Response Differences on Word-Naming and WISC Vocabulary

Abstract

The present study examined whether the symptom of defective attention and the strength of verbal fluency could be used to differentiate learning disabled boys from the normal and educable mentally handicapped learners. Using the WISC Vocabulary subtest and word-naming task, the response differences among groups of 10 learning disabled boys, 10 educable boys, and 15 normal controls were examined. Four discriminant function analyses indicated that the normal boys performed well on both tasks and the educable boys performed poorly, whereas, the learning disabled boys had a strength of verbal fluency that discriminated them from the educable boys and an attentional deficit that discriminated them from the normal controls.