Life-Span Data on Continuous-Naming Speeds of Numbers, Letters, Colors, and Pictured Objects, and Word-Reading Speed

Abstract

In this study, life-span developmental relations between naming and reading speed were addressed. More specifically, the aims of this research were (a) to determine how continuous-naming speeds for 4 stimulus types (letters, numbers, pictures, and colors) and reading speed for a word list increase across life span, (b) to investigate possible changes in the interrelations of naming speeds of these 4 stimulus types across the various age levels, and (c) to determine the development of naming and word-reading speed associations at the various age levels. Eight experimental samples of participants were pooled into 5 homogeneous age levels (sample size ranging from 82 to 174). Samples consisted of children from elementary Grades 2 (8-year-olds), 4 (10-year-olds), and 6 and 7 (12-year-olds); students from secondary education classes (16-year-olds); and 41 parent pairs (46-year-olds) to the 16-year-olds. Each continuous-naming task contained 50 items, and the average number of times unique stimuli were repeated in the tasks was 5.31. The reading task was to read in 1 min, as fast and accurately as possible, the unique and unrepeated words of a standardized word-reading test. Results indicate that word-reading speed and naming speeds of colors and pictures continue to increase into mature adulthood. For letter and number naming, asymptotes have been reached at around 16 years of age. Factor analyses indicate that interrelations of the naming-speed tasks are different for 10-year-old children (and younger) compared to 12-year-olds (and beyond). Whereas the latter groups show 2 factors (an Alphanumeric factor and a Color or Picture factor), these factors are not clearly identifiable at the younger age levels. Finally, regression analyses and correlations between naming factor scores and reading speed indicate a developmentally increasing relation between reading and alphanumeric-naming speeds, whereas unique contributions of color- and picture-naming speeds to reading speed are developmentally erratic. This is interpreted as supporting the theory that describes reading recognition development as a domain-specific learning process with reciprocally facilitating links to alphanumeric symbol-naming speed development.

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