model distinguishing between modalities (i.e., verbal and spatial WM) fitted the data well and was therefore selected. Notably, a bi-factor model distinguishing between modalities, but also including a common WM factor, presented with a very good fit, but was less parsimonious. Subsequently, we tested the predictive power of the verbal and spatial WM factors on fluid and crystallized intelligence. Results indicated that the shared contribution of WM explained the largest portion of variance of fluid intelligence, with verbal and spatial WM independently explaining a residual portion of the variance. Concerning crystallized intelligence, however, verbal WM explained the largest portion of the variance, with the joint contribution of verbal and spatial WM explaining the residual part. The distinction between verbal and spatial WM could be important in clinical settings (e.g., children with atypical development might struggle selectively on some WM components) and in school settings (e.g., verbal and spatial WM might be differently implicated in mathematical achievement).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ikeda
- Department of Special Needs Education, Joetsu University of Education, Niigata 943-8512, Japan;
| | - Yosuke Kita
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo 108-8345, Japan
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit (CBRU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yuhei Oi
- Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Aichi 470-0393, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okuzumi
- Faculty of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo 184-8501, Japan
| | - Silvia Lanfranchi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Pulina
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Katie Allen
- School of Education, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - David Giofrè
- DISFOR, University of Genoa, 16121 Genova, Italy
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Benítez-Barrera CR, Skoe E, Huang J, Tharpe AM. Evidence for a Musician Speech-Perception-in-Noise Advantage in School-Age Children. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:3996-4008. [PMID: 36194893 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to evaluate whether child musicians are better at listening to speech in noise (SPIN) than nonmusicians of the same age. In addition, we aimed to explore whether the musician SPIN advantage in children was related to general intelligence (IQ). METHOD Fifty-one children aged 8.2-11.8 years and with different levels of music training participated in the study. A between-group design and correlational analyses were used to determine differences in SPIN skills as they relate to music training. IQ was used as a covariate to explore the relationship between intelligence and SPIN ability. RESULTS More years of music training were associated with better SPIN skills than fewer years of music training. Furthermore, this difference in SPIN skills remained even when accounting for IQ. These results were found at the group level and also when years of instrument training was treated as a continuous variable (i.e., correlational analyses). CONCLUSIONS We confirmed results from previous studies in which child musicians outperformed nonmusicians in SPIN skills. We also showed that this effect was not related to differences in IQ between the musicians and nonmusicians for this cohort of children. However, confirmation of this finding with a cohort of children from more diverse socioeconomic statuses and cognitive profiles is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anne Marie Tharpe
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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An easy way to improve scoring of memory span tasks: The edit distance, beyond "correct recall in the correct serial position". Behav Res Methods 2022:10.3758/s13428-022-01908-2. [PMID: 35794418 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01908-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
For researchers and psychologists interested in estimating a subject's memory capacity, the current standard for scoring memory span tasks is the partial-credit method: subjects are credited with the number of stimuli that they manage to recall correctly in the correct serial position. A critical issue with this method, however, is that intrusions and omissions can radically change the scores depending on where they occur. For example, when recalling the sequence ABCDE, "ABCD" is worth 4 points but "BCDE" is worth 0 points. This paper presents an improved scoring method based on the edit distance, meaning the number of changes required to edit the recalled sequence into the target. Edit-distance scoring gives results close to partial-credit scoring, but without the corresponding vulnerability to positional shifts. A reanalysis of memory performance in two large datasets (N = 1093 and N = 758) confirms that in addition to being more logically consistent, edit-distance scoring demonstrates similar or better psychometric properties than partial-credit, with comparable validity, a small increase in reliability, and a substantial increase of test information (measurement precision in the context of item response theory). Test information was especially improved for harder items and for subjects with ability in the lower range, whose scores tend to be severely underestimated by partial-credit scoring. Code to compute edit-distance scores with various software is made available at https://osf.io/wdb83/ .
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Cardillo R, Lievore R, Mammarella IC. Do children with and without autism spectrum disorder use different visuospatial processing skills to perform the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test? Autism Res 2022; 15:1311-1323. [PMID: 35384343 PMCID: PMC9325558 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Visuospatial organization abilities are closely related to other visuospatial processing skills, such as visuomotor coordination, perceptual abilities, mental rotation, and working memory (WM). One task that enables visuospatial organization abilities to be investigated is the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCFT). When examining visuospatial functioning, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have proved capable of operating both locally and globally, depending on the sub-domain embraced, with a preference for a locally-oriented processing of visuospatial information. The present research aimed to establish whether different underlying visuospatial skills might account for performance in the ROCFT in children and adolescents with ASD, compared with typically developing (TD), by considering the role of local/global visuospatial processing. The study involved 39 participants who have ASD without intellectual disability, and 57 TD aged 8-16 years. The participants were administered tasks assessing visuospatial organization abilities, manual dexterity, visual perception, mental rotation, spatial-sequential, spatial-simultaneous WM, and visuospatial processing. Our results suggest that manual dexterity and visuospatial processing similarly explain performance in both groups, while differences in visuospatial WM account for the two groups' visuospatial organization abilities. Spatial-simultaneous WM predicted performance in copy and recall conditions in the TD group but not in the ASD group, while spatial-sequential WM only did so in the latter group, reinforcing the tendency of children with ASD towards local bias in the visuospatial organization domain. The implications of these findings are discussed. LAY SUMMARY: The visuospatial organization abilities of children and adolescents with and without autism were compared, considering their underlying visuospatial skills. Visuospatial organization impairments emerged for children with autism, who differed from typically developing children in the underlying visuospatial skills involved. Given the crucial role of visuospatial organization abilities in everyday life, our results could inspire practitioners to develop training interventions that take into account the strengths and weaknesses of individuals with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadova
| | - Rachele Lievore
- Department of Developmental and Social PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadova
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Rivella C, Cornoldi C, Caviola S, Giofrè D. Learning a new geometric concept: The role of working memory and of domain-specific abilities. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 91:1537-1554. [PMID: 34148228 PMCID: PMC9290594 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that not only domain‐specific factors but also working memory (WM) may play a crucial role in mathematical learning included Geometry, but the issue has not been deeply explored. In the present study, we examined the role of domain‐specific factors and of verbal versus visuospatial WM on geometric learning of a new geometrical figure (trapezoid), never presented previously by the teachers participating to the study, after a lecture also involving manipulatives. Results on 105 children in their Year 4 indicated that not only some domain‐specific components (geometric declarative knowledge and calculation) but also visuospatial working memory had a significant specific impact on the ability of solving geometric problems requiring to calculate the perimeter and the area of the new figure. On the contrary, verbal WM and geometrical mental imagery did not offer a specific contribution. These findings could have important educational implications, stressing the importance of taking into account the main different aspects supporting the acquisition of geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cesare Cornoldi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy
| | - Sara Caviola
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Italy.,School of Psychology, University of Leeds, UK
| | - David Giofrè
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy
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Cardillo R, Vio C, Mammarella IC. A comparison of local-global visuospatial processing in autism spectrum disorder, nonverbal learning disability, ADHD and typical development. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 103:103682. [PMID: 32442872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on visuospatial functioning has revealed cognitive challenges for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), nonverbal learning disability (NLD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These disorders are characterized by some overlapping symptoms, making their diagnosis a challenge. AIMS The study aims to clarify the role of visuospatial abilities in their neuropsychological profiles by investigating different visuospatial domains and their interplay with the local-global processing. METHOD AND PROCEDURES Participants (N = 150) with ASD, NLD, or ADHD were compared with typically-developing (TD) children on visuospatial processing speed, visuo-perceptual abilities, visuo-constructive abilities, and visuospatial working memory. Generalized mixed-effects models were performed and receiver operating characteristic curves were estimated to express the usefulness of a local-global processing index in discriminating groups. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS The NLD group was impaired in all domains; children with ADHD revealed a heterogeneous profile, with greater impairments in visuospatial processing speed; ASD and TD groups were comparable. The local-global processing index had predictive power in discriminating among groups in visuo-constructive task. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The study of visuospatial abilities of children with ASD, NLD and ADHD might help to understand strengths and weaknesses in their neuropsychological profile and to differentiate between them. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Claudio Vio
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, San Donà di Piave, Venice, Italy.
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Allen K, Giofrè D, Higgins S, Adams J. Using working memory performance to predict mathematics performance 2 years on. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 85:1986-1996. [PMID: 32651687 PMCID: PMC8289789 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01382-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A number of previous studies have used working memory components to predict mathematical performance in a variety of ways; however, there is no consideration of the contributions of the subcomponents of visuospatial working memory to this prediction. In this paper we conducted a 2-year follow-up to the data presented in Allen et al. (Q J Exp Psychol 73(2):239–248, 2020b) to ascertain how these subcomponents of visuospatial working memory related to later mathematical performance. 159 children (M age = 115.48 months) completed the maths test for this second wave of the study. Results show a shift from spatial–simultaneous influence to spatial–sequential influence, whilst verbal involvement remained relatively stable. Results are discussed in terms of their potential for education and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Allen
- School of Education, University of Durham, Durham, UK.
| | - David Giofrè
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione (DISFOR), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Steve Higgins
- School of Education, University of Durham, Durham, UK
| | - John Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Durham, UK
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Caviola S, Colling LJ, Mammarella IC, Szűcs D. Predictors of mathematics in primary school: Magnitude comparison, verbal and spatial working memory measures. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12957. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Caviola
- School of Psychology University of Leeds Leeds UK
- Department of Psychology Centre for Neuroscience in Education University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Lincoln J. Colling
- Department of Psychology Centre for Neuroscience in Education University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- School of Psychology University of Sussex Brighton UK
| | | | - Dénes Szűcs
- Department of Psychology Centre for Neuroscience in Education University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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12
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Allen K, Giofrè D, Higgins S, Adams J. Working memory predictors of mathematics across the middle primary school years. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 90:848-869. [PMID: 31999851 PMCID: PMC7496726 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Work surrounding the relationship between visuospatial working memory (WM) and mathematics performance is gaining significant traction as a result of a focus on improving academic attainment. AIMS This study examined the relative contributions of verbal and visuospatial simple and complex WM measures to mathematics in primary school children aged 6-10 years. SAMPLE A sample of 111 children in years 2-5 were assessed (Mage = 100.06 months, SD = 14.47). METHOD Children were tested individually on all memory measures, followed by a separate mathematics testing session as a class group in the same assessment wave. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Results revealed an age-dependent relationship, with a move towards visuospatial influence in older children. Further analyses demonstrated that backward word span and backward matrices contributed unique portions of variance of mathematics, regardless of the regression model specified. We discuss possible explanations for our preliminary findings in relation to the existing literature alongside their implications for educators and further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Allen
- School of Education, University of Durham, UK
| | - David Giofrè
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione (DISFOR), University of Genoa, Italy
| | | | - John Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Durham, UK
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Provazza S, Adams AM, Giofrè D, Roberts DJ. Double Trouble: Visual and Phonological Impairments in English Dyslexic Readers. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2725. [PMID: 31920790 PMCID: PMC6927912 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia is a reading disorder characterized by problems in accurate or fluent reading. A deficiency in phonological processing is thought to underpin the reading difficulties of individuals with developmental dyslexia and a variety of explanations have been proposed including deficits in phonological awareness and verbal memory. Recent investigations have begun to suggest that developmental deficits in the acquisition of reading may also co-occur with visual processing deficits, which are particularly salient for visually complex stimuli, yet these deficits have received relatively little attention from researchers. To further explore the nature of phonological and visual processing in developmental dyslexia, we administered a series of non-reading tasks tapping both domains. Unsurprisingly, individuals with developmental dyslexia performed worse than typically developing readers in phonological tasks. More intriguingly, they also struggled with visual tasks, specifically when discriminating between novel visual patterns, and in visuo-spatial working memory, which requires greater attentional control. These findings highlight that individuals with developmental dyslexia present not only with phonological impairments but also difficulties in processing visual materials. This aspect has received limited attention in previous literature and represents an aspect of novelty of this study. The dual phonological and visual impairments suggest that developmental dyslexia is a complex disorder characterized by deficits in different cognitive mechanisms that underpin reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Provazza
- Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Anne-Marie Adams
- Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - David Giofrè
- Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniel John Roberts
- Division of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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Daley MJ, Andrews G, Murphy K. Animacy effects extend to working memory: results from serial order recall tasks. Memory 2019; 28:157-171. [PMID: 31822194 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1699574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Words that represent animate entities (e.g., dog) are recalled from long-term memory more accurately than words representing inanimate entities (e.g., pan). In this research, we examined whether the animacy effect extends to working memory (WM). The potential roles of WM maintenance strategies (rehearsal and directed attention) were also examined. Participants performed serial order recall tasks with sets of 3, 4, 5 or 6 words that were either animate or inanimate. In stage 1 of Experiment 1, participants received no instructions regarding how to maintain the words. In stage 2, participants received either no instructions, sub-vocal rehearsal or directed attention instructions. In all instruction groups and at both stages, significant animacy effects were observed at set sizes of 4, 5 and 6 but not set size 3. The animacy effect was larger at set size 5 than other set sizes. In Experiment 2, participants completed the task with and without articulatory suppression. In both conditions, animacy effects were observed at set sizes 4, 5 and 6, but not at set size 3. The magnitude of the animacy effect declined as set size increased from 4 to 6. Animacy appears to enhance serial recall, but the effect is not dependent on rehearsal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Daley
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.,Menzies Health Institute, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Glenda Andrews
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.,Menzies Health Institute, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Karen Murphy
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
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Cardillo R, Lanfranchi S, Mammarella IC. A cross-task comparison on visuospatial processing in autism spectrum disorders. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 24:765-779. [PMID: 31778069 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319888341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to draw a cross-task comparison on visuospatial processing in autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability. Participants with autism spectrum disorder were matched with typically developing individuals on general intelligence and perceptual reasoning index. The two groups were subsequently compared on visuospatial processing speed, visuo-perceptual, visuo-constructive, and visuospatial working memory tasks. Our results revealed similar performances between autism spectrum disorder and typically developing individuals on measures of visuospatial processing speed and visuospatial working memory. The autism spectrum disorder group showed slower reaction times than the typically developing group in the visuo-perceptual task, when stimuli were characterized by a minimum level of perceptual cohesiveness, revealing weaker spatial integration abilities. Concerning the visuo-constructive domain, no differences between the autism spectrum disorder and the typically developing group emerged for the unsegmented condition, revealing that our participants with autism spectrum disorder were similar to the typically developing group in the local analysis of the stimuli. The discussion takes into account the role of individual differences on visuospatial intelligence, task requirements, and cognitive domains to clarify the visuospatial processing skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
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Donolato E, Giofrè D, Mammarella IC. Working memory, negative affect and personal assets: How do they relate to mathematics and reading literacy? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218921. [PMID: 31246987 PMCID: PMC6597163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Research has recently focused on the relationships between working memory, negative affect (e.g., general anxiety, depressive symptoms) and personal assets (e.g., self-concept, academic and competence dimensions, and ego-resiliency), and their influence on mathematics and reading literacy. Although these variables have been amply explored, previous research has usually considered each of these aspects in isolation. Method In the present study, 143 schoolchildren in sixth to eighth grade were tested on general anxiety, depressive symptoms, working memory, self-concept (academic and competence scales), ego-resiliency, and mathematics and reading literacy. Results Variance partitioning showed that all predictors, i.e., working memory, negative affect (i.e., general anxiety and depressive symptoms), and personal assets (i.e., self-concept, academic and competence dimensions, and ego-resiliency) explained a unique and shared portion of the variance in mathematics and reading literacy. Conclusions Our findings point to the importance of investigating the relationship between these factors. Underlying implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Donolato
- Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - David Giofrè
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Giofrè D, Donolato E, Mammarella IC. The differential role of verbal and visuospatial working memory in mathematics and reading. Trends Neurosci Educ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Mammarella IC, Caviola S, Giofrè D, Szűcs D. The underlying structure of visuospatial working memory in children with mathematical learning disability. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 36:220-235. [DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene C. Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology; University of Padova; Italy
| | - Sara Caviola
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - David Giofrè
- Department of Natural Sciences and Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; UK
| | - Dénes Szűcs
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
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Stokes SF, Klee T, Kornisch M, Furlong L. Visuospatial and Verbal Short-Term Memory Correlates of Vocabulary Ability in Preschool Children. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:2249-2258. [PMID: 28793161 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-l-16-0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies indicate that school-age children's patterns of performance on measures of verbal and visuospatial short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) differ across types of neurodevelopmental disorders. Because these disorders are often characterized by early language delay, administering STM and WM tests to toddlers could improve prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Toddler-appropriate verbal, but not visuospatial, STM and WM tasks are available. A toddler-appropriate visuospatial STM test is introduced. METHOD Tests of verbal STM, visuospatial STM, expressive vocabulary, and receptive vocabulary were administered to 92 English-speaking children aged 2-5 years. RESULTS Mean test scores did not differ for boys and girls. Visuospatial and verbal STM scores were not significantly correlated when age was partialed out. Age, visuospatial STM scores, and verbal STM scores accounted for unique variance in expressive (51%, 3%, and 4%, respectively) and receptive vocabulary scores (53%, 5%, and 2%, respectively) in multiple regression analyses. CONCLUSION Replication studies, a fuller test battery comprising visuospatial and verbal STM and WM tests, and a general intelligence test are required before exploring the usefulness of these STM tests for predicting longitudinal outcomes. The lack of an association between the STM tests suggests that the instruments have face validity and test independent STM skills.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lisa Furlong
- LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Mammarella IC, Caviola S, Giofrè D, Borella E. Separating math from anxiety: The role of inhibitory mechanisms. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-CHILD 2017; 7:342-353. [DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2017.1341836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene C. Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sara Caviola
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Giofrè
- Department of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Erika Borella
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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21
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Schneider W, Niklas F. Intelligence and Verbal Short-Term Memory/Working Memory: Their Interrelationships from Childhood to Young Adulthood and Their Impact on Academic Achievement. J Intell 2017; 5:jintelligence5020026. [PMID: 31162417 PMCID: PMC6526434 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence5020026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Although recent developmental studies exploring the predictive power of intelligence and working memory (WM) for educational achievement in children have provided evidence for the importance of both variables, findings concerning the relative impact of IQ and WM on achievement have been inconsistent. Whereas IQ has been identified as the major predictor variable in a few studies, results from several other developmental investigations suggest that WM may be the stronger predictor of academic achievement. In the present study, data from the Munich Longitudinal Study on the Genesis of Individual Competencies (LOGIC) were used to explore this issue further. The secondary data analysis included data from about 200 participants whose IQ and WM was first assessed at the age of six and repeatedly measured until the ages of 18 and 23. Measures of reading, spelling, and math were also repeatedly assessed for this age range. Both regression analyses based on observed variables and latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) were carried out to explore whether the predictive power of IQ and WM would differ as a function of time point of measurement (i.e., early vs. late assessment). As a main result of various regression analyses, IQ and WM turned out to be reliable predictors of academic achievement, both in early and later developmental stages, when previous domain knowledge was not included as additional predictor. The latter variable accounted for most of the variance in more comprehensive regression models, reducing the impact of both IQ and WM considerably. Findings from SEM analyses basically confirmed this outcome, indicating IQ impacts on educational achievement in the early phase, and illustrating the strong additional impact of previous domain knowledge on achievement at later stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Schneider
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97070, Germany.
| | - Frank Niklas
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97070, Germany.
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Giofrè D, Borella E, Mammarella IC. The relationship between intelligence, working memory, academic self-esteem, and academic achievement. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2017.1310110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Giofrè
- Department of Natural Science and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Erika Borella
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Mungkhetklang C, Bavin EL, Crewther SG, Goharpey N, Parsons C. The Contributions of Memory and Vocabulary to Non-Verbal Ability Scores in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:204. [PMID: 28082922 PMCID: PMC5187178 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is usually assumed that performance on non-verbal intelligence tests reflects visual cognitive processing and that aspects of working memory (WM) will be involved. However, the unique contribution of memory to non-verbal scores is not clear, nor is the unique contribution of vocabulary. Thus, we aimed to investigate these contributions. Non-verbal test scores for 17 individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and 39 children with typical development (TD) of similar mental age were compared to determine the unique contribution of visual and verbal short-term memory (STM) and WM and the additional variance contributed by vocabulary scores. No significant group differences were found in the non-verbal test scores or receptive vocabulary scores, but there was a significant difference in expressive vocabulary. Regression analyses indicate that for the TD group STM and WM (both visual and verbal) contributed similar variance to the non-verbal scores. For the ID group, visual STM and verbal WM contributed most of the variance to the non-verbal test scores. The addition of vocabulary scores to the model contributed greater variance for both groups. More unique variance was contributed by vocabulary than memory for the TD group, whereas for the ID group memory contributed more than vocabulary. Visual and auditory memory and vocabulary contributed significantly to solving visual non-verbal problems for both the TD group and the ID group. However, for each group, there were different weightings of these variables. Our findings indicate that for individuals with TD, vocabulary is the major factor in solving non-verbal problems, not memory, whereas for adolescents with ID, visual STM, and verbal WM are more influential than vocabulary, suggesting different pathways to achieve solutions to non-verbal problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edith L. Bavin
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheila G. Crewther
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nahal Goharpey
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carl Parsons
- Port Phillip Specialist School, Port Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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