Memory and intellectual styles: Performance of students with learning disabilities

Abstract

Abstract Studies addressing issues related to information processing are necessary to understand some of the explanatory aspects of the changes in the learning process. The objective of the this study was to evaluate memory and intellectual styles in Elementary and Middle school students diagnosed with dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and in students without learning disabilities. A total of 370 students from public schools were individually evaluated using the Rey Complex Figure Test and the Thinking Styles Inventory – Revised II. The results showed significant differences in the memory condition between students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and those without learning disabilities. Significant differences in the scores of the Thinking Styles Inventory were also found between the three groups evaluated. Memory was negatively correlated with the conservative style. The difference between the groups and the correlation between these instruments pointed to the need for further research to assess these variables in the groups of students with learning disabilities.