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Ma M, Likhanov M, Zhou X. Number sense-arithmetic link in Grade 1 and Grade 2: A case of fluency. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 94:897-918. [PMID: 38802998 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent research suggested fluent processing as an explanation on why number sense contributes to simple arithmetic tasks-'Fluency hypothesis'. AIMS The current study investigates whether number sense contributes to such arithmetic tasks when other cognitive factors are controlled for (including those that mediate the link); and whether this contribution varies as a function of participants' individual maths fluency levels. SAMPLE Four hundred and thirty-seven Chinese schoolchildren (186 females; Mage = 83.49 months) completed a range of cognitive measures in Grade 1 (no previous classroom training) and in Grade 2 (a year later). METHODS Number sense, arithmetic (addition and subtraction), spatial ability, visuo-spatial working memory, perception, reaction time, character reading and general intelligence were measured. RESULTS Our data showed that the link between number sense and arithmetic was weaker in Grade 1 (Beta = .15 for addition and .06 (ns) for subtraction) compared to Grade 2 (.23-.28), but still persisted in children with no previous maths training. Further, math's performance in Grade 1 did not affect the link between number sense and maths performance in Grade 2. CONCLUSION Our data extended previous findings by showing that number sense is linked with simple maths task performance even after controlling for multiple cognitive factors. Our results brought some evidence that number sense-arithmetic link is somewhat sensitive to previous formal maths education. Further research is needed, as the differences in effects between grades were quite small, and arithmetic in Grade 1 did not moderate the link at question in Grade 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Maxim Likhanov
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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2
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Alrefaei MM. Number sense deficits in children with developmental dyscalculia, dyslexia, co-occurring disorder and their typically developing peers. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38946198 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2024.2364729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore a number sense deficits in children with developmental dyscalculia, dyslexia, co-occurring disorder and their typically developing peers. A non-symbolic quantity comparison task was used in this study to examine whether children with dyscalculia have number sense deficits. Children aged 10-11 years old from nine primary schools in Taif city, Saudi Arabia, were selected to participate in this study. The children were divided into the dyscalculia group (n = 62), the dyslexia group (n = 60), and co-occurring disorder group (n = 65), and the typically developing peers group (n = 100).4 groups (dyscalculia, dyslexia, co-occurring disorder and typically developing peers group) × 2 stimulus ratio (6:7; 8:12). There were significant differences in non-symbolic quantity comparison tasks between children with dyslexia, co-occurring disorder, and typically developing peers. These results indicate that children with dyscalculia do have number sense deficiencies, but number sense deficiencies are not specific to children with dyscalculia.
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Kuzmina Y, Antipkina I. The Association between Approximate Number Sense (ANS) and Math Achievement Depends on the Format of the ANS Test. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2063293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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4
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Sheardown E, Torres-Perez JV, Anagianni S, Fraser SE, Vallortigara G, Butterworth B, Miletto-Petrazzini ME, Brennan CH. Characterizing ontogeny of quantity discrimination in zebrafish. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212544. [PMID: 35135351 PMCID: PMC8826302 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A sense of non-symbolic numerical magnitudes is widespread in the animal kingdom and has been documented in adult zebrafish. Here, we investigated the ontogeny of this ability using a group size preference (GSP) task in juvenile zebrafish. Fish showed GSP from 21 days post-fertilization and reliably chose the larger group when presented with discriminations of between 1 versus 3, 2 versus 5 and 2 versus 3 conspecifics but not 2 versus 4 conspecifics. When the ratio between the number of conspecifics in each group was maintained at 1 : 2, fish could discriminate between 1 versus 2 individuals and 3 versus 6, but again, not when given a choice between 2 versus 4 individuals. These findings are in agreement with studies in other species, suggesting the systems involved in quantity representation do not operate separately from other cognitive mechanisms. Rather they suggest quantity processing in fishes may be the result of an interplay between attentional, cognitive and memory-related mechanisms as in humans and other animals. Our results emphasize the potential of the use of zebrafish to explore the genetic and neural processes underlying the ontogeny and function of number cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sheardown
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Jose Vicente Torres-Perez
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Biologia Funcional i Antropologia física, Fac. de CC. Biològiques, Universitat de València, C/ Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot (València), Spain
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Sofia Anagianni
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Scott E. Fraser
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Brian Butterworth
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Maria Elena Miletto-Petrazzini
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Caroline H. Brennan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
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5
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The Differential Heritability of Social Adjustment by Sex. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18020621. [PMID: 33450905 PMCID: PMC7828361 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in social adjustment are frequently observed; however, there has been very little research on adaptability in the individual and social domains. The aim of this study was to investigate the sex difference in social abilities, such as high self-appeal, sociability, school adaptation, and home adaptation between school-age males and females. The sample for this study included both same-sex and opposite-sex twin pairs: a total of 467 twin pairs. We classified them into three groups: a group of those in lower classes of elementary school, a group of those in higher classes of elementary school, and a group of those in junior high school. The heritability of school adaptation was estimated to be 95% in males and 54% in females in the junior high school group. The full sex-limitation model showed a better fit in this group, and this means that a qualitative genetic difference exists. For school adaptation, there was no sex difference in lower elementary school classes; however, a quantitative difference appeared in higher classes of elementary school. Moreover, a qualitative difference appeared in junior high school. From this research, it became clear that sex differences in heritability exist for school adaptation, and there was a marked increase from the elementary school children to the junior high school children.
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6
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Bernabini L, Tobia V, Guarini A, Bonifacci P. Predictors of Children's Early Numeracy: Environmental Variables, Intergenerational Pathways, and Children's Cognitive, Linguistic, and Non-symbolic Number Skills. Front Psychol 2020; 11:505065. [PMID: 33240141 PMCID: PMC7677194 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.505065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Early numeracy skills in preschool years have been found to be related to a variety of different factors, including Approximate Number System (ANS) skills, children's cognitive and linguistic skills, and environmental variables such as home numeracy activities. The present study aimed to analyze the differential role of environmental variables, intergenerational patterns, children's cognitive and linguistic skills, and their ANS in supporting early math skills. The sample included 64 children in their last year of kindergarten and one parent of each child. Children were administered a battery of cognitive and linguistic tasks, and a non-symbolic comparison task as a measure of ANS. Parents were administered similar tasks assessing cognitive skills, math skills, and ANS skills (estimation and non-symbolic comparison), together with a questionnaire on home numeracy. Results showed that home numeracy predicted children's early math skills better than a number of parent and child variables. Considering children's skills, their ability in the non-symbolic magnitude comparison task was the strongest predictor of early math skills. Results reinforce the importance of the role of home numeracy activities and children's ANS skills above that of parents' math skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bernabini
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Tobia
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Paola Bonifacci
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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7
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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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8
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Szczygieł M. When does math anxiety in parents and teachers predict math anxiety and math achievement in elementary school children? The role of gender and grade year. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-020-09570-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe study investigated the relationship between math anxiety in parents and teachers and math anxiety and math achievement in first- to third-grade children. The results indicate that math anxiety in fathers (but not mothers and teachers) is associated with math anxiety in first-grade children and third-grade girls. Math anxiety in mothers and teachers (but not fathers) explains the level of math achievement in third-grade children. The research results indicate the importance of adults in shaping pupils’ math anxiety and math achievement, but these relationships vary depending on gender and the grade year. The obtained outcomes generally suggest that adults’ math anxiety is not a social source of children’s math anxiety, but it can be considered a source of low math achievement among children in the final grade of early school education.
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Domain-general cognitive functions fully explained growth in nonsymbolic magnitude representation but not in symbolic representation in elementary school children. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228960. [PMID: 32045454 PMCID: PMC7012440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to compare developmental changes in nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitude representations across the elementary school years. For this aim, we used a four-wave longitudinal study with a one-year interval in schoolchildren in grades 1-4 in Russia and Kyrgyzstan (N = 490, mean age was 7.65 years at grade 1). The results of mixed-effects growth models revealed that growth in the precision of symbolic representation was larger than in the nonsymbolic representation. Moreover, growth in nonsymbolic representation was fully explained by growth in fluid intelligence (FI), visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and processing speed (PS). The analysis demonstrated that growth in nonsymbolic magnitude representation was significant only for pupils with a high level of FI and PS, whereas growth in precision of symbolic representation did not significantly vary across pupils with different levels of FI or VSWM.
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10
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Malanchini M, Rimfeld K, Wang Z, Petrill SA, Tucker-Drob EM, Plomin R, Kovas Y. Genetic factors underlie the association between anxiety, attitudes and performance in mathematics. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:12. [PMID: 32066693 PMCID: PMC7026074 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0711-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Students struggling with mathematics anxiety (MA) tend to show lower levels of mathematics self-efficacy and interest as well as lower performance. The current study addresses: (1) how MA relates to different aspects of mathematics attitudes (self-efficacy and interest), ability (understanding numbers, problem-solving ability, and approximate number sense) and achievement (exam scores); (2) to what extent these observed relations are explained by overlapping genetic and environmental factors; and (3) the role of general anxiety in accounting for these associations. The sample comprised 3410 twin pairs aged 16-21 years, from the Twins Early Development Study. Negative associations of comparable strength emerged between MA and the two measures of mathematics attitudes, phenotypically (~ -0.45) and genetically (~ -0.70). Moderate negative phenotypic (~ -0.35) and strong genetic (~ -0.70) associations were observed between MA and measures of mathematics performance. The only exception was approximate number sense whose phenotypic (-0.10) and genetic (-0.31) relation with MA was weaker. Multivariate quantitative genetic analyses indicated that all mathematics-related measures combined accounted for ~75% of the genetic variance in MA and ~20% of its environmental variance. Genetic effects were largely shared across all measures of mathematics anxiety, attitudes, abilities and achievement, with the exception of approximate number sense. This genetic overlap was not accounted for by general anxiety. These results have important implications for future genetic research concerned with identifying the genetic underpinnings of individual variation in mathematics-related traits, as well as for developmental research into how children select and modify their mathematics-related experiences partly based on their genetic predispositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK.
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Kaili Rimfeld
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Human Development and Family studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | | | - Elliot M Tucker-Drob
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yulia Kovas
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
- International Centre for Research in Human Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
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11
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Júlio-Costa A, Martins AAS, Wood G, de Almeida MP, de Miranda M, Haase VG, Carvalho MRS. Heterosis in COMT Val158Met Polymorphism Contributes to Sex-Differences in Children's Math Anxiety. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1013. [PMID: 31156495 PMCID: PMC6530072 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Math anxiety (MA) is a phobic reaction to math activities, potentially impairing math achievement. Higher frequency of MA in females is explainable by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The molecular-genetic basis of MA has not been investigated. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism, which affects dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex, has been associated with anxiety manifestations. The valine allele is associated with lower, and the methionine allele with higher, dopamine availability. In the present study, the effects of sex and COMT Val158Met genotypes on MA were investigated: 389 school children aged 7-12 years were assessed for intelligence, numerical estimation, arithmetic achievement and MA and genotyped for COMT Val158Met polymorphism. The Math Anxiety Questionnaire (MAQ) was used to assess the cognitive and affective components of MA. All genotype groups of boys and girls were comparable regarding genotype frequency, age, school grade, numerical estimation, and arithmetic abilities. We compared the results of all possible genetic models: codominance (Val/Val vs. Val/Met vs. Met/Met), heterosis (Val/Met vs. Val/Val plus Met/Met), valine dominance (Val/Val plus Val/Met vs. Met/Met), and methionine dominance (Met/Met plus Val/Met vs. Val/Val). Models were compared using AIC and AIC weights. No significant differences between girls and boys and no effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on numerical estimation and arithmetic achievement were observed. Sex by genotype effects were significant for intelligence and MA. Intelligence scores were higher in Met/Met girls than in girls with at least one valine allele (valine dominance model). The best fitting model for MA was heterosis. In Anxiety Toward Mathematics, heterozygous individuals presented MA levels close to the grand average regardless of sex. Homozygous boys were significantly less and homozygous girls significantly more math anxious. Heterosis has been seldom explored, but in recent years has emerged as the best genetic model for some phenotypes associated with the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. This is the first study to investigate the genetic-molecular basis of MA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise Júlio-Costa
- Departamento de Psicologia, FAFICH, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Aline Aparecida Silva Martins
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Wood
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia sobre Comportamento, Cognição e Ensino (INCT-ECCE), São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Máira Pedroso de Almeida
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Marlene de Miranda
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Vitor Geraldi Haase
- Departamento de Psicologia, FAFICH, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia sobre Comportamento, Cognição e Ensino (INCT-ECCE), São Carlos, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia: Cognição e Comportamento, Departamento de Psicologia, FAFICH, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Maria Raquel Santos Carvalho
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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12
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Tikhomirova T, Kuzmina Y, Lysenkova I, Malykh S. Development of approximate number sense across the elementary school years: A cross-cultural longitudinal study. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12823. [PMID: 30811762 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing interest among researchers in exploring approximate number sense (ANS)-the ability to estimate and discriminate quantities without the use of symbols. Despite the growing number of studies on ANS, there have been no cross-cultural longitudinal studies to estimate both the development of ANS and the cross-cultural differences in ANS growth trajectories. In this study, we aimed to estimate the developmental trajectories of ANS from the beginning of formal education to the end of elementary school in two countries, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, which have similar organization of their educational systems but differences in socioeconomic status (SES) and in the results of large-scale educational assessments. To assess the developmental trajectories of ANS, we used a four-wave longitudinal study with 416 participants from two countries and applied the mixed effect growth approach and the latent class growth approach. Our analysis revealed that the rate of growth in ANS accuracy was higher for the Russian sample than for the Kyrgyz sample and that this difference remained significant even after controlling for fluid intelligence. We identified two latent classes of growth trajectories: the first class had a significant growth in ANS, whereas the second class had no growth. Comparing the distribution of latent classes within the two countries revealed that there was a significantly larger proportion of schoolchildren from the second class in Kyrgyzstan than in Russia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Tikhomirova
- Department of Psychology, Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia Kuzmina
- Department of Psychology, Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina Lysenkova
- Department of Psychology, Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Sergey Malykh
- Department of Psychology, Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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13
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Slusser E, Ribner A, Shusterman A. Language
counts
: Early language mediates the relationship between parent education and children's math ability. Dev Sci 2018; 22:e12773. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Slusser
- Department of Child & Adolescent Development San Jose State University San Jose California USA
| | - Andrew Ribner
- Department of Applied Psychology New York University New York New York USA
| | - Anna Shusterman
- Department of Psychology Wesleyan University Middletown Connecticut USA
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14
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Tosto MG, Garon-Carrier G, Gross S, Petrill SA, Malykh S, Malki K, Hart SA, Thompson L, Karadaghi RL, Yakovlev N, Tikhomirova T, Opfer JE, Mazzocco MMM, Dionne G, Brendgen M, Vitaro F, Tremblay RE, Boivin M, Kovas Y. The nature of the association between number line and mathematical performance: An international twin study. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 89:787-803. [PMID: 30548254 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number line task assesses the ability to estimate numerical magnitudes. People vary greatly in this ability, and this variability has been previously associated with mathematical skills. However, the sources of individual differences in number line estimation and its association with mathematics are not fully understood. AIMS This large-scale genetically sensitive study uses a twin design to estimate the magnitude of the effects of genes and environments on: (1) individual variation in number line estimation and (2) the covariation of number line estimation with mathematics. SAMPLES We used over 3,000 8- to 16-year-old twins from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Russia, and a sample of 1,456 8- to 18-year-old singleton Russian students. METHODS Twins were assessed on: (1) estimation of numerical magnitudes using a number line task and (2) two mathematics components: fluency and problem-solving. RESULTS Results suggest that environments largely drive individual differences in number line estimation. Both genes and environments contribute to different extents to the number line estimation and mathematics correlation, depending on the sample and mathematics component. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the results suggest that in more heterogeneous school settings, environments may be more important in driving variation in number line estimation and its association with mathematics, whereas in more homogeneous school settings, genetic effects drive the covariation between number line estimation and mathematics. These results are discussed in the light of development and educational settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Tosto
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychology, Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Oblast, Russia
| | | | - Susan Gross
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Stephen A Petrill
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Sergey Malykh
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychology, Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Oblast, Russia.,Psychological Institute, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Karim Malki
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology& Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Sara A Hart
- Department of Psychology, Florida Center for Reading Research, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Lee Thompson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Rezhaw L Karadaghi
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology& Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Nikita Yakovlev
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychology, Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Oblast, Russia
| | | | - John E Opfer
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Michèle M M Mazzocco
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ginette Dionne
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Mara Brendgen
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Frank Vitaro
- Department of Psychoeducation, Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard E Tremblay
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychology, Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Oblast, Russia.,Department of Psychoeducation, Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.,School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Michel Boivin
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychology, Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Oblast, Russia.,School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Yulia Kovas
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychology, Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Oblast, Russia.,MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology& Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of London, UK
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15
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Guillaume M, Van Rinsveld A. Comparing Numerical Comparison Tasks: A Meta-Analysis of the Variability of the Weber Fraction Relative to the Generation Algorithm. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1694. [PMID: 30271363 PMCID: PMC6142874 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since more than 15 years, researchers have been expressing their interest in evaluating the Approximate Number System (ANS) and its potential influence on cognitive skills involving number processing, such as arithmetic. Although many studies reported significant and predictive relations between ANS and arithmetic abilities, there has recently been an increasing amount of published data that failed to replicate such relationship. Inconsistencies lead many researchers to question the validity of the assessment of the ANS itself. In the current meta-analysis of over 68 experimental studies published between 2004 and 2017, we show that the mean value of the Weber fraction (w), the minimal amount of change in magnitude to detect a difference, is very heterogeneous across the literature. Within young adults, w might range from < 10 to more than 60, which is critical for its validity for research and diagnostic purposes. We illustrate here the concern that different methods controlling for non-numerical dimensions lead to substantially variable performance. Nevertheless, studies that referred to the exact same method (e.g., Panamath) showed high consistency among them, which is reassuring. We are thus encouraging researchers only to compare what is comparable and to avoid considering the Weber fraction as an abstract parameter independent from the context. Eventually, we observed that all reported correlation coefficients between the value of w and general accuracy were very high. Such result calls into question the relevance of computing and reporting at all the Weber fraction. We are thus in disfavor of the systematic use of the Weber fraction, to discourage any temptation to compare given data to some values of w reported from different tasks and generation algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Guillaume
- Cognitive Science and Assessment Institute (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Amandine Van Rinsveld
- Centre for Research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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16
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Abstract
What are young children's first intuitions about numbers and what role do these play in their later understanding of mathematics? Traditionally, number has been viewed as a culturally derived breakthrough occurring relatively recently in human history that requires years of education to master. Contrary to this view, research in cognitive development indicates that our minds come equipped with a rich and flexible sense of number-the Approximate Number System (ANS). Recently, several major challenges have been mounted to the existence of the ANS and its value as a domain-specific system for representing number. In this article, we review five questions related to the ANS (what, who, why, where, and how) to argue that the ANS is defined by key behavioral and neural signatures, operates independently from nonnumeric dimensions such as time and space, and is used for a variety of functions (including formal mathematics) throughout life. We identify research questions that help elucidate the nature of the ANS and the role it plays in shaping children's earliest understanding of the world around them.
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17
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Navarro MG, Braham EJ, Libertus ME. Intergenerational associations of the approximate number system in toddlers and their parents. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 36:521-539. [PMID: 29377230 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
From birth, humans are able to discriminate quantities using the approximate number system (ANS). However, previous methods have only been suitable to examine ANS functioning in infancy and older children. The goals of this study were twofold: first, to modify an existing method of assessing ANS functioning for toddlerhood; and second, to investigate individual differences in toddlers' ANS performance by examining correlations with their parents' ANS acuity. Using a preferential looking paradigm, we found that 1- to 3-year-olds (N = 46) looked significantly longer to numerically changing images compared to numerically constant ones suggesting that the paradigm is a suitable measure of ANS functioning in toddlerhood. Furthermore, we found a positive relation between toddlers' ANS performance and that of their parents (assessed using a non-symbolic number comparison task) independent of children's vocabulary or parents' perceived math ability or preference for math. These findings are consistent with a specific intergenerational transmission of the ANS. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Past methods used to examine ANS functioning were only suitable for infants and older children. Little research has examined sources underlying individual difference in ANS acuity. What does this study add? We developed a preferential looking task to assess ANS functioning in toddlerhood. Individual differences in toddlers' ANS functioning are correlated with their parents' ANS acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica G Navarro
- Department of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily J Braham
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa E Libertus
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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18
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Abstract
Over the past 50 years, research on children and adults with learning disabilities has seen significant advances. Neuropsychological research historically focused on the administration of tests sensitive to brain dysfunction to identify putative neural mechanisms underlying learning disabilities that would serve as the basis for treatment. Led by research on classifying and identifying learning disabilities, four pivotal changes in research paradigms have produced a contemporary scientific, interdisciplinary, and international understanding of these disabilities. These changes are (1) the emergence of cognitive science, (2) the development of quantitative and molecular genetics, (3) the advent of noninvasive structural and functional neuroimaging, and (4) experimental trials of interventions focused on improving academic skills and addressing comorbid conditions. Implications for practice indicate a need to move neuropsychological assessment away from a primary focus on systematic, comprehensive assessment of cognitive skills toward more targeted performance-based assessments of academic achievement, comorbid conditions, and intervention response that lead directly to evidence-based treatment plans. Future research will continue to cross disciplinary boundaries to address questions regarding the interaction of neurobiological and contextual variables, the importance of individual differences in treatment response, and an expanded research base on (a) the most severe cases, (b) older people with LDs, and (c) domains of math problem solving, reading comprehension, and written expression. (JINS, 2017, 23, 930-940).
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19
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Lukowski SL, Rosenberg-Lee M, Thompson LA, Hart SA, Willcutt EG, Olson RK, Petrill SA, Pennington BF. Approximate Number Sense Shares Etiological Overlap with Mathematics and General Cognitive Ability. INTELLIGENCE 2017; 65:67-74. [PMID: 29867283 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Approximate number sense (ANS), the ability to rapidly and accurately compare quantities presented non-symbolically, has been proposed as a precursor to mathematics skills. Earlier work reported low heritability of approximate number sense, which was interpreted as evidence that approximate number sense acts as a fitness trait. However, viewing ANS as a fitness trait is discordant with findings suggesting that individual differences in approximate number sense acuity correlate with mathematical performance, a trait with moderate genetic effects. Importantly, the shared etiology of approximate number sense, mathematics, and general cognitive ability has remained unexamined. Thus, the etiology of approximate number sense and its overlap with math and general cognitive ability was assessed in the current study with two independent twin samples (N = 451 pairs). Results suggested that ANS acuity had moderate but significant additive genetic influences. ANS also had overlap with generalist genetic mechanisms accounting for variance and covariance in mathematics and general cognitive ability. Furthermore, ANS may have genetic factors unique to covariance with mathematics beyond overlap with general cognitive ability. Evidence across both samples was consistent with the proposal that the etiology of approximate number sense functions similar to that of mathematics and general cognitive skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Lukowski
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA, 43210
| | - Miriam Rosenberg-Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA, 94305.,Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NY, USA, 07102
| | - Lee A Thompson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA, 44106
| | - Sara A Hart
- Department of Psychology and the Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA, 32310
| | - Erik G Willcutt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309
| | - Richard K Olson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309
| | - Stephen A Petrill
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA, 43210
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20
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Valle-Lisboa J, Cabana Á, Eisinger R, Mailhos Á, Luzardo M, Halberda J, Maiche A. Cognitive abilities that mediate SES’s effect on elementary mathematics learning: The Uruguayan tablet-based intervention. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11125-017-9392-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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21
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Butterworth B. The implications for education of an innate numerosity-processing mechanism. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 373:20170118. [PMID: 29292351 PMCID: PMC5784050 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One specific cause of low numeracy is a deficit in a mechanism for representing and processing numerosities that humans inherited and which is putatively shared with many other species. This deficit is evident at each of the four levels of explanation in the 'causal modelling' framework of Morton and Frith (Morton and Frith 1995 In Manual of developmental psychopathology, vol. 1 (eds D Cichetti, D Cohen), pp. 357-390). Very low numeracy can occur in cognitively able individuals with normal access to good education: it is linked to an easily measured deficit in basic numerosity processing; it has a distinctive neural signature; and twin studies suggest specific heritability, though the relevant genes have not yet been identified. Unfortunately, educators and policymakers seem largely unaware of this cause, but appropriate interventions could alleviate the suffering and handicap of those with low numeracy, and would be a major benefit to society.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Butterworth
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
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22
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Braham EJ, Libertus ME. Intergenerational associations in numerical approximation and mathematical abilities. Dev Sci 2016; 20. [PMID: 27496658 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Although growing evidence suggests a link between children's math skills and their ability to estimate numerical quantities using the approximate number system (ANS), little is known about the sources underlying individual differences in ANS acuity and their relation with specific mathematical skills. To examine the role of intergenerational transmission of these abilities from parents to children, the current study assessed the ANS acuities and math abilities of 54 children (5-8 years old) and their parents, as well as parents' expectations about children's math skills. Children's ANS acuity positively correlated with their parents' ANS acuity, and children's math abilities were predicted by unique combinations of parents' ANS acuity and math ability depending on the specific math skill in question. These findings provide the first evidence of intergenerational transmission of an unlearned, non-verbal numerical competence and are an important step toward understanding the multifaceted parental influences on children's math abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Braham
- Department of Psychology and Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Melissa E Libertus
- Department of Psychology and Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, USA
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23
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Numerical skills are essential in our everyday life, and impairments in the development of number processing and calculation have a negative impact on schooling and professional careers. Approximately 3 to 6 % of children are affected from specific disorders of numerical understanding (developmental dyscalculia (DD)). Impaired development of number processing skills in these children is characterized by problems in various aspects of numeracy as well as alterations of brain activation and brain structure. Moreover, DD is assumed to be a very heterogeneous disorder putting special challenges to define homogeneous diagnostic criteria. Finally, interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, neuroscience and education can contribute to the design for interventions, and although results are still sparse, they are promising and have shown positive effects on behaviour as well as brain function. CONCLUSION In the current review, we are going to give an overview about typical and atypical development of numerical abilities at the behavioural and neuronal level. Furthermore, current status and obstacles in the definition and diagnostics of DD are discussed, and finally, relevant points that should be considered to make an intervention as successful as possible are summarized.
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24
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Passolunghi MC, Cargnelutti E, Pastore M. The contribution of general cognitive abilities and approximate number system to early mathematics. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2014; 84:631-49. [DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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