Role of inner speech on the Luria hand test

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the psychological characteristics of the Luria hand test (LHT), a well-known neuropsychological assessment. We investigated the role of inner speech in LHT using the dual-task paradigm. Additionally, we investigated the relation between LHT and Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised (WMS-R) scores. Performance of the 21 university student participants on the LHT decreased significantly in the articulatory suppression condition, but not in spatial suppression. This result indicates that the inner speech or phonological loop of working memory plays an important role in the LHT. Moreover, only the verbal memory score of the WMS-R was correlated significantly with LHT performance. Based on these results, psychological characteristics of the LHT were discussed.

Keywords:

• Luria hand test (LHT)
• inner speech
• Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised (WMS-R)
• working memory
• dual task

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Erratum

Public Interest Statement

The Luria hand test (LHT; Luria, 1966), a well-known neurological assessment, has been regarded as a non-verbal test of serial recall. This study investigates the role of inner speech in the LHT using the dual-task paradigm. The LHT is administered under three conditions: control, under articulatory suppression, and under spatial suppression. In the “control condition”, participants are asked to reproduce sequenced movements made by the examiner such as a “fist–edge–palm”. In the “articulatory suppression” condition, participants are asked to reproduce sequential movements, but they are also required to repeat an irrelevant letter. In the “spatial suppression” condition, participants are required to do visually guide sequential tapping when the examiner presents the hand movements. Results indicate that inner speech and kinesthetic information plays an important role in performing the LHT.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the generous participants who made this work possible.

Erratum

This article was originally published with errors. This version has been corrected. Please see Erratum (https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2018.1464630).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shota Mitsuhashi

Shota Mitsuhashi is an undergraduate student in the Graduate School of Education at Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan. His main research interest is serial recall and inner speech of children with developmental disabilities.

Shogo Hirata

Shogo Hirata, PhD, is a research associate of the Department of Elementary Education at Ibaraki Christian University, Japan. He earned a PhD in Education from Tokyo Gakugei University in 2012 (Supervisor: Mitsuru Kokubun). His main research interest is motor and cognitive control of people with developmental disabilities such as intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders.

Hideyuki Okuzumi

Hideyuki Okuzumi, PhD, is a professor in the Faculty of Education at Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan.