Summary: Problems with visual processing in children and young adults have been associated with dyslexia and linked to difficulties with motor skills and mathematics, affecting how the brain interprets moving or rapidly changing visual information.
Source: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Visual processing refers to how the brain interprets signals from the eyes. When this processing is impaired, it can influence a wide range of abilities beyond reading, including numerical reasoning and coordinated movement.
“Our research confirms that differences in visual processing relate not only to dyslexia but may also help explain why some individuals struggle with mathematics and motor tasks,” says Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson from the Department of Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
The study also offers insight into why some people with dyslexia show slower responses in scenarios that require quick visual-motor reactions, such as simulated driving tasks.
Clear connection
Researchers at NTNU examined two contrasting groups, and their findings are described in a recent paper in the Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research.
One group included the top 10% of performers on a widely used screening test for reading competence, and the other group consisted of the bottom 10% of performers on that same test. In total, nearly 200 young adults participated in the study.
Participants completed assessments using two computer-based tasks. One task measured sensitivity to global coherent motion—how effectively the visual system detects movement or rapid changes in the environment—while the other, a control task, required participants to identify a figure embedded within a pattern, a measure involving form, shape, and color.
“We observed a distinct difference between the high and low reading competence groups in their ability to perceive motion,” Sigmundsson explains. The lower-scoring group required stronger motion signals to detect coherent movement, indicating reduced sensitivity to temporally defined stimuli. By contrast, performance on the form-based control task did not differ significantly between the groups.
These results reinforce earlier findings that link visual motion processing to reading ability. Similar visual-processing differences have also been associated previously with dyscalculia—the difficulty in learning or performing arithmetic—and with certain motor coordination problems in children.
New app simplifies visual screening
Visual processing may reflect an innate sensitivity that is not easily changed through training, which can limit how much improvement is possible through practice alone. Compensatory strategies and targeted interventions can help, but there may be biological constraints on performance related to motion sensitivity.
To make assessment of motion-based visual processing more accessible, the research team developed a mobile application called Magno. Designed for Android, Magno provides a practical tool for screening whether an individual struggles with perceiving rapid visual changes in their environment.
Professor John Krogstie from NTNU’s Department of Computer Science contributed to the app’s development and the study. “At the department we addressed both the technical aspects of running the tests and the practical challenge of managing results if many people are assessed,” Krogstie says. The app enables efficient testing and data handling, which supports broader screening and research efforts.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
This work exemplifies interdisciplinary research. The project brought together experts in psychology, computer science, and learning sciences to build and evaluate a tool that bridges assessment and digital learning support.
“Understanding an individual learner’s specific visual challenges allows us to design customized educational solutions that accommodate those needs,” Krogstie adds. The Magno project is linked to activity within the department’s Learner Computer Interaction workshop, fostering collaboration across academic fields and improving how technology supports learning.
Beyond the technical development, the project highlights how insights about sensory processing can guide the design of digital learning tools. By tailoring content and interaction styles to account for perceptual strengths and weaknesses, educators and developers can better support learners with diverse profiles.
Source:
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Media contacts:
Hermundur Sigmundsson – Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Image source:
The image used is in the public domain.
Original Research: Open access
“Exploring Visual Processing in Adults with High and Low Reading Competence.” Kaja Egset, Bjørnar Wold, John Krogstie and Hermundur Sigmundsson. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. DOI: 10.1080/00313831.2019.1705903.
Abstract
Exploring Visual Processing in Adults with High and Low Reading Competence
The study examined whether visual processing abilities differ across levels of reading competence among young adults in a language with regular orthography. Researchers compared the top 10% and bottom 10% of readers (based on the word chain test) on tasks measuring sensitivity to global coherent motion and global coherent form. Results indicated that the low-reading group had higher thresholds for detecting coherent motion—suggesting lower motion sensitivity—while no group differences appeared on the coherent form task. These findings point to reduced sensitivity to temporally defined visual stimuli among individuals with lower reading competence, which may reflect greater vulnerability in the visual dorsal stream.