Differential relationships between RAN performance, behaviour ratings, and executive function measures: Searching for a double dissociation

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the relationships between rapid naming of letters, digits and colours, and reading ability and executive function. We gave fifty-six grade three and four children rapid automatised naming tasks using letters and digits as stimuli, executive function measures including the Stroop task, a working memory task and the Trailmaking B task. The latter three tasks were used as measures of executive function. We also administered tests of verbal ability, reading and a behaviour checklist. The rapid naming of letters and digits was significantly correlated with reading, but not with executive function or behaviour ratings. The rapid naming of colours (from the Stroop task) was significantly correlated with the executive function tasks and the behaviour ratings but not with reading. We discuss the implications of this double dissociation for further studies of RAN.Abbreviations: RAN, rapid automatised naming; RANC, rapid automatised naming of colours; RAND, rapid automatised naming of digits; RANL, rapid automatised naming of letters; RANO, rapid automatised naming of objects.

Does Training in Syllable Recognition Improve Reading Speed? A Computer-Based Trial With Poor Readers From Second and Third Grade

“…Another explanation may relate to the tasks used as the measure of RAN. Several results suggest that the alphanumeric items such as those used in this research are more strongly associated with reading (for reviews, see Araújo et al, 2014;Georgiou & Parrila, 2013) whereas nonalphanumeric items may have more components in common with attention (Carte, Nigg, & Hinshaw, 1996;Stringer et al, 2004;Tannock et al, 2000). These three factors may explain most of the contrasting results concerning attention.…”

“…According to several studies, alphanumeric stimuli are more closely related to decoding than non-alphanumeric stimuli, at least in school-aged children (for reviews, see Araújo, Reis, Petersson, & Faís-ca, 2014;Georgiou & Parrila, 2013;. Non-alphanumeric stimuli are, instead, suggested to relate more to general processing speed (Catts, Gillispie, Leonard, Kail, & Miller, 2002), reading comprehension (Badian, 1993;Wolf, Bally, & Morris, 1986), or attention and executive functions (e.g., SemrudClikeman, Guy, Griffin, & Hynd, 2000;Stringer, Toplak, & Stanovich, 2004). It is also proposed that naming non-alphanumeric stimuli requires more efficient perceptional and semantic processing than naming alphanumeric stimuli (e.g., Braisby & Dockrell, 1999;Moore & Price, 1999).…”

“…First, if processing speed was a major factor behind the RAN-reading association, all kinds of RAN tasks would correlate with reading to a similar extent. Because alphanumeric stimuli (letters and numbers) show a stronger link with reading than non-alphanumeric stimuli (reviewed above, e.g., Christopher et al, 2012;Georgiou, Parrila, Kirby, & Stephenson, 2008;Georgiou, Parrila, & Papadopoulos, 2008;Misra et al, 2004;Neuhaus et al, 2001;Poulsen et al, 2015;Savage & Fredrickson, 2006;Stringer et al, 2004;Van den Bos, Zijlstra, & Spelberg, 2002;, alphanumeric RAN tasks seem to reflect a more specific linguistic processing function that cannot be not comprehensively accounted for by general processing speed. Along the same lines, there is research evidence to show that although global processing speed was found to mediate the association between non-alphanumeric naming and word-reading skill, it was not able to explain the connection between alphanumeric naming speed and word-reading skill (Bowey, McGuigan, & Ruschena, 2005).…”

“…Alternating stimuli within a naming task is thought to be more demanding on the attention and executive functions, cognitive flexibility, memory access, and semantic processing than RAN tasks (e.g., Albuquerque & Simões, 2010; Altemeier, Abbott, & Berninger, 2008;Wiig et al, 2000;. In several studies alphanumeric RAN has been associated with reading while non-alphanumeric items have either not been linked with reading (Christopher et al, 2012;Stringer, Toplak, & Stanovich, 2004) or the association has been considerably weaker (Poulsen, Juul, & Elbro, 2015;Schatschneider, Fletcher, Francis, Carlson, & Foorman, 2004). In this research, only alphanumeric RAN tasks were included in the studies, which probably strengthened the association between RAN and reading, and should be borne in mind when interpreting the results in comparison with studies using different types of RAN tasks.…”

Academic Processing Speed Mediates the Influence of Both Externalizing Behavior and Language Skills on the Academic Skills of Students with Emotional Disturbance

“…First, there is substantial evidence in the area of reading that academic processing speed plays such a role in students' acquisition of proficient reading skills (e.g., Al Otaiba and Fuchs 2002;Berninger et al 2001;Compton 2003;Bowers et al 1999;Nelson et al 2003). Second, the results of research conducted with normally developing third and fourth grade children suggests that academic processing speed (i.e., rapid automatic naming of letters, digits, and colors) is related to children's reading ability but not to teacher ratings of their behavior (i.e., inattention, hyperactive) (Stringer et al 2004). Third, language skills are critical to academic skills (e.g., Catts et al 1999;National Research Council 1998;NICHD Early Child Care Research Network 2005).…”