Cognitive processes in children's reading and attention: the role of working memory, divided attention, and response inhibition.

Full Abstract

Children experiencing attention difficulties have documented cognitive deficits in working memory (WM), response inhibition and dual tasks. Recent evidence suggests however that these same cognitive processes are also closely associated with reading acquisition. This paper therefore explores whether these variables predicted attention difficulties or reading among 123 children with and without significant attention problems sampled from the school population. Children were screened using current WM and attention task measures. Three factors explained variance in WM and attention tasks. Response inhibition tasks loaded mainly with central executive measures, but a dual processing task loaded with the visual-spatial WM measures. Phonological loop measures loaded independently of attention measures. After controls for age, IQ and attention-group membership, phonological loop and 'central processing' measures both predicted reading ability. A 'visual memory/dual-task' factor predicted attention group membership after controls for age, IQ and reading ability. Results thus suggest that some of the processes previously assumed to be predictive of attention problems may reflect processes involved in reading acquisition. Visual memory and dual-task functioning are, however, purer indices of cognitive difficulty in children experiencing attention problems.

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Author information

Author/s: Savage, Robert (R); Cornish, Kim (K); Manly, Tom (T); Hollis, Chris (C);

Affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Canada. robert.savage(-atsign-)mcgill.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953) (Br J Psychol), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Aug; vol 97 (issue Pt 3) : pp 365-85

Dates: Created 2006/07/19; Completed 2006/12/22; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 16848949, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attention
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; psychology
Child
Comprehension
Concept Formation
England
Female
Humans

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