This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gregg, N. Articles by Davis, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gregg, N. Articles by Davis, M. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Discourse Complexity of College Writers With and Without Disabilities

A Multidimensional Analysis

University of Georgia (UGA), ngregg{at}coc.uga.edu

Chris Coleman

University of Georgia Regents' Center For Learning Disorders

Robert B. Stennett

University of Georgia psychometrician and instructor of psychology

Mark Davis

University of Georgia Regents' Center For Learning Disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine specific word- and sentence-level features most frequently used in the expository writing of four groups of college writers. Three groups were writers who demonstrated disabilities. Group 1 students (n = 87) demonstrated learning disabilities (LD); Group 2 (n = 50), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and Group 3 (n = 58), combined LD and ADHD. Group 4 consisted of writers with no history of a documented disability (n = 92). Computer-based analysis and structural equation modeling were used to group specific linguistic features identified in the expository essays across all four groups. The frequency of linguistic features, not errors, was analyzed. Four communication dimensions (factors) were identified for the four groups of writers, but the factor loadings and correlations were significantly different across groups. Furthermore, the relationships of specific linguistic features were studied as to their impact on the verbosity, quality, and lexical complexity of students' expository essays. It is interesting to note that very high correlations were found between verbosity, quality, and lexical complexity, suggesting that these constructs are not as separate in their functioning as might be supposed. Implications for assessment and instruction are provided.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Gregg, C. Coleman, M. Davis, and J. C. Chalk Timed Essay Writing: Implications for High-Stakes Tests J Learn Disabil, August 1, 2007; 40(4): 306 - 318. [Abstract] [PDF]