title: Rate of learning and asymptotic performance in an automatization task and the relation to reading.
abstract: In the present study, direct evidence was sought linking cognitive automatic processing with reading in the general adult population. Reading speed on single-task performance and dual-task performance were compared. A total of 18 adults without dyslexia participated (7 men and 11 women, age M=25.3 yr., SD=2.7). Participants initially were trained in single-task mode on two types of tasks. The first was a central alphanumeric equation task (true or false), which comprised 3 subtests of increasing difficulty, ranging from an easily automated task to a varied and unpredictable mathematical operation. The second task was a peripheral pattern subitization task for which stimulus exposure time was related to performance. Finally, participants received dual-task training, which required simultaneous processing of both tasks. Slower reading speed was significantly related to rate of learning and speed of performance on predictable alphanumeric operations in dual-task conditions. There was no effect of reading speed on performance in the varied alphanumeric task. Faster readers were no better than slower readers on the pattern-subitization task. These findings suggest that faster readers automatized the predictable alphanumeric task more rapidly than slower readers and hence were better able to cope with the dual-task condition.
authors.affiliation: Brain Sciences Institute, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Rozalia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crewther
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crewther
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D001332:Automatism; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011932:Reading