The unique contribution of working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and intelligence to reading comprehension and reading speed

Johann, Verena E.; Könen, Tanja; Karbach, Julia

doi:10.1080/09297049.2019.1649381

Cited by 65 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Subsequently, Peng et al conducted a metaanalysis and found that the central executive of working memory was implicated in reading acquisition before 4th grade, and phonological working memory was more strongly related to later reading performance as readers gained additional experience beyond 4th grade [24]. Johann et al studied 186 primary students and found that working memory and inhibition were related to reading speed and that cognitive exibility was related to reading comprehension [25]. Similar results were found with mathematics and EFs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Academic Achievements in Children with ADHD in China: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions

Dong

Hai-mei

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often accompanied by lower academic achievements related to executive dysfunction, but the correlations remain unclear. The current study aimed to elucidate to what extent executive functions affect academic achievements in pediatric ADHD. Results:The results showed that mathematical achievements, reading comprehension achievements, subtraction and word semantics were all correlated with digit span and conversion. Reading comprehension achievements also had relationships with spatial span. In addition, reading comprehension achievements, subtraction and word semantics had negative relationships with the colour interference time and the semantic interference time. Furthermore, central executive function played significant meditating effects on mathematical achievements (dindirect effect=-0.04, P<0.05), subtraction (dindirect effect=-0.06, P=0.01) and word semantics (dindirect effect=-0.06, P<0.05). Inhibition played significant meditating effects on subtraction (dindirect effect=-0.03, P<0.05) and word semantics (dindirect effect=-0.06, P=0.01). Conversion had a significant mediating effect on word semantics (dindirect effect=-0.02, P=0.01). Conclusions:The findings suggested that central executive function, inhibition and conversion may have more important meditating effects on academic achievements of children with ADHD than other components of executive functions. Targeted executive function training should be used to effectively improve the targeted academic achievements of children with ADHD.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Academic Achievements in Children with ADHD in China: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions

Dong

Hai-mei

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…Overall only a recent study took into account different components of EF simultaneously and found that while working memory and inhibition play a relevant role in reading speed during decoding, cognitive flexibility and fluid intelligence are mainly related to reading comprehension (Johann et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Contribution of Executive Functions When Reading Multiple Texts: A Systematic Literature Review

2021

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In the present-day knowledge society, people need to critically comprehend information across multiple sources that express diverse and contradictory viewpoints. Due to the complexity associated with this process, an important role can be played by Executive Functions, that is, cognitive control processes used to regulate mental functioning and behavior when automatized elaborations are not sufficient. The aim of this article is to review existing research on the roles of executive functions when reading from multiple texts. To identify the appropriate studies, we conducted a search in the following databases: Web of science, Scopus, PsycInfo, Eric. The search string was created by combining the terms used in past literature reviews on executive functions and multiple-texts comprehension. From the total number of 4,877 records identified, seven articles met all the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Given the scarcity of studies on the topic, we decided to examine also eight articles reporting indirect evidence about the association between executive functions and multiple-text comprehension. Our review revealed that the study of the association between executive functions and multiple-texts comprehension is underdeveloped. The results seem to suggest that working memory is involved in surface comprehension, whereas results about sourcing and intertextual integration processes are mixed. Indirect evidence suggests that other executive functions, such as planning or monitoring, may be involved when learning from multiple texts. More research on this topic is needed given the increasing complexity of the contexts in which reading activities take place.

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“…Reading comprehension is quite cognitive-taxing as individuals have to go through all linguistic levels from phonological level to textual level to understand the meaning of text and form a coherent mental representation of linguistics forms ( Kendeou et al, 2014 ). Some studies have suggested that cognitive control should play a role in reading process (e.g., Kieffer et al, 2013 ; Fedorenko, 2014 ; Follmer, 2018 ; Liu et al, 2018 ; Cirino et al, 2019 ), based on behavioral evidence, brain imaging studies, and investigations of brains damage (e.g., Johann et al, 2020 ; Stasenko et al, 2020 ). As mentioned above, cognitive control is an umbrella term covering inhibition, shifting and working memory updating and monitoring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of Demographics, Language Learning Experience, and Cognitive Control to Chinese Reading Comprehension

et al. 2021

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The study investigates whether learners’ demographics (e.g., age, education, and intelligence-IQ), language learning experience, and cognitive control predict Chinese (L2) reading comprehension in young adults. Thirty-four international students who studied mandarin Chinese in mainland China (10 females, 24 males) from Bangladesh, Burundi, Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe were tested on a series of measures including demographic questionnaires, IQ test, two cognitive control tasks [Flanker Task measuring inhibition and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) measuring mental set shifting], and a Chinese reading comprehension test (HSK level 4). The results of correlation analyses showed that education, L2 learning history, L2 proficiency, and previous category errors of the WCST were significantly correlated with Chinese reading comprehension. Further multiple regression analyses indicated that Chinese learning history, IQ, and previous category errors of the WCST significantly predicted Chinese reading comprehension. These findings reveal that aside from IQ and the time spent on L2 learning, the component mental set shifting of cognitive control also predicts reading outcomes, which suggests that cognitive control has a place in reading comprehension models over and above traditional predictors of language learning experience.

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The unique contribution of working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and intelligence to reading comprehension and reading speed

Cited by 65 publications

References 76 publications

Academic Achievements in Children with ADHD in China: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions

Academic Achievements in Children with ADHD in China: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions

The Contribution of Executive Functions When Reading Multiple Texts: A Systematic Literature Review

Contributions of Demographics, Language Learning Experience, and Cognitive Control to Chinese Reading Comprehension

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