How language and inhibition influence analogical reasoning in children with or without developmental language disorder?. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Krzemien, Magali; Thibaut, Jean-Pierre; Maillart, Christelle
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology. Volume 42:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 76
• Page End: 89
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Developmental language disorder -- analogical reasoning -- phonological recoding -- articulatory suppression -- inhibition; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Societies, Medical -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2019.1676881
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1380-3395

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Introduction : Analogical reasoning is a human ability of crucial importance in several domains of cognition, such as numerical abilities, social cognition, and language, and which is impaired in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). This impairment might be caused by their weaknesses in inhibition or by the inefficient use of phonological recoding. Method : We compared children with DLD and age-matched children without language disorders in an A:B::C:D analogical task. We manipulated two variables: interference (versus no interference) was used to evaluate the impact of articulatory suppression on analogical performance, and distraction (versus no distractor) was used to test whether perceptual distractors (which compete with relational responses) diminish children's performance. Results : Contrary to expectations, articulatory suppression does not have a negative effect on analogical reasoning. In contrast, perceptual distractors have a detrimental impact on performance, and children with DLD are more impacted by perceptual distraction than their peers. Moreover, inhibition, as measured by a classical inhibition task, influences performance, but only for children with DLD. Conclusion : The analogical reasoning impairment observed in DLD, therefore, seems to be related to perceptual distraction and inhibition rather than to phonological recoding. To conclude, this study investigates the analogical reasoning impairment observed in DLD and contributes to our understanding of the relationships between language, analogical reasoning, and executive functions.