Linking memory and language: Evidence for a serial-order learning impairment in dyslexia

•Adult dyslexics show a persistent impairment in serial-order learning.•Initial learning in a single session and learning with more practice are affected.•Dyslexics and controls show comparable retention over the period of 1 month.•The data suggest weaker lexicalization of new word-forms in the dysl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in developmental disabilities 2015-08, Vol.43-44 (Sep), p.106-122
Main Authors: Bogaerts, Louisa, Szmalec, Arnaud, Hachmann, Wibke M., Page, Mike P.A., Duyck, Wouter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Dyslexia
Dyslexia - physiopathology
Dyslexia - psychology
Humans
Language
Language acquisition
Language Development
Memory
Practice (Psychology)
Retention
Retention (Psychology)
Serial Learning
Serial-order learning
Young Adult
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Summary:•Adult dyslexics show a persistent impairment in serial-order learning.•Initial learning in a single session and learning with more practice are affected.•Dyslexics and controls show comparable retention over the period of 1 month.•The data suggest weaker lexicalization of new word-forms in the dyslexic group. The present study investigated long-term serial-order learning impairments, operationalized as reduced Hebb repetition learning (HRL), in people with dyslexia. In a first multi-session experiment, we investigated both the persistence of a serial-order learning impairment as well as the long-term retention of serial-order representations, both in a group of Dutch-speaking adults with developmental dyslexia and in a matched control group. In a second experiment, we relied on the assumption that HRL mimics naturalistic word-form acquisition and we investigated the lexicalization of novel word-forms acquired through HRL. First, our results demonstrate that adults with dyslexia are fundamentally impaired in the long-term acquisition of serial-order information. Second, dyslexic and control participants show comparable retention of the long-term serial-order representations in memory over a period of 1 month. Third, the data suggest weaker lexicalization of newly acquired word-forms in the dyslexic group. We discuss the integration of these findings into current theoretical views of dyslexia.
ISSN:0891-4222
1873-3379
DOI:10.1016/j.ridd.2015.06.012