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How does reading performance modulate the impact of orthographic knowledge on speech processing? A comparison of normal readers and dyslexic adults

Annals of Dyslexia volume 64, pages 57–76 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Studies on proficient readers showed that speech processing is affected by knowledge of the orthographic code. Yet, the automaticity of the orthographic influence depends on task demand. Here, we addressed this automaticity issue in normal and dyslexic adult readers by comparing the orthographic effects obtained in two speech processing tasks that are or not sensitive to strategies developed by participants. Our finding showed that while participants’ performance in a metaphonological task, which is known to be strategy prone, was affected by their orthographic knowledge regardless of the childhood diagnosis of dyslexia or of their actual reading-related skills, this latter factor significantly modulated the orthographic influence found in a more natural speech recognition task. The finding supports the claim that while any individuals who know a reading code are able to resort to their orthographic knowledge when they process speech, a more profound modification of the speech processing system by the orthographic code takes place only in readers who have reached a certain level of reading expertise.

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Notes

  1. For all subtests (except the memory tasks), the percentage of correct responses corresponded to the score obtained by the participant compared to the maximum score of the test. As regards the memory tasks, the maximum corresponded to the highest memory span obtained in the entire sample of participants.

  2. In lexical decision, the size of the orthographic effect corresponded to the difference between the performance obtained in the consistent and inconsistent condition, computed separately on words and pseudowords. In rhyme judgment, it corresponded to the difference between the performance obtained in the same and different spelling condition, computed separately on rhyming and non-rhyming trials.

  3. For both RTs and error rate, the same result pattern was obtained when group and its interactions with the other factors, which were nonsignificant predictors, were removed from the models.

  4. For RTs, the same result pattern was obtained when Group, Reading-related skills and their interactions with the other factors, which were non-significant predictors were removed from the models. For error rate, this model fitting procedure also led to a significant effect of phonology.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS under grant FRFC 2.4515.12. RK is the Research Director of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS, Belgium.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Parole et Langage, CNRS: UMR 7309, Aix-Marseille Université, 5 Av. Pasteur, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Chotiga Pattamadilok

  2. Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS-FNRS), 5 Rue d’Egmont, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Régine Kolinsky

  3. Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (UNESCOG), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRNC), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50, Av. F. Roosevelt (CP 191), 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Aubéline Nelis & Régine Kolinsky

Authors
  1. Chotiga Pattamadilok
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  2. Aubéline Nelis
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  3. Régine Kolinsky
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Correspondence to Chotiga Pattamadilok.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 1a Stimuli used in the lexical decision task
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Appendix 1b Characteristics of words used in the lexical decision task (standard deviations in brackets)
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Appendix 1c Characteristics of pseudowords used in the lexical decision task (standard deviations in brackets)
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Appendix 2

Appendix 2a Stimuli used in the rhyme judgment task
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Appendix 2b Characteristics of stimuli used in the rhyme judgment task (standard deviations in brackets)
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Pattamadilok, C., Nelis, A. & Kolinsky, R. How does reading performance modulate the impact of orthographic knowledge on speech processing? A comparison of normal readers and dyslexic adults. Ann. of Dyslexia 64, 57–76 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-013-0086-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-013-0086-8

Keywords

  • Automaticity
  • Dyslexia
  • Metaphonology
  • Orthographic effects
  • Orthographic knowledge
  • Speech processing