Coherent Motion Detection in Illiterate, Literate and Dyslexic Readers in Papua New Guinea

Individuals with dyslexia have often been found to have deficits in coherent motion processing, an index of global dorsal stream functioning. In studies involving pre-literate children it has been demonstrated that there could be a relationship between dorsal stream functioning and poor reading ability, lending weight to the claim that dorsal stream deficits may contribute to reading failure. This research looks at coherent motion sensitivity in adult illiterate readers and matched literate and dyslexic readers. The coherent motion sensitivity of lliterate and literate adult readers from Papua New Guinea, and dyslexic readers from Australia were examined to see if research in adults could likewise illuminate the discussion on the role of dorsal stream functioning in reading ability. The results of this analysis will be discussed as well as possible areas for further investigating the relationship between dorsal stream function and reading ability.