Applied Psycholinguistics

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Revisiting the phonological deficit in dyslexia: Are implicit nonorthographic representations impaired?

CATHERINE DICKIEa1 c1, MITSUHIKO OTAa1 and ANN CLARKa2

a1 University of Edinburgh

a2 Queen Margaret University

ABSTRACT

This study investigates whether developmental dyslexia involves an impairment in implicit phonological representations, as distinct from orthographic representations and metaphonological skills. A group of adults with dyslexia was matched with a group with no history of speech/language/literacy impairment. Tasks varied in the demands made on (implicit) phonological representations versus metalinguistic analysis/manipulation, and controlled the contribution of phonological versus orthographic representations by including both a segmental and an equivalent suprasegmental (nonorthographic) version of each task. The findings show a dissociation between metaphonological skills and implicit phonological representations, with the dyslexic group impaired in metaphonological manipulation skills in both segmental and suprasegmental tasks, but not in implicit knowledge of phonological contrasts.

(Received September 02 2010)

(Accepted February 01 2011)

Correspondence:

c1 ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE Catherine Dickie, University of Edinburgh, Department of Linguistics and English Language, Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AD, UK. E-mail: cath.ling1@gmail.com

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