Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Humanities and Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Management Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
2 Department of Family Medicine/Geriatrics, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In a world where education directly influences the quality of life of an individual,
educational handicaps are a grave issue that plagues the lives of those affected. The current study
aims to find out whether there is a difference in the cognitive style and working memory capacity
among adolescents with specific learning disability (SLD) in comparison to their age‑matched
equivalent group without SLD. The study also targets to find out if there exists any relationship
between cognitive style and working memory.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of sixty participants were selected (thirty adolescents with
learning disability and thirty age‑matched adolescents without learning disability) from Bangalore
district of Karnataka and Thrissur district of Kerala using purposive sampling method. The tools used
were the Indian adaptation of Embedded Figures Test by Nigam (1997) and the Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children‑Fourth Edition by Wechsler (2003).
RESULTS: The results showed that there exists a significant difference in cognitive style dimensions of
field dependence and independence between adolescents with learning disability (M = 11.6, standard
deviation [SD] = 6.52) and adolescents without learning disability (M = 25.2, SD = 7.33) as well as in
the working memory capacity between adolescents with learning disability (M = 66.7, SD = 19.26)
and adolescents without learning disability (M = 102, SD = 14.93) groups under study (p < 0.01).
The results also indicate that there exists no significant relationship between cognitive style and
working memory.
CONCLUSION: Adolescents with SLD was found to be field dependent and has low working
memory capacity than adolescents without learning disability. The results reflect the need for
developing cognitive interventions to enhance working memory capacity and cognitive style for
helping adolescents with learning disability in all areas of their functioning, such that the society
benefits as a whole.
Keywords
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