Speed of Cognitive Processing Within a Test of Executive Functions and Information Integration

Abstract

Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) has been widely recognized as a reliable predictor of reading proficiency. Although RAN represents the speed of cognitive processing, there are few studies that have addressed RAN as a cognitive process in its own right Furthermore, RAN performance of ELL (English Language Learners) has been less frequently investigated. We have two parts to this study. First, we examine the factor structure of an enlarged composite measure of speed measure by adding four additional tests comprising color naming, and two number naming tasks to the traditional RAN of digit and letter naming. In the second part, we determine the association of Speed with broad cognitive processes comprising Executive Functions, and Information processing. Participants were students in English medium schools in India. They were divided into two age groups (8–14 and 15–20) for statistical analyses of six Speed measures Results show a strong unitary speed factor in the 8 to 14 age group. In contrast, in the 15 to 20 group RAN tests comprising digits and letters showed a very small loading on the same factor. Addressing the second objective, which is the impact of speed on various cognitive tasks, the results show that response speed has a minimal influence on Nonverbal Configurations (simultaneous) tasks, and tasks of executive functions comprising Working Memory, and Visual-Spatial Processing. These tests will enable us to isolate specific cognitive deficiencies from response speed. In a re-examination of the relation between Reading & RAN-type tests, we could suggest that serial articulation is the common and essential feature that binds rapid naming tasks and reading fluency.