Selective Attention Deficit in Learning Disabled Children: A Cognitive Interpretation

The present study investigated selective attention in learning disabled and normal children aged 8 years to 10 years 6 months. Patterned stimulus configurations requiring selective attention to one of two types of stimuli were given. Immediate recall measures on one or both types of stimuli were recorded under two conditions — (1) in which stimuli were close together and (2) in which they were separate. Results indicated that normal children selectively attended significantly better than learning disabled children under condition 1 but not in condition 2, in which both groups were equal. These results are interpreted as supporting a cognitive explanation for attentional deficits in learning disabled children.

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