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Neveu M, Schwartz C, Rousselle L. Finger counting to relieve working memory in children with developmental coordination disorder: Insights from behavioral and three-dimensional motion analyses. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 243:105909. [PMID: 38522387 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
A limited number of studies have attempted to understand how motor deficits affect numerical abilities in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The purpose of this study was to explore the functionality of finger-counting (FC) in children with DCD. The participants, 15 children with DCD and 15 typically developing (TD) children matched on school level and fluid reasoning abilities, were asked to use FC to solve an ordinal task with high working memory (WM) load. Behavioral measures supplemented with biomechanical measures, from three-dimensional motion analysis synchronized to a voice recording were used to assess children's performance and FC functionality (total duration, inter-finger [IF] transition, IF variance, finger/voice synchronization, and automatization of FC movements). Children with DCD were less accurate than TD children in using FC to solve ordinal problems with high WM load. This group difference could not be accounted for by poor FC skills given that FC movement turned out to be as functional in children with DCD as in their TD peers. When added to the model as a covariate, WM captured a greater proportion of intergroup variability than manual dexterity, further suggesting that their difficulties would be better accounted for by limited WM resources than by fine motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Neveu
- Research Unit for a Life-Course Perspective on Health & Education, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS), B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium.
| | - Cédric Schwartz
- Laboratory of Movement Analysis (LAM)-Motion Lab, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurence Rousselle
- Research Unit for a Life-Course Perspective on Health & Education, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
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2
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Roesch S, Moeller K, Bahnmueller J. Finger counting, finger number gesturing, and basic numerical skills: A cross-sectional study in 3- to 5-year-olds. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 242:105892. [PMID: 38492555 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that using finger-based strategies is beneficial for the acquisition of basic numerical skills. There are basically two finger-based strategies to be distinguished: (a) finger counting (i.e., extending single fingers successively) and (b) finger number gesturing (i.e., extending fingers simultaneously to represent magnitudes). In this study, we investigated both spontaneous and prompted finger counting and finger number gesturing as well as their contribution to basic numerical skills in 3- to 5-year-olds (N = 156). Results revealed that only 6% of children spontaneously used their fingers for counting when asked to name a specific number of animals, whereas 59% applied finger number gesturing to show their age. This indicates that the spontaneous use of finger-based strategies depends heavily on the specific context. Moreover, children performed significantly better in prompted finger counting than in finger number gesturing, suggesting that both strategies build on each other. Finally, both prompted finger counting and finger number gesturing significantly and individually predicted counting, cardinal number knowledge, and basic arithmetic. These results indicate that finger counting and finger number gesturing follow and positively relate to numerical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Roesch
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, 72072 Tübingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen, 72072 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen, 72072 Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Mathematical Cognition, School of Science, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK; Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Bahnmueller
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, School of Science, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK
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3
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Yang QT, Star JR, Harris PL, Rowe ML. Chinese parents' support of preschoolers' mathematical development. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 236:105753. [PMID: 37542744 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Research has documented the critical role played by the early home environment in children's mathematical development in Western contexts. Yet little is known about how Chinese parents support their preschoolers' development of math skills. The Chinese context is of particular interest because Chinese children outperform their Western counterparts in math, even early in development. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining a sample of 90 families of 4- and 5-year-olds from mainland China. Parental support-as measured by the frequency of parent-child engagement in home activities as well as parent number talk-and parents' role in children's numeracy skills were investigated. Results indicate wide variation among parents in both types of support. Frequency of engagement in formal numeracy activities, including counting objects and reading number story books, was related to children's knowledge of cardinality. A principal components analysis did not identify informal numeracy activities as a distinct home activity component, likely due to the infrequent occurrences of game-like numeracy activities among the Chinese families. Instead, a structured activity component emerged (e.g., playing musical instruments) and was positively related to children's arithmetic skills. Diversity, but not quantity, of parent number talk was related to children's symbolic magnitude understanding. The distinctive relationships between specific parental measures and child outcomes speak to the need for nuanced identification of home environment factors that are beneficial to particular math competencies. The findings also suggest cultural variations in the mechanisms that support children's mathematical development, highlighting the merits of investigating this topic in non-Western contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon R Star
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Paul L Harris
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Meredith L Rowe
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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4
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Michirev A, Kühne K, Lindemann O, Fischer MH, Raab M. How to not induce SNAs: The insufficiency of directional force. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288038. [PMID: 37384780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
People respond faster to smaller numbers in their left space and to larger numbers in their right space. Here we argue that movements in space contribute to the formation of spatial-numerical associations (SNAs). We studied the impact of continuous isometric forces along the horizontal or vertical cardinal axes on SNAs while participants performed random number production and arithmetic verification tasks. Our results suggest that such isometric directional force do not suffice to induce SNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Michirev
- Department of Performance Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - K Kühne
- Division of Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - O Lindemann
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - M H Fischer
- Division of Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - M Raab
- Department of Performance Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Guerrero D, Park J. Arithmetic thinking as the basis of children's generative number concepts. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2022.101062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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6
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Finger Use and Arithmetic Skills in Children and Adolescents: a Scoping Review. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10648-023-09722-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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7
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Chytas D, Salmas M, Paraskevas G, Demesticha T, Kefaliakos A, Stavroulakis A, Noussios G. Gestures-enhanced anatomy teaching: A literature review of an educational strategy with promising outcomes. Morphologie 2023; 107:6-11. [PMID: 35659715 DOI: 10.1016/j.morpho.2022.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The educational use of gestures has resulted in positive outcomes in several fields. We performed a literature review to investigate the outcomes of the use of gestures to enhance the existing anatomy education methods. METHODS PubMed, SCOPUS, ERIC and Cochrane databases were searched for papers with purpose to investigate the outcomes of the use of gestures (either seeing or performing them or both) as adjuncts to existing anatomy education methods. RESULTS Six articles were included. Three studies comprised both seeing and performing gestures by the students, while the remaining three studies only comprised either seeing or performing gestures by the students. Most studies evaluated the acquisition of anatomical knowledge after the educational intervention and demonstrated that the addition of gestures resulted in significant benefit compared to control groups, while positive students' perceptions were recorded. It was not clarified whether seeing or performing gestures by the students leads to better educational outcomes. CONCLUSION Gestures-enhanced anatomy education seems to be a promising teaching strategy, given that it has led to significantly increased acquisition of anatomical knowledge compared to no gestures-enhanced modalities. The addition of gestures to existing anatomy education modalities seems able to increase their potential without increasing their cost. Further research is needed to determine if seeing or performing gestures by the students is more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Chytas
- Department of physiotherapy, university of Peloponnese, 20, Plateon Street, 23100 Sparta, Greece.
| | - M Salmas
- Department of anatomy, school of medicine, National and Kapodistrian university of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - G Paraskevas
- Department of anatomy and surgical anatomy, school of medicine, faculty of health sciences, Aristotle university of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - T Demesticha
- Department of anatomy, school of medicine, National and Kapodistrian university of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - A Kefaliakos
- National and Kapodistrian university of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - A Stavroulakis
- School of medicine, university of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - G Noussios
- Department of physical education and sports sciences of Serres, Aristotle university of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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8
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Canonical finger-numeral configurations facilitate the processing of Arabic numerals in adults: An Event-Related Potential study. Neuropsychologia 2022; 170:108214. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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9
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Schröder E, Gredebäck G, Forssman L, Lindskog M. Predicting children's emerging understanding of numbers. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13207. [PMID: 34870876 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How do children construct a concept of natural numbers? Past research addressing this question has mainly focused on understanding how children come to acquire the cardinality principle. However, at that point children already understand the first number words and have a rudimentary natural number concept in place. The question therefore remains; what gets children's number learning off the ground? We therefore, based on previous empirical and theoretical work, tested which factors predict the first stages of children's natural number understanding. We assessed if children's expressive vocabulary, visuospatial working memory, and ANS (Approximate number system) acuity at 18 months of age could predict their natural number knowledge at 2.5 years of age. We found that early expressive vocabulary and visuospatial working memory were important for later number knowledge. The results of the current study add to a growing body of literature showing the importance of language in children's learning about numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Schröder
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Linda Forssman
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcus Lindskog
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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10
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Erb CD, Moher J, Marcovitch S. Attentional capture in goal-directed action during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 214:105273. [PMID: 34509699 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Attentional capture occurs when salient but task-irrelevant information disrupts our ability to respond to task-relevant information. Although attentional capture costs have been found to decrease between childhood and adulthood, it is currently unclear the extent to which such age-related changes reflect an improved ability to recover from attentional capture or to avoid attentional capture. In addition, recent research using hand-tracking techniques with adults indicates that attentional capture by a distractor can generate response activations corresponding to the distractor's location, consistent with action-centered models of attention. However, it is unknown whether attentional capture can also result in the capture of action in children and adolescents. Therefore, we presented 5-year-olds, 9-year-olds, 13- and 14-year-olds, and adults (N = 96) with a singleton search task in which participants responded by reaching to touch targets on a digital display. Consistent with action-centered models of attention, distractor effects were evident in each age group's movement trajectories. In contrast to movement trajectories, movement times revealed significant age-related reductions in the costs of attentional capture, suggesting that age-related improvements in attentional control may be driven in part by an enhanced ability to recover from-as opposed to avoid-attentional capture. Children's performance was also significantly affected by response repetition effects, indicating that children may be more susceptible to interference from a wider range of task-irrelevant factors than adults. In addition to presenting novel insights into the development of attention and action, these results highlight the benefits of incorporating hand-tracking techniques into developmental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Erb
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
| | - Jeff Moher
- Department of Psychology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | - Stuart Marcovitch
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
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11
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Michirev A, Musculus L, Raab M. A Developmental Embodied Choice Perspective Explains the Development of Numerical Choices. Front Psychol 2021; 12:694750. [PMID: 34489801 PMCID: PMC8417601 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to explore how an embodied view can redirect our understanding of decision making. To achieve this goal, we contribute a developmental embodied choice perspective. Our perspective integrates embodiment and bounded rationality from a developmental view in which the body provides cues that are used in abstract choices. Hereby, the cues evolve with the body that is not static and changes through development. To demonstrate the body’s involvement in abstract choices, we will consider choices in numerical settings in which the body is not necessarily needed for the solution. For this, we consider the magnitude-judgment task in which one has to choose the larger of two magnitudes. In a nutshell, our perspective will pinpoint how the concept of embodied choices can explain the development of numerical choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexej Michirev
- Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lisa Musculus
- Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus Raab
- Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Pyers JE, Magid R, Gollan TH, Emmorey K. Gesture Helps, Only If You Need It: Inhibiting Gesture Reduces Tip-of-the-Tongue Resolution for Those With Weak Short-Term Memory. Cogn Sci 2021; 45:e12914. [PMID: 33389787 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
People frequently gesture when a word is on the tip of their tongue (TOT), yet research is mixed as to whether and why gesture aids lexical retrieval. We tested three accounts: the lexical retrieval hypothesis, which predicts that semantically related gestures facilitate successful lexical retrieval; the cognitive load account, which predicts that matching gestures facilitate lexical retrieval only when retrieval is hard, as in the case of a TOT; and the motor movement account, which predicts that any motor movements should support lexical retrieval. In Experiment 1 (a between-subjects study; N = 90), gesture inhibition, but not neck inhibition, affected TOT resolution but not overall lexical retrieval; participants in the gesture-inhibited condition resolved fewer TOTs than participants who were allowed to gesture. When participants could gesture, they produced more representational gestures during resolved than unresolved TOTs, a pattern not observed for meaningless motor movements (e.g., beats). However, the effect of gesture inhibition on TOT resolution was not uniform; some participants resolved many TOTs, while others struggled. In Experiment 2 (a within-subjects study; N = 34), the effect of gesture inhibition was traced to individual differences in verbal, not spatial short-term memory (STM) span; those with weaker verbal STM resolved fewer TOTs when unable to gesture. This relationship between verbal STM and TOT resolution was not observed when participants were allowed to gesture. Taken together, these results fit the cognitive load account; when lexical retrieval is hard, gesture effectively reduces the cognitive load of TOT resolution for those who find the task especially taxing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel Magid
- Psychology Department, Wellesley College.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| | - Tamar H Gollan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
| | - Karen Emmorey
- School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University
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13
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Electrophysiological evidence for internalized representations of canonical finger-number gestures and their facilitating effects on adults' math verification performance. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11776. [PMID: 34083708 PMCID: PMC8175394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91303-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fingers facilitate number learning and arithmetic processing in early childhood. The current study investigated whether images of early-learned, culturally-typical (canonical), finger montring patterns presenting smaller (2,3,4) or larger (7,8,9) quantities still facilitate adults' performance and neural processing in a math verification task. Twenty-eight adults verified solutions to simple addition problems that were shown in the form of canonical or non-canonical finger-number montring patterns while measuring Event Related Potentials (ERPs). Results showed more accurate and faster sum verification when sum solutions were shown by canonical (versus non-canonical) finger patterns. Canonical finger montring patterns 2-4 led to faster responses independent of whether they presented correct or incorrect sum solutions and elicited an enhanced early right-parietal P2p response, whereas canonical configurations 7-9 only facilitated performance in correct sum solution trials without evoking P2p effects. The later central-parietal P3 was enhanced to all canonical finger patterns irrespective of numerical range. These combined results provide behavioral and brain evidence for canonical cardinal finger patterns still having facilitating effects on adults' number processing. They further suggest that finger montring configurations of numbers 2-4 have stronger internalized associations with other magnitude representations, possibly established through their mediating role in the developmental phase in which children acquire the numerical meaning of the first four number symbols.
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14
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Gordon R, Ramani GB. Integrating Embodied Cognition and Information Processing: A Combined Model of the Role of Gesture in Children's Mathematical Environments. Front Psychol 2021; 12:650286. [PMID: 33897559 PMCID: PMC8062855 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.650286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Children learn and use various strategies to solve math problems. One way children's math learning can be supported is through their use of and exposure to hand gestures. Children's self-produced gestures can reveal unique, math-relevant knowledge that is not contained in their speech. Additionally, these gestures can assist with their math learning and problem solving by supporting their cognitive processes, such as executive function. The gestures that children observe during math instructions are also linked to supporting cognition. Specifically, children are better able to learn, retain, and generalize knowledge about math when that information is presented within the gestures that accompany an instructor's speech. To date, no conceptual model provides an outline regarding how these gestures and the math environment are connected, nor how they may interact with children's underlying cognitive capacities such as their executive function. In this review, we propose a new model based on an integration of the information processing approach and theory of embodied cognition. We provide an in-depth review of the related literature and consider how prior research aligns with each link within the proposed model. Finally, we discuss the utility of the proposed model as it pertains to future research endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raychel Gordon
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Geetha B Ramani
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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15
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Gordon R, Scalise NR, Ramani GB. Give yourself a hand: The role of gesture and working memory in preschoolers' numerical knowledge. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 208:105145. [PMID: 33848695 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Hand gestures can be beneficial in math contexts to reduce the user's cognitive load by supporting domain-general abilities such as working memory. Although prior work has shown a strong relation between young children's early math performance and their general cognitive abilities, it is important to consider how children's working memory ability may relate to their use of spontaneous gesture as well as their math-specific abilities. The current study examined how preschool-aged children's gesture use and working memory relate to their performance on an age-appropriate math task. Head Start preschoolers (N = 81) were videotaped while completing a modified version of the Give-N task to measure their cardinality understanding. Children also completed a forward word span task and a computerized Corsi Block task to assess their working memory. The results showed that children's spontaneous gesture use and working memory were related to their performance on the cardinality task. However, children's gestures were not significantly related to working memory after controlling for age. Findings suggest that young children from low-income backgrounds use gestures during math contexts in similar ways to preschoolers from higher-income backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raychel Gordon
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Nicole R Scalise
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Geetha B Ramani
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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16
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Gibson DJ, Gunderson EA, Levine SC. Causal Effects of Parent Number Talk on Preschoolers' Number Knowledge. Child Dev 2020; 91:e1162-e1177. [PMID: 33164211 PMCID: PMC10683715 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in children's number knowledge arise early and are associated with variation in parents' number talk. However, there exists little experimental evidence of a causal link between parent number talk and children's number knowledge. Parent number talk was manipulated by creating picture books which parents were asked to read with their children every day for 4 weeks. N = 100 two- to four-year olds and their parents were randomly assigned to read either Small Number (1-3), Large Number (4-6), or Control (non-numerical) books. Small Number books were particularly effective in promoting number knowledge relative to the Control books. However, children who began the study further along in their number development also benefited from reading the Large Number Books with their parents.
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17
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Miller HE, Andrews CA, Simmering VR. Speech and Gesture Production Provide Unique Insights Into Young Children's Spatial Reasoning. Child Dev 2020; 91:1934-1952. [PMID: 32720714 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study took a novel approach to understanding the role of language in spatial development by combining approaches from spatial language and gesture research. It analyzed forty-three 4.5- to 6-year-old's speech and gesture production during explanations of reasoning behind performance on Spatial Analogies and Children's Mental Transformation Tasks. Results showed that speech and gesture relevant for solving the trials (disambiguating correct choices) predicted spatial performance when controlling for age, gender, and spatial words and gestures produced. Children performed the spatial tasks well if they produced relevant information either verbally through speech or nonverbally through gesture. These results highlight the importance of not only focusing on concepts children can reference but also on how such concepts are used in spatial tasks.
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18
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Barrocas R, Roesch S, Gawrilow C, Moeller K. Putting a Finger on Numerical Development - Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1012. [PMID: 32528379 PMCID: PMC7264267 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The well-documented association between fingers and numbers is not only based on the observation that most children use their fingers for counting and initial calculation, but also on extensive behavioral and neuro-functional evidence. In this article, we critically review developmental studies evaluating the association between finger sensorimotor skills (i.e., finger gnosis and fine motor skills) and numerical abilities. In sum, reviewed studies were found to provide evidential value and indicated that both finger gnosis and fine motor skills predict measures of counting, number system knowledge, number magnitude processing, and calculation ability. Therefore, specific and unique contributions of both finger gnosis and fine motor skills to the development of numerical skills seem to be substantiated. Through critical consideration of the reviewed evidence, we suggest that the association of finger gnosis and fine motor skills with numerical abilities may emerge from a combination of functional and redeployment mechanisms, in which the early use of finger-based numerical strategies during childhood might be the developmental process by which number representations become intertwined with the finger sensorimotor system, which carries an innate predisposition for said association to unfold. Further research is nonetheless necessary to clarify the causal mechanisms underlying this association.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Caterina Gawrilow
- Department of Psychology, LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- Leibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
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19
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O'Rear CD, McNeil NM, Kirkland PK. Partial knowledge in the development of number word understanding. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12944. [PMID: 32026558 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A common measure of number word understanding is the give-N task. Traditionally, to receive credit for understanding a number, N, children must understand that N does not apply to other set sizes (e.g. a child who gives three when asked for 'three' but also when asked for 'four' would not be credited with knowing 'three'). However, it is possible that children who correctly provide the set size directly above their knower level but also provide that number for other number words ('N + 1 givers') may be in a partial, transitional knowledge state. In an integrative analysis including 191 preschoolers, subset knowers who correctly gave N + 1 at pretest performed better at posttest than did those who did not correctly give N + 1. This performance was not reflective of 'full' knowledge of N + 1, as N + 1 givers performed worse than traditionally coded knowers of that set size on separate measures of number word understanding within a given timepoint. Results support the idea of graded representations (Munakata, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 5, 309-315, 2001.) in number word development and suggest traditional approaches to coding the give-N task may not completely capture children's knowledge.
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Testolin A. The Challenge of Modeling the Acquisition of Mathematical Concepts. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:100. [PMID: 32265678 PMCID: PMC7099599 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As a full-blown research topic, numerical cognition is investigated by a variety of disciplines including cognitive science, developmental and educational psychology, linguistics, anthropology and, more recently, biology and neuroscience. However, despite the great progress achieved by such a broad and diversified scientific inquiry, we are still lacking a comprehensive theory that could explain how numerical concepts are learned by the human brain. In this perspective, I argue that computer simulation should have a primary role in filling this gap because it allows identifying the finer-grained computational mechanisms underlying complex behavior and cognition. Modeling efforts will be most effective if carried out at cross-disciplinary intersections, as attested by the recent success in simulating human cognition using techniques developed in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In this respect, deep learning models have provided valuable insights into our most basic quantification abilities, showing how numerosity perception could emerge in multi-layered neural networks that learn the statistical structure of their visual environment. Nevertheless, this modeling approach has not yet scaled to more sophisticated cognitive skills that are foundational to higher-level mathematical thinking, such as those involving the use of symbolic numbers and arithmetic principles. I will discuss promising directions to push deep learning into this uncharted territory. If successful, such endeavor would allow simulating the acquisition of numerical concepts in its full complexity, guiding empirical investigation on the richest soil and possibly offering far-reaching implications for educational practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Testolin
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Di Nuovo A, McClelland JL. Developing the knowledge of number digits in a child-like robot. NAT MACH INTELL 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-019-0123-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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22
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Zippert EL, Eason SH, Marshall S, Ramani GB. Preschool children's math exploration during play with peers. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2019.101072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Coccoz V, Lozada M, Salsa A, Scheuer N. Enactive experience promotes early number understanding: a study with 3-year-old children. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2019.1676758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Coccoz
- IPEHCS, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - M. Lozada
- INIBIOMA, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - A. Salsa
- IRICE, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - N. Scheuer
- IPEHCS, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
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Pantsar M. The Enculturated Move From Proto-Arithmetic to Arithmetic. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1454. [PMID: 31354559 PMCID: PMC6630192 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The basic human ability to treat quantitative information can be divided into two parts. With proto-arithmetical ability, based on the core cognitive abilities for subitizing and estimation, numerosities can be treated in a limited and/or approximate manner. With arithmetical ability, numerosities are processed (counted, operated on) systematically in a discrete, linear, and unbounded manner. In this paper, I study the theory of enculturation as presented by Menary (2015) as a possible explanation of how we make the move from the proto-arithmetical ability to arithmetic proper. I argue that enculturation based on neural reuse provides a theoretically sound and fruitful framework for explaining this development. However, I show that a comprehensive explanation must be based on valid theoretical distinctions and involve several stages in the development of arithmetical knowledge. I provide an account that meets these challenges and thus leads to a better understanding of the subject of enculturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Pantsar
- Department of Philosophy, History and Art University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Gibson DJ, Gunderson EA, Spaepen E, Levine SC, Goldin-Meadow S. Number gestures predict learning of number words. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12791. [PMID: 30566755 PMCID: PMC6470030 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
When asked to explain their solutions to a problem, children often gesture and, at times, these gestures convey information that is different from the information conveyed in speech. Children who produce these gesture-speech "mismatches" on a particular task have been found to profit from instruction on that task. We have recently found that some children produce gesture-speech mismatches when identifying numbers at the cusp of their knowledge, for example, a child incorrectly labels a set of two objects with the word "three" and simultaneously holds up two fingers. These mismatches differ from previously studied mismatches (where the information conveyed in gesture has the potential to be integrated with the information conveyed in speech) in that the gestured response contradicts the spoken response. Here, we ask whether these contradictory number mismatches predict which learners will profit from number-word instruction. We used the Give-a-Number task to measure number knowledge in 47 children (Mage = 4.1 years, SD = 0.58), and used the What's on this Card task to assess whether children produced gesture-speech mismatches above their knower level. Children who were early in their number learning trajectories ("one-knowers" and "two-knowers") were then randomly assigned, within knower level, to one of two training conditions: a Counting condition in which children practiced counting objects; or an Enriched Number Talk condition containing counting, labeling set sizes, spatial alignment of neighboring sets, and comparison of these sets. Controlling for counting ability, we found that children were more likely to learn the meaning of new number words in the Enriched Number Talk condition than in the Counting condition, but only if they had produced gesture-speech mismatches at pretest. The findings suggest that numerical gesture-speech mismatches are a reliable signal that a child is ready to profit from rich number instruction and provide evidence, for the first time, that cardinal number gestures have a role to play in number-learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Gibson
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Elizabet Spaepen
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Susan C Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Di Nuovo A, Jay T. Development of numerical cognition in children and artificial systems: a review of the current knowledge and proposals for multi‐disciplinary research. COGNITIVE COMPUTATION AND SYSTEMS 2019. [DOI: 10.1049/ccs.2018.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Di Nuovo
- Sheffield RoboticsDepartment of ComputingSheffield Hallam UniversityHoward StreetSheffieldUK
| | - Tim Jay
- Sheffield Institute of EducationSheffield Hallam UniversityHoward StreetSheffieldUK
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Pixner S, Dresen V, Moeller K. Differential Development of Children's Understanding of the Cardinality of Small Numbers and Zero. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1636. [PMID: 30319475 PMCID: PMC6167490 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Counting and the understanding of cardinality are important steps in children’s numerical development. Recent studies have indicated that language and visuospatial abilities play an important role in the development of children’s cardinal knowledge of small numbers. However, predictors for the knowledge about zero were usually not considered in these studies. Therefore, the present study investigated whether the acquisition of cardinality knowledge on small numbers and the concept of zero share cross-domain and domain-specific numerical predictors. Particular interest was paid to the question whether visuospatial abilities – in addition to language abilities – were associated with children’s understanding of small numbers and zero. Accordingly, we assessed kindergarteners aged 4 to 5 years in terms of their understanding of small numbers and zero as well as their visuospatial, general language, counting, Arabic number identification abilities, and their finger number knowledge. We observed significant zero-order correlations of vocabulary, number identification, finger knowledge, and counting abilities with children’s knowledge about zero as well as understanding of the cardinality of small numbers. Subsequent regression analyses substantiated the influences of counting abilities on knowledge about zero and the influences of both counting abilities and finger knowledge on children’s understanding of the cardinality of small numbers. No significant influences of cross-domain predictors were observed. In sum, these results indicate that domain-specific numerical precursor skills seem to be more important for children’s development of an understanding of the cardinality of small numbers as well as of the concept of zero than the more proximal cross-domain abilities such as language and visuospatial abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pixner
- Institute of Psychology, UMIT - Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Verena Dresen
- Institute of Psychology, UMIT - Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,LEAD Graduate School & Research Network and Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Sehyr ZS, Nicodemus B, Petrich J, Emmorey K. Referring strategies in American Sign Language and English (with co-speech gesture): The role of modality in referring to non-nameable objects. APPLIED PSYCHOLINGUISTICS 2018; 39:961-987. [PMID: 31595097 PMCID: PMC6781880 DOI: 10.1017/s0142716418000061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
American Sign Language (ASL) and English differ in linguistic resources available to express visual-spatial information. In a referential communication task, we examined the effect of language modality on the creation and mutual acceptance of reference to non-nameable figures. In both languages, description times reduced over iterations and references to the figures' geometric properties ("shape-based reference") declined over time in favor of expressions describing the figures' resemblance to nameable objects ("analogy-based reference"). ASL signers maintained a preference for shape-based reference until the final (sixth) round, while English speakers transitioned toward analogy-based reference by Round 3. Analogy-based references were more time efficient (associated with shorter round description times). Round completion times were longer for ASL than for English, possibly due to gaze demands of the task and/or to more shape-based descriptions. Signers' referring expressions remained unaffected by figure complexity while speakers preferred analogy-based expressions for complex figures and shape-based expressions for simple figures. Like speech, co-speech gestures decreased over iterations. Gestures primarily accompanied shape-based references, but listeners rarely looked at these gestures, suggesting that they were recruited to aid the speaker rather than the addressee. Overall, different linguistic resources (classifier constructions vs. geometric vocabulary) imposed distinct demands on referring strategies in ASL and English.
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Spaepen E, Gunderson EA, Gibson D, Goldin-Meadow S, Levine SC. Meaning before order: Cardinal principle knowledge predicts improvement in understanding the successor principle and exact ordering. Cognition 2018; 180:59-81. [PMID: 30007878 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Learning the cardinal principle (the last word reached when counting a set represents the size of the whole set) is a major milestone in early mathematics. But researchers disagree about the relationship between cardinal principle knowledge and other concepts, including how counting implements the successor function (for each number word N representing a cardinal value, the next word in the count list represents the cardinal value N + 1) and exact ordering (cardinal values can be ordered such that each is one more than the value before it and one less than the value after it). No studies have investigated acquisition of the successor principle and exact ordering over time, and in relation to cardinal principle knowledge. An open question thus remains: Is the cardinal principle a "gatekeeper" concept children must acquire before learning about succession and exact ordering, or can these concepts develop separately? Preschoolers (N = 127) who knew the cardinal principle (CP-knowers) or who knew the cardinal meanings of number words up to "three" or "four" (3-4-knowers) completed succession and exact ordering tasks at pretest and posttest. In between, children completed one of two trainings: counting only versus counting, cardinal labeling, and comparison. CP-knowers started out better than 3-4-knowers on succession and exact ordering. Controlling for this disparity, we found that CP-knowers improved over time on succession and exact ordering; 3-4-knowers did not. Improvement did not differ between the two training conditions. We conclude that children can learn the cardinal principle without understanding succession or exact ordering and hypothesize that children must understand the cardinal principle before learning these concepts.
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Erb CD. The developing mind in action: measuring manual dynamics in childhood. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2018.1454449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Lautrey J. Cognitive Development Is a Reconstruction Process that May Follow Different Pathways: The Case of Number. J Intell 2018; 6:E15. [PMID: 31162442 PMCID: PMC6480789 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence6010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Some cognitive functions shared by humans and certain animals were acquired early in the course of phylogeny and, in humans, are operational in their primitive form shortly after birth. This is the case for the quantification of discrete objects. The further phylogenetic evolution of the human brain allows such functions to be reconstructed in a much more sophisticated way during child development. Certain functional characteristics of the brain (plasticity, multiple cognitive processes involved in the same response, interactions, and substitution relationships between those processes) provide degrees of freedom that open up the possibility of different pathways of reconstruction. The within- and between-individual variability of these developmental pathways offers an original window on the dynamics of development. Here, I will illustrate this theoretical approach to cognitive development-which can be called "reconstructivist" and "pluralistic"-using children's construction of number as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Lautrey
- Institut de Psychologie, Paris Descartes University, 71 Avenue Edouard Vaillant, 92774 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
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Cherdieu M, Palombi O, Gerber S, Troccaz J, Rochet-Capellan A. Make Gestures to Learn: Reproducing Gestures Improves the Learning of Anatomical Knowledge More than Just Seeing Gestures. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1689. [PMID: 29062287 PMCID: PMC5640824 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Manual gestures can facilitate problem solving but also language or conceptual learning. Both seeing and making the gestures during learning seem to be beneficial. However, the stronger activation of the motor system in the second case should provide supplementary cues to consolidate and re-enact the mental traces created during learning. We tested this hypothesis in the context of anatomy learning by naïve adult participants. Anatomy is a challenging topic to learn and is of specific interest for research on embodied learning, as the learning content can be directly linked to learners' body. Two groups of participants were asked to look at a video lecture on the forearm anatomy. The video included a model making gestures related to the content of the lecture. Both groups see the gestures but only one also imitate the model. Tests of knowledge were run just after learning and few days later. The results revealed that imitating gestures improves the recall of structures names and their localization on a diagram. This effect was however significant only in long-term assessments. This suggests that: (1) the integration of motor actions and knowledge may require sleep; (2) a specific activation of the motor system during learning may improve the consolidation and/or the retrieval of memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélaine Cherdieu
- GIPSA-Lab, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Grenoble, France
| | - Olivier Palombi
- LADAF, University Hospital, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,LJK, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Grenoble, France
| | - Silvain Gerber
- GIPSA-Lab, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Grenoble, France
| | - Jocelyne Troccaz
- TIMC-IMAG, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Grenoble, France
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Abstract
Video recording technology allows for the discovery of psychological phenomena that might otherwise go unnoticed. We focus here on gesture as an example of such a phenomenon. Gestures are movements of the hands or body that people spontaneously produce while speaking or thinking through a difficult problem. Despite their ubiquity, speakers are not always aware that they are gesturing, and listeners are not always aware that they are observing gesture. We review how video technology has facilitated major insights within the field of gesture research by allowing researchers to capture, quantify, and better understand these transient movements. We propose that gesture, which can be easily missed if it is not a researcher’s focus, has the potential to affect thinking and learning in the people who produce it, as well as in the people who observe it, and that it can alter the communicative context of an experiment or social interaction. Finally, we discuss the challenges of using video technology to capture gesture in psychological studies, and we discuss opportunities and suggestions for making use of this rich source of information both within the field of developmental psychology and within the field of organizational psychology.
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Abstract
Piaget was a master at observing the routine behaviors children produce as they go from knowing less to knowing more about at a task, and making inferences not only about how the children understood the task at each point, but also about how they progressed from one point to the next. In this paper, I examine a routine behavior that Piaget overlooked-the spontaneous gestures speakers produce as they explain their solutions to a problem. These gestures are not mere hand waving. They reflect ideas that the speaker has about the problem, often ideas that are not found in that speaker's talk. But gesture can do more than reflect ideas-it can also change them. In this sense, gesture behaves like any other action; both gesture and action on objects facilitate learning problems on which training was given. However, only gesture promotes transferring the knowledge gained to problems that require generalization. Gesture is, in fact, a special kind of action in that it represents the world rather than directly manipulating the world (gesture does not move objects around). The mechanisms by which gesture and action promote learning may therefore differ-gesture is able to highlight components of an action that promote abstract learning while leaving out details that could tie learning to a specific context. Because it is both an action and a representation, gesture can serve as a bridge between the two and thus be a powerful tool for learning abstract ideas.
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Novack M, Goldin-Meadow S. Learning from gesture: How our hands change our minds. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2015; 27:405-412. [PMID: 26366048 PMCID: PMC4562024 DOI: 10.1007/s10648-015-9325-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
When people talk, they gesture, and those gestures often reveal information that cannot be found in speech. Learners are no exception. A learner's gestures can index moments of conceptual instability, and teachers can make use of those gestures to gain access into a student's thinking. Learners can also discover novel ideas from the gestures they produce during a lesson, or from the gestures they see their teachers produce. Gesture thus has the power not only to reflect a learner's understanding of a problem, but also to change that understanding. This review explores how gesture supports learning across development, and ends by offering suggestions for ways in which gesture can be recruited in educational settings.
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