Does memory play a part in the quality of the written product? The impact of the working memory system and other cognitive processes in writing performance in students with dyslexia

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Description/Abstract

This research study set out to describe the impact of the working memory system and
other cognitive processes related to dyslexia difficulties in writing performance in
students with dyslexia. Twenty dyslexic and twenty non-dyslexic students have
participated in this study. The Working Memory Test Battery for Children (WMTB-C)
and the Test of Written Language (TOWL-3) were administered to the subjects.
Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the central executive component of the
WM system significantly predicted higher-order writing skills (structural level) and
that the phonological loop predicted vocabulary in text generation for students with
dyslexia, whereas the visuo-spatial sketchpad did not influence written production for
students with dyslexia. The texts produced by students with dyslexia were poorer
than the controls on both sentence and structural levels. The analysis suggested the
interdependence of a variety of cognitive processes in influencing written productivity
in students with dyslexia. More importantly, this study has underlined the unique
contribution of vocabulary knowledge on both sentence and structural levels; it was
found to be the variable mediating the links between central executive (WM) and text
generation in students with dyslexia. Finally, the analysis yielded that there was no
interactive effect between central executive (WM) and dyslexia-related difficulties in
writing performance of students with dyslexia. In the light of the findings
implications for practice are considered and recommendations of future research are
discussed.