The unique contribution of handwriting accuracy to literacy skills in Japanese adolescents.

There is widespread concern about declining literacy skills in recent young Japanese. The present study investigated how higher-level reading and writing proficiencies are underpinned by basic literacy skills in Japanese adolescents. From a large database of the most popular literacy exams in Japan, we retrospectively analyzed word- and text-level data for middle and high school students who had taken the exams during the same period in the 2019 academic year using structural equation modeling. We extracted main data for 161 students as well as six independent datasets for validation. Our results validated the three-dimensional view of word-level literacy (reading accuracy, writing accuracy, and semantic comprehension) and demonstrated that writing and semantic skills underpinned text writing and reading, respectively. The semantic comprehension of words affected text writing indirectly via text reading; however, it could not replace the direct effect of word writing accuracy. These findings, which were robustly replicated with multiple independent datasets, provided new evidence of dimension-specific relationships between word- and text-level literacy skills and confirmed the unique contribution of word handwriting acquisition to text literacy proficiency. The replacement of handwriting by digital writing (e.g., typing) is a global trend. However, the dual-pathway model of literacy development identified in this study suggests there are advantages in sustaining early literacy education by handwriting for the growth of higher-level language skills in future generations. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11145-023-10433-3.

Cognitive underpinnings of multidimensional Japanese literacy and its impact on higher-level language skills.

This study aimed to identify the cognitive underpinnings of Japanese kanji abilities and clarify the contributions of kanji acquisition to the development of higher-level language skills based on a three-dimensional view of kanji abilities encompassing reading accuracy, writing accuracy, and semantic comprehension. First, a series of regression analyses was used to identify the multifactorial models of each dimension of Japanese kanji acquisition. These models suggest that, among basic cognitive skills, naming speed, visuospatial processing, and syntactic processing underpin kanji abilities in a dimension-specific manner, whereas phonological processing is a common factor. Second, although all the dimensions of kanji abilities predicted acquired verbal knowledge equally, writing skills on the text level, measured as idea density, were only predicted by the writing dimension (indirectly via acquired knowledge). Our findings represent the first evidence of the dimension-specific relationships of the three dimensions of Japanese kanji abilities with their cognitive predictors, as well as with higher-level language skills. They suggest the importance of handwriting acquisition during school years for the development of language skills through to adulthood. Finally, taking the seminal "Nun study," which suggests that higher idea density is protective against dementia, into account, we propose a theoretical framework for the lifelong trajectory of literacy acquisition.

Atypical Multisensory Integration and the Temporal Binding Window in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The present study examined the relationship between multisensory integration and the temporal binding window (TBW) for multisensory processing in adults with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ASD group was less likely than the typically developing group to perceive an illusory flash induced by multisensory integration during a sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI) task. Although both groups showed comparable TBWs during the multisensory temporal order judgment task, correlation analyses and Bayes factors provided moderate evidence that the reduced SIFI susceptibility was associated with the narrow TBW in the ASD group. These results suggest that the individuals with ASD exhibited atypical multisensory integration and that individual differences in the efficacy of this process might be affected by the temporal processing of multisensory information.

The multidimensionality of Japanese kanji abilities.

The aim of this study was to identify the cognitive structures of kanji abilities in the Japanese general population and to examine age and cohort effects on them. From a large database of the most popular kanji exam in Japan, we analyzed high school graduation level data of 33,659 people in 2006 and 16,971 people in 2016. Confirmatory factor analyses validated the three-dimensional model of kanji abilities, including factors of reading, writing and semantic comprehension. Furthermore, the age effect on writing, and correlations between writing and semantic dimensions, were different between 2006 and 2016, suggesting reduced writing ability and stagnation in integrated mastery of kanji orthography and semantics in current-day Japanese adults. These findings provide the first evidence of the multidimensional nature of Japanese kanji abilities, and age/cohort differences in that dimensional structure. The importance of the habit of handwriting for literacy acquisition is discussed.

Everything has Its Time: Narrow Temporal Windows are Associated with High Levels of Autistic Traits Via Weaknesses in Multisensory Integration.

The present study examined whether fundamental sensory functions such as temporal processing and multisensory integration are related to autistic traits in the general population. Both a narrower temporal window (TW) for simultaneous perception, as measured by a temporal order judgement task, and a reduced ability to engage in multisensory integration during the sound-induced flash illusion task were related to higher levels of autistic traits. Additionally, a narrow TW is associated with high levels of autistic traits due to a deficiency in multisensory integration. Taken together, these findings suggest that alterations in fundamental functions produce a cascading effect on higher-order social and cognitive functions, such as those experienced by people with autism spectrum disorder.

Emotion Perception Mediates the Predictive Relationship Between Verbal Ability and Functional Outcome in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The aim of this study was to identify specific cognitive abilities that predict functional outcome in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to clarify the contribution of those abilities and their relationships. In total, 41 adults with ASD performed cognitive tasks in a broad range of neuro- and social cognitive domains, and information concerning functional outcomes was obtained. Regression analyses revealed that emotion perception and verbal generativity predicted adaptive functioning directly, and the former mediated between the other two. These findings provide the first evidence of a triadic relationship among neuro- and social cognition and functional outcome in this population. Our results suggest that psychosocial interventions targeting these cognitive abilities could benefit social adaptation in adults with ASD.