1
|
Smith-Spark JH, Lewis EG. Lived Experiences of Everyday Memory in Adults with Dyslexia: A Thematic Analysis. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:840. [PMID: 37887490 PMCID: PMC10604285 DOI: 10.3390/bs13100840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Dyslexia-related difficulties with memory are well documented under laboratory conditions and via self-report questionnaires. However, the voice of the individual with dyslexia regarding the lived experience of memory across different memory systems and different daily settings is currently lacking. To address this gap in the literature, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 adult female university students with dyslexia. Questions probed different memory systems and experiences across different settings, with interviewees also being asked about their use of technology to support their memory. Two overarching themes were identified in the subsequent thematic analysis. The theme of fallibility of memory had two sub-themes of (i) a lack of trust and confidence in memory and (ii) factors contributing to memory failure. The second theme, facilitators of memory, also consisted of two sub-themes, relating to (i) a preference for traditional tools to support memory and (ii) the use of digital tools to support memory: benefits and limitations. The current study gives insights into the rich and complex extended and distributed cognitive systems of adults with dyslexia. The implications of the findings for dyslexia theory, support in educational and work settings as well as assistive technology development are considered.
Collapse
|
2
|
R M, Thomas I. WISC-IV and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Indicators of Specific Learning Disorder and Discrepant Academic Achievement. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/07342829221116988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Though several studies have been undertaken to explore the correlates of academic achievement, there is a dearth of studies relating to the cognitive profiles of children who show marked discrepancies between their cognitive potential and actual academic achievement. The present study was undertaken in this context. The study was conducted on a sample of 308 students in the age range of 12–16 years, drawn from different schools in Kerala, India. The participants belonged to four groups, that is, Underachievers, Normal achievers, Overachievers, and those with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). WISC-IV India and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) were used for assessing cognitive functions. Results indicated that the SLD group could be discriminated from the other three groups in terms of Digit span, Letter-Number sequencing, Working Memory Index, and Processing Speed Index. Further, a retention score obtained from RAVLT could discriminate between the SLD and UA groups. Discriminant analysis of the variables resulted in the extraction of two significant functions composed of three variables of WISC and two variables of RAVLT. The results indicated that the different groups of scholastically backward children, though similar in their overall IQ, had distinct and characteristic cognitive profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malini R
- Research and Post Graduate Department of Psychology, Union Christian College, Aluva, India
| | - Immanuel Thomas
- Research and Post Graduate Department of Psychology, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li G, Yang Q, Yang J, Liu H, Jia L. Memory for actions in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Cogn Process 2019; 21:427-433. [PMID: 31863222 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-019-00946-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Around 5-10% of school children in China suffer from reading disabilities. Previous studies have shown that children with developmental dyslexia have deficits in encoding and retrieval information. Moreover, many studies have provided evidence that performing actions can promote the encoding and retrieval of memory compared to verbal tasks. Therefore, we expected that performing actions can improve the memory performance of children with developmental dyslexia. However, memory for actions of children with developmental dyslexia has not been sufficiently explored. The present study used a 2 (group: dyslexic or typical) × 2 (type of encoding: subject-performed task or verbal task) between-subjects design to examine whether subject-performed task could enhance the memory performance of children with developmental dyslexia. The results revealed that performing actions not only improves the memory performance of the typical group but also of the dyslexic group. We suggest that performing actions can improve the level of self-involvement during encoding and enhance item accessibility during retrieval of memory of children with dyslexia, thus compensating for the memory reduction caused by the deficits of rehearsal and retrieval strategies of children with dyslexia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangzheng Li
- School of Education Science, Jiangsu Normal University, No. 101 Shanghai Street, Xuzhou, 221116, China.
| | - Qingling Yang
- School of Education Science, Jiangsu Normal University, No. 101 Shanghai Street, Xuzhou, 221116, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Education Science, Xingyi Normal University for Nationalities, Xingyi, China
| | - Huiyue Liu
- School of Education Science, Jiangsu Normal University, No. 101 Shanghai Street, Xuzhou, 221116, China
| | - Linxiang Jia
- School of Education Science, Jiangsu Normal University, No. 101 Shanghai Street, Xuzhou, 221116, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Artuso C, Bellelli F, Belacchi C. [Formula: see text] Developmental dyslexia: How taxonomic and thematic organization affect working memory recall. Child Neuropsychol 2019; 26:242-256. [PMID: 31290368 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2019.1640869] [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: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Semantic long-term memory (LTM) representations can be distinguished in two main classes: taxonomic (i.e., abstract) and thematic (i.e., concrete, experiential). In typically developing children, taxonomies are usually acquired after thematic representations. In the current study, we investigated how LTM semantic representations modulate working memory (WM) recall in children with developmental dyslexia (DD). A sample of children with DD from primary and secondary school paired with a control group for age, gender, schooling, and IQ was administered a semantic WM (SWM) dual task. Here, children had to listen to groups of lists composed of words semantically related (taxonomic, e.g., shop- drugstore-coffee; or thematic, e.g., light-heat-fire) or arbitrarily related, and afterward to recall the last words among each group. Both taxonomic and thematic organizations supported recall in the two groups of children. More specifically, data showed that in typically developing children the taxonomic organization boosted WM recall (vs. the thematic one). On the contrary, in children with DD, the taxonomic organization did not better support recall and yielded effects similar to thematic organization. In children with DD, abstract taxonomic knowledge seems to be less frequently used than thematic knowledge. Findings contribute to sketch memory functioning across different memory systems in DD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Artuso
- Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities and International Studies (DISCUI), University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | | | - Carmen Belacchi
- Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities and International Studies (DISCUI), University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Smith-Spark JH. A review of prospective memory impairments in developmental dyslexia: evidence, explanations, and future directions. Clin Neuropsychol 2017; 32:816-835. [DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2017.1369571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James H. Smith-Spark
- Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Smith-Spark JH, Zięcik AP, Sterling C. Adults with developmental dyslexia show selective impairments in time-based and self-initiated prospective memory: Self-report and clinical evidence. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2017; 62:247-258. [PMID: 28089431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prospective memory (PM; memory for delayed intentions) would seem to be impaired in dyslexia but evidence is currently limited in scope. AIMS There is a need, therefore, firstly, to explore PM under controlled conditions using a broader range of PM tasks than used previously and, secondly, to determine whether objectively measured and self-reported PM problems can be found in the same individuals with dyslexia. METHODS AND PROCEDURES The responses of 30 adults with dyslexia were compared with those of 30 IQ-matched adults without dyslexia on a self-report and a clinical measure of PM. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Dyslexia-related deficits were shown on the clinical measure overall and, more particularly, when PM responses had to be made to cues based on time rather than environmental events. Adults with dyslexia were also more likely to forget to carry out an intention under naturalistic conditions 24h later. On the self-report questionnaire, the group with dyslexia reported significantly more frequent problems with PM overall, despite using more techniques to aid their memory. In particular, problems were identified with longer-term PM tasks and PM which had to be self-initiated. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Dyslexia-related PM deficits were found under both laboratory and everyday conditions in the same participants; the first time that this has been demonstrated. These findings support previous experimental research which has highlighted dyslexia-related deficits in PM when the enacting of intentions is based on time cues and/or has to be self-initiated rather than being in prompted by environmental events.
Collapse
|
7
|
Smith-Spark JH, Zięcik AP, Sterling C. Self-Reports of Increased Prospective and Retrospective Memory Problems in Adults with Developmental Dyslexia. DYSLEXIA (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2016; 22:245-262. [PMID: 27121331 DOI: 10.1002/dys.1528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Short-term and working memory problems in dyslexia are well-documented, but other memory domains have received little empirical scrutiny, despite some evidence to suggest that they might be impaired. Prospective memory is memory for delayed intentions, whilst retrospective memory relates to memory for personally experienced past events. To gain an understanding of subjective everyday memory experience, a self-report measure designed to tap prospective and retrospective memory was administered to 28 adults with dyslexia and 26 IQ-matched adults without dyslexia. Adults with dyslexia reported experiencing significantly more frequent problems with memory than the adults without dyslexia. Group differences were found across seven out of the eight questionnaire scales. Further to these analyses, the participants' own ratings were compared with proxy ratings provided by close associates. The perception of poorer memory abilities in the participants did not differ between respondent types. The self-reported difficulties are, thus, unlikely to be the result of lowered self-esteem or metacognitive awareness. More frequent difficulties with both types of memory would seem, therefore, to be experienced by adults with dyslexia in everyday life. Further laboratory-based research is recommended to explore both memory domains in dyslexia and to identify the cognitive mechanisms by which these problems occur. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James H Smith-Spark
- Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Adam P Zięcik
- Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Christopher Sterling
- Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bacon AM, Handley SJ. Reasoning and dyslexia: is visual memory a compensatory resource? DYSLEXIA (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2014; 20:330-345. [PMID: 25195576 DOI: 10.1002/dys.1483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Effective reasoning is fundamental to problem solving and achievement in education and employment. Protocol studies have previously suggested that people with dyslexia use reasoning strategies based on visual mental representations, whereas non-dyslexics use abstract verbal strategies. This research presents converging evidence from experimental and individual differences perspectives. In Experiment 1, dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants were similarly accurate on reasoning problems, but scores on a measure of visual memory ability only predicted reasoning accuracy for dyslexics. In Experiment 2, a secondary task loaded visual memory resources during concurrent reasoning. Dyslexics were significantly less accurate when reasoning under conditions of high memory load and showed reduced ability to subsequently recall the visual stimuli, suggesting that the memory and reasoning tasks were competing for the same visual cognitive resource. The results are consistent with an explanation based on limitations in the verbal and executive components of working memory in dyslexia and the use of compensatory visual strategies for reasoning. There are implications for cognitive activities that do not readily support visual thinking, whether in education, employment or less formal everyday settings.
Collapse
|
9
|
Bacon AM, Parmentier FBR, Barr P. Visuospatial memory in dyslexia: Evidence for strategic deficits. Memory 2013; 21:189-209. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2012.718789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
10
|
Vakil E, Blachstein H, Wertman-Elad R, Greenstein Y. Verbal learning and memory as measured by the Rey-Auditory Verbal Learning Test: ADHD with and without learning disabilities. Child Neuropsychol 2012; 18:449-66. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2011.613816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
11
|
|
12
|
Schiller A, Foley J, Burns W, Sellers AL, Golden C. Subcortical profile of memory compromise among HIV-1-infected individuals. Int J Neurosci 2010; 119:1779-803. [PMID: 19922386 DOI: 10.1080/00207450903192860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the hypothesis of subcortical pathologic impairment in HIV/AIDS. METHOD The study included 22 HIV+, 22 HIV- controls, 22 learning disordered (LD) HIV-, and 22 depressive HIV-. The groups were compared on eight WMS-III Indices. RESULTS Analyses revealed significantly lower scores (p < .05) in HIV+ on visual immediate memory, immediate memory, visual delayed memory, auditory delayed memory, working memory, and general memory. For all cases, HIV+ participants scored below the control group only. CONCLUSIONS WMS-III indices discriminated HIV+ participants from normal comparisons. Inability to find differences between HIV+ and depressive and LD groups reflects the isolation of the subcortical effect to the HIV+ group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allen Schiller
- Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Swanson HL, Jerman O. Working memory, short-term memory, and reading disabilities: a selective meta-analysis of the literature. JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 2009; 42:260-87. [PMID: 19255286 DOI: 10.1177/0022219409331958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to synthesize research that compares children with and without reading disabilities (RD) on measures of short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM). Across a broad age, reading, and IQ range, 578 effect sizes (ESs) were computed, yielding a mean ES across studies of -.89 (SD = 1.03). A total of 257 ESs were in the moderate range for STM measures (M = -.61, 95% confidence range of -.65 to -.58), and 320 ESs were in the moderate range for WM measures (M = -.67, 95% confidence range of -.68 to -.64). The results indicated that children with RD were distinctively disadvantaged compared with average readers on (a) STM measures requiring the recall of phonemes and digit sequences and (b) WM measures requiring the simultaneous processing and storage of digits within sentence sequences and final words from unrelated sentences. No significant moderating effects emerged for age, IQ, or reading level on memory ESs. The findings indicated that domain-specific STM and WM differences between ability groups persisted across age, suggesting that a verbal deficit model that fails to efficiently draw resources from both a phonological and executive system underlies RD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Lee Swanson
- Graduate School of Education, Educational Psychology, University of California-Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Waber DP, Gerber EB, Turcios VY, Wagner ER, Forbes PW. Executive Functions and Performance on High-Stakes Testing in Children From Urban Schools. Dev Neuropsychol 2006; 29:459-77. [PMID: 16671862 DOI: 10.1207/s15326942dn2903_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
High-stakes achievement testing is a centerpiece of education reform. Children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds typically perform more poorly than their more advantaged peers. The authors evaluated 91 fifth-grade children from low-income urban schools using clinical neuropsychological tests and behavioral questionnaires and obtained fourth-grade scores on state mandated standards-based testing. Goals were to determine whether executive functions are selectively diminished in children from poor urban environments and to evaluate to what extent integrity of executive functions is associated with test scores. Neuropsychological variables (particularly executive functions) accounted for 40% of the variance in English scores and 30% in mathematics. Efforts to improve children's academic achievement should consider developmental factors as well as curricular content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah P Waber
- Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Waber DP, Pomeroy SL, Chiverton AM, Kieran MW, Scott RM, Goumnerova LC, Rivkin MJ. Everyday cognitive function after craniopharyngioma in childhood. Pediatr Neurol 2006; 34:13-9. [PMID: 16376272 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2005.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2005] [Revised: 05/12/2005] [Accepted: 05/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite clinical impressions that cognitive complaints are prominent in patients with a history of craniopharyngioma, formal neuropsychologic documentation is inconsistent. This study assessed everyday cognitive complaints and neuropsychologic test performance to evaluate the prevalence of problems and the relationship of these domains to one another in patients treated for craniopharyngioma in childhood or adolescence. Ten patients treated for craniopharyngioma completed measures of everyday cognitive function (Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test) and a battery of standard neuropsychologic tests. The prevalence of problems was ascertained for each measure. Most patients demonstrated significant deficits in everyday memory (Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, 9/10 patients; Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test, 7/10 patients). Scores were within normal limits, however, for intelligence quotient, achievement, attention, verbal memory, and spatial working memory. Processing speed was slow (5/10 patients). Spatial working memory predicted Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (P < 0.07), as did somatic symptoms from the Beck Depression Inventory (P < 0.01), but these associations appeared independent. Adolescents and young adults with treated craniopharyngioma experience deficits in everyday cognitive functions, many involving memory, that are not easily detected by standard neuropsychologic testing. The extent of self-rated cognitive problems is related to spatial working memory and somatic concerns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah P Waber
- Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|