Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
11:25
Making Sense of Listening: The IMAP Test Battery
Published on: October 11, 2010
Auditory Psycholinguistic Abilities and Cognitive Performance in Children with Developmental Language Disorder
Beatriz María Bonillo-Llavero1, Alejandro Cano-Villagrasa2,3, Miguel López-Zamora4
1UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) show significant differences in auditory and cognitive skills compared to peers. However, the study found little evidence of a strong link between these skills within each group.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) presents persistent challenges in language acquisition and use.
- DLD is often associated with variable cognitive performance.
- Understanding the interplay between language and cognition in DLD is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare auditory psycholinguistic abilities and cognitive outcomes in children with DLD and typically developing (TD) peers.
- To investigate the robustness of associations between auditory psycholinguistic and cognitive domains within each group.
- To examine potential confounding factors like paternal education.
Main Methods:
- Eighty Spanish-speaking children (40 DLD, 40 TD, aged 7-9) participated.
- Auditory subtests from the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities were used.
- Selected WISC-V subtests assessed cognitive functions including verbal comprehension and working memory.
- Statistical analyses included t-tests, correlation analyses, and sensitivity analyses.
Main Results:
- Children with DLD performed significantly lower than TD peers across all auditory and cognitive measures (Cohen's d = 1.35-2.55).
- These group differences remained significant even after controlling for paternal education.
- No stable, statistically significant correlations were found between auditory psycholinguistic and cognitive measures within either group after corrections for multiple testing.
Conclusions:
- Broad differences exist between children with DLD and TD peers in auditory and cognitive skills.
- There is limited evidence for a consistent relationship between these specific language and cognitive domains within each group.
- Comprehensive assessments should evaluate language and cognitive domains separately in children with DLD.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:25Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:30Information Processing Approach
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...