A-32 Does Inhibition Contribute to Word Reading beyond Non-inhibition Processes?

Abstract

Abstract Objective The current study aims to extend the study conducted by Van der Sluis and colleagues (2012) and investigate whether the statistical relationships between executive functioning (EF) and reading performance is causal or merely correlational. Methods A sample of children ages 5 to 12 years (N = 44) were given a standardized test of inhibition and its corresponding non-inhibition condition from the NEPSY-II assessment battery (Korkman, Kirk & Kemp, 2007) and the Letter-Word Identification test from the Woodcock Johnson IV Achievement Test Battery was given to assess reading (Schrank et al., 2014). Two separate hierarchical regressions were conducted to determine if inhibition predicted reading performance beyond that of its non-inhibition condition. Results The first regression examined the contribution of inhibition on reading after first accounting for the non-inhibition condition, and the second regression examined the contribution of the non-inhibition condition after first accounting for inhibition. Results indicate that inhibitory ability showed no significant contribution to prediction after controlling for the non-inhibition processes, and when first controlling for inhibitory ability, the non-executive processes from the non-inhibition condition continued to significantly contribute to word reading performance (ΔR2 = 0.21, F(1,44) = 25.11, p < 0.01). Conclusions The results of the current study provide further support that relationship between EF and reading performance may be more of a statistical and procedural confound than it is a mechanism directly implicated in reading ability attainment. More work should be done to determine if the findings from this study are replicable across different tests of reading (i.e., comprehension, fluency).