Spoonerism Beyond Language: A Multi-Componential Perspective on Phonological Awareness

Background: Reading difficulties are closely linked to phonological awareness (PA), though PA tasks vary in complexity and cognitive demands. Recent research suggests that dyslexia reflects multiple cognitive risk factors, aligned with multi-level models of reading and recent theories of complex modularity. These models propose that different tasks engage different cognitive modules depending on their structure, according to a dynamic and graded organization. Methods: This study investigates cognitive functions that predict performance on a complex PA task (spoonerism) in 115 fourth-grade Italian students. Results: The results indicate that: (1) dividing the sample into high- and low-performing groups in verbal working memory (alpha span test) and visuospatial working memory (object updating task) revealed that students with lower working memory capacity performed significantly worse on the spoonerism task—underscoring the importance of general working memory for this type of activity; (2) Gaussian graphical models showed that spoonerism performance was strongly associated with the object updating task (r = 0.47) and the alpha span test (r = 0.33), confirming a close link between this phonological task and general working memory. Conclusions: These findings support the view that complex PA tasks depend on a broader set of cognitive systems beyond phonological processing. They align with theories of dynamic modularity, which propose that modularity arises from task demands, not fixed anatomical constraints. In children, the involvement of executive attention suggests that such tasks are not yet automatized but rely on central cognitive control. Understanding this complexity is crucial for interpreting reading performance and developing targeted, multi-componential interventions.