No differential attentional blink in dyslexia after controlling for baseline sensitivity.
Previous research has associated a prolonged attentional blink (AB) with adult dyslexia [Hari, R., Valta, M., & Uutela, K. (1999). Prolonged attentional dwell time in dyslexic adults. Neuroscience Letters, 271, 202-204]. The AB represents a limitation in temporal information processing, estimated as the time interval between two targets necessary for accurate recall (e.g., [Raymond, J. E., Shapiro, K. L., & Arnell, K. M. (1992). Temporary suppression of visual processing in an RSVP task: An attentional blink? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 18, 849-860]). Utilizing single- and dual-target procedures, this investigation extended upon previous research. When controlling for baseline sensitivity as estimated in the dual-target condition, there was no significant difference between dyslexic and control performance. Finding no evidence of a single-target task difference or prolonged AB effect in dyslexia, it is suggested that baseline sensitivity differences relate to difficulties with task demands in dyslexic readers.
Badcock
Nicholas A
NA
Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia. nab@graduate.uwa.edu.au <nab@graduate.uwa.edu.au>
Hogben
John H
JH
Fletcher
Janet F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D054518:Attentional Blink; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods