Karmen, O.R.
Clinical and Research Institute of Emergency Pediatric Surgery and Traumatology
Korneev, A.A.
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Child Development, Health and Adaptation
Matveeva, E.Yu.
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Akhutina, T.V.
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Abstract
Background. The assessment of auditory-verbal functions in children is important for understanding the general patterns of their development. It is also necessary for identifying children with weaknesses in this area and providing them with appropriate correction and development. Despite the existence of numerous diagnostic methods for evaluating these functions, the development of novel tools and the estimation of their sensitivity persist as significant and pertinent endeavours.
Objective. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a developed procedure for reproducing pseudo-words (PW) in evaluating the state of auditory-verbal functions in primary school children.
Study Participants. The study involved 129 elementary school students, including 54 second graders and 32 third graders without learning disabilities (LD) and 23 second graders and 20 third graders with LD.
Methods. All children completed the "Pseudowords" methodology developed by the authors. This method included two sets of PW with varying degrees of similarity to real words, varying in length (two- and three-syllable PW) and number (presented individually or in pairs). The auditory stimuli were presented to the subjects, who were instructed to reproduce them with the maximum degree of accuracy. The responses of the subjects were recorded and subsequently analysed. The children also underwent a neuropsychological assessment including evaluation of their auditory-verbal information processing and executive functions.
Results. An analysis of the data demonstrated that, in general, children with learning disabilities tend to reproduce PW less accurately. In addition, the success of reproduction decreased with increasing length of the stimuli and their number in both groups. However, this effect was more pronounced in the LD group. A comparison of the two types of PW — those similar to real words and those dissimilar to real words — revealed that PW close to real words are reproduced better than those far from real words. Furthermore, the effects of PW length and number are more pronounced when reproducing PW that are dissimilar to real words. The expected correlations between the results of the method and neuropsychological indicators of auditory-verbal information processing and executive functions were also identified.
Conclusion. The proposed method demonstrates sensitivity to the evaluation of auditory-verbal information processing functions in children with developmental disorders. Due to the variety of stimuli (pseudowords of different types and lengths), it can be utilized to study the patterns of development and conduct a detailed assessment of the state of auditory-verbal information processing functions in primary school children with normal and abnormal development.
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To cite this article:
Karmen, O.R. , Korneev, A.A., Matveeva, E.Yu. , Akhutina, T.V. .
Assessing Auditory-Verbal Processing Functions in Primary School Children Using a Pseudowords Repetition Method. // National Psychological Journal
2026. 3. Pages85-99. doi: 10.11621/npj.2026.0307
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