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Artificial grammar learning in primary school children with and without developmental dyslexia

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Abstract

This paper explores implicit learning in typically developing and primary school children (9–12 years old) with developmental dyslexia using an artificial grammar learning (AGL) task. Two experiments were conducted, which differed in time of presentation and nature of the instructional set (experiment 1—implicit instructions vs experiment 2—explicit instructions). Repeated measures analysis of variance (group × grammaticality × chunk strength) showed a group effect only in experiment 1 (implicit instructions), with only the typically developing children showing evidence of AGL. There was a grammaticality effect (adherence to the rules) for both groups in the two experimental situations. We suggest that the typically developing children exhibited intact implicit learning as manifested in AGL performance, whereas children with developmental dyslexia failed to provide such evidence due to possible mediating cognitive developmental factors.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to all of the children who took part in this study and the parents and teachers for their consent and cooperation. Special thanks go to Dr. Eleni Ziori for her scientific input in designing the study. This study was undertaken when the first author was in receipt of a scholarship from I.K.Y. (The Greek State Foundation for Scholarships).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, St. John’s Land (R. 2/22b), Holyrood Road, EH8 8AQ, Edinburgh, UK

    Elpis V. Pavlidou

  2. Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, St. John’s Land (R. 2.01), Holyrood Road, EH8 8AQ, Edinburgh, UK

    Joanne M. Williams

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Louise M. Kelly

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  1. Elpis V. Pavlidou
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  2. Joanne M. Williams
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  3. Louise M. Kelly
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Correspondence to Elpis V. Pavlidou.

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Pavlidou, E.V., Williams, J.M. & Kelly, L.M. Artificial grammar learning in primary school children with and without developmental dyslexia. Ann. of Dyslexia 59, 55–77 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-009-0023-z

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