Naturalistic memory in learning-disabled and skilled readers

Abstract

Three experiments compared learning-disabled and skilled readers' performance on naturalistic memory measures, as well as investigated the relationship between memory performance on everyday and laboratory tasks. In Experiment 1, the laboratory task (sentence span task) and everyday memory measures were correlated moderately for both ability groups. Compared to skilled readers, disabled readers performed poorly on the sentence span task, and were less likely than skilled readers to remember information related to common objects and consequential events. Disabled readers were also less likely to rely on external prompts to help them recall everyday information. Experiment 2 extended the previous findings to older subjects and found that the majority of significant correlations between the laboratory (word span task) and everyday memory tasks were isolated to disabled readers. When compared to chronological-age-matched subjects, disabled readers were inferior in recency performance on the laboratory (word span) and natural serial recall (e.g., recall of U.S. presidents) tasks. Experiment 3 showed that under conditions that facilitate item accessibility, ability group differences in recall were comparable. Taken together, the findings indicate that disabled readers' memory deficits are pervasive across naturalistic and laboratory measures at the younger age, but these deficits diminish for older students. Further, the deficits that occur at the older age are due to problems in accessing knowledge.

Visuospatial memory in dyslexia: Evidence for strategic deficits

“…Our studies therefore raise some interesting questions about the potential for strategy instruction to improve recall. Several studies have investigated the effect of implicit cues to recall and have found that, when provided with cues, students with dyslexia can increase recall performance levels to those of non-dyslexics (e.g., Swanson et al, 1991;Torgesen & Goldman, 1977;Wong, 1978). Much of this research presented verbal information, an exception being Swanson (1984) who found that students with dyslexia performed better than a control group when cued to retrieve complex visual information that could not be encoded verbally.…”

“…People with dyslexia are known to experience difficulties with memory during many ordinary everyday activities, such as recalling a range of naturalistic objects (Swanson, et al 1991) remembering details of everyday events, social situations, and procedures such as checking out a book from the library (McNamara and Wong, 2003). These results are often explained in terms of an executive deficit.…”

Visuospatial superiority in developmental dyslexia: Myth or reality?

“…Recall of coins and other familiar objects has been used previously to measure 'everyday memory' (e.g. McNamara & Wong, 2003;Swanson, Reffel, & Trahan, 1991). However, in these studies participants were required to draw the items in as much detail as possible.…”

A nonverbal test of naturalistic memory for alcohol commercials

“…Indeed, narrative reports have provided much valuable data in the study of naturalistic memory (e.g., G. Cohen, Conway, & Maylor, 1994;Marian & Neisser, 2000). However, tests that elicit and record nonverbal, perceptual content or productions from memory appear very rarely in research on memory for naturally occurring events (e.g., Martin & Jones, 1998;Rubin & Kontis, 1983;Swanson, Reffel, & Trahan, 1991), and in basic experimental studies of memory (e.g., Amrhein & Sanchez, 1997;Santa & Baker, 1975). Yet many events, especially television commercials and other complex everyday occurrences, have numerous nonverbal, visual features that eliciting verbal responses alone may not assess completely.…”