Random Number Generation in Adults With Dyslexia: Further Evidence of Dyslexia‐Related Executive Function Difficulties

Growing evidence indicates that people with dyslexia have executive function deficits. The current study used a random generation task as a novel way to investigate executive function in adults with dyslexia. Participants (total N = 54) were asked to produce an unpredictable sequence of 100 digits verbally. Over the course of the task, the dyslexia group's performance improved gradually, while the control group's performance remained stable. An analysis by 25-digit quartiles showed that the group with dyslexia performed better in the middle to end of the task when compared with their performance earlier in the task. This result suggests that the dyslexia group initially struggled with the executive demands due to task novelty and difficulties with instantiating appropriate strategies. Over time, the group with dyslexia improved and performed better than the group without dyslexia by the end of the task. These initial difficulties are suggestive of dyslexia-related Supervisory Attentional System (SAS) dysfunction, with the SAS in dyslexia progressively operating more smoothly in its continuous monitoring and control of responses. As well as contributing to theoretical discussions about the role of executive function in dyslexia, the results have implications for supporting people with dyslexia when encountering new tasks.