Dyslexia: Anomaly or normal variation?

This paper is an interim report on a large-scale survey. The background to the authors’ research into dyslexia is briefly outlined. Next comes an explication of the contrast between “anomaly” and “normal variation.” Some details are then provided of a survey of 12,905 children, age ten, who were given a variety of educational and cognitive tests relevant to a diagnosis of dyslexia. It is shown that the resultant distributions of scores are incompatible with the hypothesis of normal variation. The counter-hypothesis, viz. that dyslexia involves some kind of anomaly, has, therefore, to that extent resisted refutation. The 1980 CHES follow-up study was funded by grants from the Department of Health and Social Security, the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Trust, the Department of Education and Science, and the National Institutes of Health in the USA.     

Assessing the progress and the underlying nature of the flows of doctoral and master degree candidates using absorbing Markov chains

In this paper, absorbing markov chains are used to analyse the flows of higher degree by research candidates (doctoral and master) within an Australian faculty of business. The candidates are analysed according to whether they are full time or part time. The need for such analysis stemmed from what appeared to be a rather poor completion rate (as reported by the University concerned). However, this reported completion rate was a ‘macro’ figure that aggregated PhD and Master (by full time and part time) completions together. If there really was a problem, then the Faculty needed to know where in the system it was and what potentially might then be done to remedy the problem. The assembling of data into an appropriate database was difficult and required considerable care, but an adequate database was developed. The application of the absorbing markov chains to the problem resulted in an increase in the level of understanding associated with the long term underlying probabilities of completion and also expected durations of candidature. This information highlighted one area of concern. With the information gained from this study, appropriate strategies can subsequently be put in place for the rectification of some of the areas of concern discovered in the analysis. Areas for further research are also highlighted in this paper. Based on an earlier version of a paper delivered at the Western Decisions Sciences Institute 34th Meeting, Vancouver, Canada, 2005.     

Dyslexia as a limitation in the ability to process information

In an earlier paper (Miles and Wheeler 1975) it was reported that dyslexic subjects, aged over 13, were less able than suitably matched non-dyslexic subjects to respond correctly to arrays of tachistoscopically presented digits. A further experiment is now reported involving a younger age-group: 15 dyslexic subjects, average age twelve and one-half, were matched for spelling age with 15 non-dyslexic subjects, average age eight and one-half; and since the dyslexic subjects were appreciably less successful it is argued that “maturational lag” does not, on its own, fully account for the difference in performance between the two groups. A similar procedure was repeated with 41 dyslexic and 41 non-dyslexic subjects, all aged between 10.4 and 14.4, both with and without the introduction of a visual masking stimulus immediately after the test stimulus. Twenty undergraduate “fast-readers,” 20 undergraduate “slow-readers,” and four undergraduate dyslexic subjects were also compared both on their responses to tachistoscopically presented digits and on their performance in a visual search task. The results, taken in conjunction, suggest that dyslexia can be regarded as some kind of limitation in the ability to process information, perhaps affecting in particular the “visual code store” postulated by Posner et al. (1969). This paper was prepared for deliveryin absentia at the 27th Annual Conference of The Orton Society, in New York City, November 1976.     

Assessing scientific performance

A method for assessing scientific performance is proposed and illustrated. Advantages over existing methods are: (1) increased objectivity; (2) increased emphasis on what was rather than who contributed; and (3) increased accuracy in theme identification. The procedure is based on relationships displayed numerically in the published documents. These relationships are extracted and organized as a graphic display representing the conceptual structure for a subject. Individuals or groups contributing to the knowledge of the discipline can be identified. The extent of their contributions also can be documented.The method is illustrated using published documents in Pediatric Oncology for the period 1979–1982. The contributions of a major clinical investigations group, the Childrens Cancer Study Group, are analyzed. The results show increasing contributions by the Group as the conceptual structure changes from the simplest measure of survival to ones requiring sophisticated follow-up and clinical evaluation procedures.