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Reading under the skin: physiological activation during reading in children with dyslexia and typical readers

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate physiological activation during reading and control tasks in children with dyslexia and typical readers. Skin conductance response (SCR) recorded during four tasks involving reading aloud, reading silently, and describing illustrated stories aloud and silently was compared for children with dyslexia (n = 16) and a control group of typical readers (n = 16). Children’s school wellness was measured through self- and parent-proxy reports. Significantly lower SCR was found for dyslexic children in the reading-aloud task, compared to the control group, whereas all participants showed similar physiological reactions to the other experimental conditions. SCR registered during reading tasks correlated with “Child’s emotional difficulties,” as reported by parents. Possible interpretations of the lower activation during reading aloud in dyslexic children are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Building U6, room 3124, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy

    Valentina Tobia, Thomas Borsato & Gian Marco Marzocchi

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Paola Bonifacci

  3. Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Cristina Ottaviani

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  1. Valentina Tobia
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  2. Paola Bonifacci
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Correspondence to Valentina Tobia.

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Tobia, V., Bonifacci, P., Ottaviani, C. et al. Reading under the skin: physiological activation during reading in children with dyslexia and typical readers. Ann. of Dyslexia 66, 171–186 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-015-0109-8

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