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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. [PMID: 38802998 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [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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Spiller J, Clayton S, Cragg L, Johnson S, Simms V, Gilmore C. Higher level domain specific skills in mathematics; The relationship between algebra, geometry, executive function skills and mathematics achievement. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291796. [PMID: 37931003 PMCID: PMC10627446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Algebra and geometry are important components of mathematics that are often considered gatekeepers for future success. However, most studies that have researched the cognitive skills required for success in mathematics have only considered the domain of arithmetic. We extended models of mathematical skills to consider how executive function skills play both a direct role in secondary-school-level mathematical achievement as well as an indirect role via algebra and geometry, alongside arithmetic. We found that verbal and visuospatial working memory were indirectly associated with mathematical achievement via number fact knowledge, calculation skills, algebra and geometry. Inhibition was also indirectly associated with mathematical achievement via number fact knowledge and calculation skills. These findings highlight that there are multiple mechanisms by which executive function skills may be involved in mathematics outcomes. Therefore, using specific measures of mathematical processes as well as context-rich assessments of mathematical achievement is important to understand these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Spiller
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Clayton
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Cragg
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Simms
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Camilla Gilmore
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
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3
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Gilmore C. Understanding the complexities of mathematical cognition: A multi-level framework. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:1953-1972. [PMID: 37129432 PMCID: PMC10466984 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231175325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Mathematics skills are associated with future employment, well-being, and quality of life. However, many adults and children fail to learn the mathematics skills they require. To improve this situation, we need to have a better understanding of the processes of learning and performing mathematics. Over the past two decades, there has been a substantial growth in psychological research focusing on mathematics. However, to make further progress, we need to pay greater attention to the nature of, and multiple elements involved in, mathematical cognition. Mathematics is not a single construct; rather, overall mathematics achievement is comprised of proficiency with specific components of mathematics (e.g., number fact knowledge, algebraic thinking), which in turn recruit basic mathematical processes (e.g., magnitude comparison, pattern recognition). General cognitive skills and different learning experiences influence the development of each component of mathematics as well as the links between them. Here, I propose and provide evidence for a framework that structures how these components of mathematics fit together. This framework allows us to make sense of the proliferation of empirical findings concerning influences on mathematical cognition and can guide the questions we ask, identifying where we are missing both research evidence and models of specific mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Gilmore
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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4
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Ji Z, Guo K. The association between working memory and mathematical problem solving: A three-level meta-analysis. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1091126. [PMID: 37057173 PMCID: PMC10086603 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1091126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although working memory (WM) is an important factor in mathematical problem solving (MPS), it remains unclear how well WM relates to MPS. Thus, we aimed to determine this relationship by using a meta-analysis. We searched electronic databases for studies published between 2000 and 2020 and established operational criteria. We conducted Egger’s regression tests and created funnel plots to test for publication bias. Finally, a three-level meta-analytic model analysis of data from 130 studies involving 43,938 participants and 1,355 effect sizes revealed a moderate relationship between WM and MPS (r = 0.280, 95% CI = [0.263, 0.314]). Moreover, moderator analyses showed that: (1) dressed-up word problems were more strongly tied to WM than to intra-mathematical problems; (2) the central executive function showed the strongest relation with MPS, whereas the phonological loop had the weakest; (3) gender ratio had significant moderating effects; and (4) some of the above-mentioned significant moderating effects were unique after controlling for other factors. Implications for research and practice were also discussed.
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5
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Horta-Barba A, Martinez-Horta S, Sampedro F, Pérez-Pérez J, Pagonabarraga J, Kulisevsky J. Structural and metabolic brain correlates of arithmetic word-problem solving in Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:990-999. [PMID: 36807154 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with pre-manifest and early symptomatic Huntington's disease (HD) have shown deficits in solving arithmetic word-problems. However, the neural correlates of these deficits in HD are poorly understood. We explored the structural (gray-matter volume; GMV) and metabolic (18F-FDG PET; SUVr) brain correlates of arithmetic performance using the recently developed HD-word problem arithmetic task (HD-WPA) in seventeen preHD and sixteen HD individuals. Symptomatic participants showed significantly lower scores in the HD-WPA than preHD participants. Lower performance in the HD-WPA was associated with reduced GMV in subcortical, medial frontal, and several posterior-cortical clusters in HD participants. No significant GMV loss was found in preHD participants. 18F-FDG data revealed a widespread pattern of hypometabolism in association with lower arithmetic performance in all participants. In preHD participants, this pattern was restricted to the ventrolateral and orbital prefrontal cortex, the insula, and the precentral gyrus. In HD participants, the pattern extended to several parietal-temporal regions. Word-problem solving arithmetic deficits in HD is subserved by a pattern of asynchronous metabolic and structural compromise across the cerebral cortex as a function of disease stage. In preHD individuals, arithmetic deficits were associated with prefrontal alterations, whereas in symptomatic HD patients, more severe arithmetic deficits are associated with the compromise of several frontal-subcortical and temporo-parietal regions. Our results support the hypothesis that cognitive deficits in HD are not exclusively dominated by frontal-striatal dysfunctions but also involve fronto-temporal and parieto-occipital damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Horta-Barba
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Saul Martinez-Horta
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Frederic Sampedro
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Pérez-Pérez
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Javier Pagonabarraga
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jaime Kulisevsky
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN), Bellaterra, Spain
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Zhang Y, Tolmie A, Gordon R. The Relationship between Working Memory and Arithmetic in Primary School Children: A Meta-Analysis. Brain Sci 2022; 13:brainsci13010022. [PMID: 36672004 PMCID: PMC9856839 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) plays a crucial role in the development of arithmetic ability. However, research findings related to which factors influence the relationship between WM and arithmetic skills are inconsistent. The present meta-analysis aimed to examine the links between WM and arithmetic in primary school children and investigate whether this is dependent on WM domains (i.e., verbal, visual, spatial), child age, arithmetic operation type, and arithmetic task type. A total of 11,224 participants with an age range of 6- to 12 years, from 55 independent samples were included in the meta-analysis. Analysis of 46 studies with 187 effect sizes revealed an overall significant and medium correlation between WM and arithmetic. Heterogeneity analyses indicated that verbal WM showed a stronger correlation with arithmetic than visuospatial WM, and that correlations between verbal WM and arithmetic declined with age, whereas correlations between spatial-sequential, and spatial-simultaneous WM and arithmetic remained stable throughout development. Addition and subtraction were more involved in verbal WM than multiplication and division. Moreover, mental and written arithmetic showed comparable correlations with WM in all domains. These findings suggest moderation effects of WM domains, age, and operation types in the WM-arithmetic relationship and highlight the significant role of verbal WM in arithmetic ability in primary school children.
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7
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Di Lonardo Burr SM, Xu C, Douglas H, LeFevre JA, Susperreguy MI. Walking another pathway: The inclusion of patterning in the pathways to mathematics model. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 222:105478. [PMID: 35714384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105478] [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: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
According to the Pathways to Mathematics model [LeFevre et al. (2010), Child Development, Vol. 81, pp. 1753-1767], children's cognitive skills in three domains-linguistic, attentional, and quantitative-predict concurrent and future mathematics achievement. We extended this model to include an additional cognitive skill, patterning, as measured by a non-numeric repeating patterning task. Chilean children who attended schools of low or high socioeconomic status (N = 98; 54% girls) completed cognitive measures in kindergarten (Mage = 71 months) and numeracy and mathematics outcomes 1 year later in Grade 1. Patterning and the original three pathways were correlated with the outcomes. Using Bayesian regressions, after including the original pathways and mother's education, we found that patterning skills predicted additional variability in applied problem solving and arithmetic fluency, but not number ordering, in Grade 1. Similarly, patterning skills were included in the best model for applied problem solving and arithmetic fluency, but not for number ordering, in Grade 1. In accord with the hypotheses of the original Pathways to Mathematics model, patterning varied in its unique and relative contributions to later mathematical performance, depending on the demands of the tasks. We conclude that patterning is a useful addition to the Pathways to Mathematics model, providing further insights into the range of cognitive precursors that are related to children's mathematical development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chang Xu
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Heather Douglas
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jo-Anne LeFevre
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada; Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - María Inés Susperreguy
- Faculty of Education, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul 7820436, Chile; Millennium Nucleus for the Study of the Development of Early Math Skills (MEMAT), Macul 7820436, Chile
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8
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Cui J, Lv L, Du H, Cui Z, Zhou X. Language Ability Accounts for Ethnic Difference in Mathematics Achievement. Front Psychol 2022; 13:929719. [PMID: 35936256 PMCID: PMC9354024 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.929719] [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: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The mathematics achievement of minority students has always been a focal point of educators in China. This study investigated the differences in mathematics achievement between Han and minority pupils to determine if there is any cognitive mechanism that can account for the discrepancy. We recruited 236 Han students and 272 minority students (including Uygur and Kazak) from the same primary schools. They were tested on mathematics achievement, language abilities, and general cognitive abilities. The results showed that Han pupils had better mathematics achievement scores and better Chinese language ability than minority students. After controlling for age, gender, and general cognitive abilities, there were still significant differences in mathematics achievement between Han and minority students. However, these differences disappeared after controlling for language ability. These results suggest that the relatively poor levels of mathematics achievement observed in minority students is related to poor Chinese language skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Cui
- College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Liting Lv
- College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Huibo Du
- College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhanling Cui
- College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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9
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Horta-Barba A, Martinez-Horta S, Perez-Perez J, Sampedro F, de Lucia N, De Michele G, Salvatore E, Kehrer S, Priller J, Migliore S, Squitieri F, Castaldo A, Mariotti C, Mañanes V, Lopez-Sendon JL, Rodriguez N, Martinez-Descals A, Júlio F, Janurio C, Delussi M, de Tommaso M, Noguera S, Ruiz-Idiago J, Sitek EJ, Wallner R, Nuzzi A, Pagonabarraga J, Kulisevsky J. Arithmetic Word-Problem Solving as Cognitive Marker of Progression in Pre-Manifest and Manifest Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:459-468. [PMID: 34602494 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-210480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arithmetic word-problem solving depends on the interaction of several cognitive processes that may be affected early in the disease in gene-mutation carriers for Huntington's disease (HD). OBJECTIVE Our goal was to examine the pattern of performance of arithmetic tasks in premanifest and manifest HD, and to examine correlations between arithmetic task performance and other neuropsychological tasks. METHODS We collected data from a multicenter cohort of 165 HD gene-mutation carriers. The sample consisted of 31 premanifest participants: 16 far-from (>12 years estimated time to diagnosis; preHD-A) and 15 close-to (≤12 years estimated time to diagnosis; preHD-B), 134 symptomatic patients (early-mild HD), and 37 healthy controls (HC). We compared performance between groups and explored the associations between arithmetic word-problem solving and neuropsychological and clinical variables. RESULTS Total arithmetic word-problem solving scores were lower in preHD-B patients than in preHD-A (p < 0.05) patients and HC (p < 0.01). Early-mild HD patients had lower scores than preHD patients (p < 0.001) and HC (p < 0.001). Compared to HC, preHD and early-mild HD participants made more errors as trial complexity increased. Moreover, arithmetic word-problem solving scores were significantly associated with measures of global cognition (p < 0.001), frontal-executive functions (p < 0.001), attention (p < 0.001) visual working memory (p < 0.001), mental rotation (p < 0.001), and confrontation naming (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Arithmetic word-problem solving is affected early in the course of HD and is related to deficient processes in frontal-executive and mentalizing-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Horta-Barba
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN)
| | - Saul Martinez-Horta
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN)
| | - Jesús Perez-Perez
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN)
| | - Frederic Sampedro
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Natascia de Lucia
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Michele
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Elena Salvatore
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Stefanie Kehrer
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Priller
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Migliore
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della, Sofferenza Research Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della, Sofferenza Research Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Anna Castaldo
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Caterina Mariotti
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Veronica Mañanes
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Lopez-Sendon
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia Rodriguez
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neurology. Fundación Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Asunción Martinez-Descals
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neurology. Fundación Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Filipa Júlio
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research - CIBIT, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurology Department, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cristina Janurio
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research - CIBIT, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurology Department, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marianna Delussi
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Applied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, Apulian Center for Huntington's Disease SMBNOS Department, "Aldo Moro" University, Bari, Italy
| | - Marina de Tommaso
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Applied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, Apulian Center for Huntington's Disease SMBNOS Department, "Aldo Moro" University, Bari, Italy
| | - Sandra Noguera
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Hospital Mare de Deu de la Mercè, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Ruiz-Idiago
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Hospital Mare de Deu de la Mercè, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilia J Sitek
- European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN).,Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Department of Neurology, St. Adalbert Hospital, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Renata Wallner
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Javier Pagonabarraga
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN)
| | - Jaime Kulisevsky
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red-Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.,European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN)
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10
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Chen L, Wang Y, Wen H. Numerical Magnitude Processing in Deaf Adolescents and Its Contribution to Arithmetical Ability. Front Psychol 2021; 12:584183. [PMID: 33841229 PMCID: PMC8026863 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.584183] [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: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although most deaf individuals could use sign language or sign/spoken language mix, hearing loss would still affect their language acquisition. Compensatory plasticity holds that the lack of auditory stimulation experienced by deaf individuals, such as congenital deafness, can be met by enhancements in visual cognition. And the studies of hearing individuals have showed that visual form perception is the cognitive mechanism that could explain the association between numerical magnitude processing and arithmetic computation. Therefore, we examined numerical magnitude processing and its contribution to arithmetical ability in deaf adolescents, and explored the differences between the congenital and acquired deafness. 112 deaf adolescents (58 congenital deafness) and 58 hearing adolescents performed a series of cognitive and mathematical tests, and it was found there was no significant differences between the congenital group and the hearing group, but congenital group outperformed acquired group in numerical magnitude processing (reaction time) and arithmetic computation. It was also found there was a close association between numerical magnitude processing and arithmetic computation in all deaf adolescents, and after controlling for the demographic variables (age, gender, onset of hearing loss) and general cognitive abilities (non-verbal IQ, processing speed, reading comprehension), numerical magnitude processing could predict arithmetic computation in all deaf adolescents but not in congenital group. The role of numerical magnitude processing (symbolic and non-symbolic) in deaf adolescents' mathematical performance should be paid attention in the training of arithmetical ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilan Chen
- School of Psychology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo Wen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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11
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Guzmán B, Rodríguez C, Ferreira RA. Longitudinal Performance in Basic Numerical Skills Mediates the Relationship Between Socio-Economic Status and Mathematics Anxiety: Evidence From Chile. Front Psychol 2021; 11:611395. [PMID: 33519625 PMCID: PMC7841346 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Socio-economic status (SES) and mathematical performance seem to be risk factors of mathematics anxiety (MA) in both children and adults. However, there is little evidence about how exactly these three constructs are related, especially during early stages of mathematical learning. In the present study, we assessed longitudinal performance in symbolic and non-symbolic basic numerical skills in pre-school and second grade students, as well as MA in second grade students. Participants were 451 children (average pre-school age = 5 years, 6 months) from 12 schools in Chile, which differed in school vulnerability index (SVI), an indicator of SES. We tested an explanatory model of MA that included SES and longitudinal performance in basic numerical skills as predictors. The results showed a direct effect of SES on MA and a mediating effect of performance in symbolic and non-symbolic comparison tasks in pre-school. However, in second grade, only performance in symbolic comparison significantly mediated the SES-MA relationship. These findings suggest that performance in non-symbolic comparison plays an important role in explaining MA at initial stages, but that its influence is no longer significant by the time children reach formal instruction in second grade. By contrast, as children's formal educational experience in mathematics increases, MA becomes linked primarily to symbolic numerical tasks. In sum, SES affects MA and this is due in part to the effect of SES on the development of numerical learning in pre-school, which in turn has an impact on subsequent, more complex learning, ultimately leading to differences in MA. We discuss the implications of these findings for preventing and acting upon the emergence of MA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Guzmán
- Facultad de Educación, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Facultad de Educación, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Roberto A. Ferreira
- Facultad de Educación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Kleemans T, Segers E. Linguistic precursors of advanced math growth in first-language and second-language learners. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 103:103661. [PMID: 32434122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Language plays an important role in the development of mathematics. Previous research has shown that both basic and advanced linguistic skills relate to fifth-grade advanced mathematics (i.e., geometry and fractions), but these effects have not yet been investigated longitudinally or in a linguistically diverse population. AIMS The present study first examined the differences between first-language and second-language learners in advanced mathematics. Second, we investigated the extent to which the basic and advanced linguistic skills of first-language and second-language learners directly and indirectly (through arithmetic) predict their growth in advanced mathematics from fifth to sixth grade. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Participants were 153 first-language and 80 second-language learners from 10 to 12 years of age. Classroom as well as individual measures were administered. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS First, the results showed lower scores for second-language learners on advanced mathematics. Second, for both groups of language learners, basic linguistic skills were found to indirectly predict the growth in advanced mathematics via arithmetic skills, whereas advanced linguistic skills directly predicted the growth in geometry and fractions. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These results highlight the general need for opportunities to learn the basic and advanced linguistic skills associated with mathematics over individual native language background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijs Kleemans
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Eliane Segers
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Finke S, Freudenthaler HH, Landerl K. Symbolic Processing Mediates the Relation Between Non-symbolic Processing and Later Arithmetic Performance. Front Psychol 2020; 11:549. [PMID: 32273864 PMCID: PMC7113405 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature of the relation between non-symbolic and symbolic magnitude processing in the prediction of arithmetic remains a hotly debated subject. This longitudinal study examined whether the influence of non-symbolic magnitude processing on arithmetic is mediated by symbolic processing skills. A sample of 130 children with age-adequate (N = 73) or below-average (N = 57) achievement in early arithmetic was followed from the end of Grade 1 (mean age: 86.9 months) through the beginning of Grade 4. Symbolic comparison of one- and two-digit numbers serially mediated the effect of non-symbolic comparison on later arithmetic. These results support a developmental model in which non-symbolic processing provides a scaffold for single-digit processing, which in turn influences multi-digit processing and arithmetic. In conclusion, both non-symbolic and symbolic processing play an important role in the development of arithmetic during primary school and might be valuable long-term indicators for the early identification of children at risk for low achievement in arithmetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Finke
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Karin Landerl
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Träff U, Olsson L, Östergren R, Skagerlund K. Development of early domain-specific and domain-general cognitive precursors of high and low math achievers in grade 6. Child Neuropsychol 2020; 26:1065-1090. [PMID: 32193970 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2020.1739259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated from a longitudinal retrospective perspective what characterizes and predicts 6th graders (Mage = 12.95, SD = 0.27) with low (LMA) or high (HMA) math achievement concerning the development of early domain-specific and domain-general cognitive abilities. They were examined and compared to average achievers (n = 88) at four-time points from kindergarten (Mage = 6.58, SD = 0.36) to third grade (Mage = 9.53, SD = 0.33). The LMA (n = 27) or HMA (n = 41) children exhibited persistent multi-weakness and multi-strength profiles, respectively, present already prior to formal schooling. The cognitive profiles of the two groups, and their development, were mostly qualitatively similar, but there were also important qualitative differences. Logistic regression analyzes showed that superior verbal arithmetic, logical reasoning, and executive functions are vital for developing superior mathematical skills while inferior verbal arithmetic, logical reasoning, and spatial processing ability constitute unique potential risk factors for low mathematical skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Träff
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
| | - Linda Olsson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rickard Östergren
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kenny Skagerlund
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University , Linköping, Sweden
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Iglesias-Sarmiento V, Alfonso S, Conde Á, Pérez L, Deaño M. Mathematical Difficulties vs. High Achievement: An Analysis of Arithmetical Cognition in Elementary School. Dev Neuropsychol 2020; 45:49-65. [PMID: 32036691 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2020.1726920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study analyzed the contribution of cognitive processes (planning, attention, simultaneous and successive processing) and domain-specific skills (counting, number processing and conceptual comprehension) to the arithmetic performance achieved in the last three grades (4th, 5th, and 6th) of elementary school. Three groups of students with a different arithmetic achievement level were characterized. The predictive value of the cognitive processes and the math specific skills are explored through diverse covariance and discriminant analyses. Participants were 110 students (M = 10.5 years, SD = 1.17) classified in three groups: mathematical difficulties (MD; n = 26), high achieving (HA; n = 26), and typical achieving (TA; n = 58). Cognitive processes and domain-specific skills were evaluated in two individual sessions at the end of the school year. Nonverbal intelligence was assessed in a final collective session with each class. The mathematical difficulties group's achievement was deficient in simultaneous and successive processing, number processing, and conceptual comprehension compared to the typical achievement group. High achievement children obtained significantly better results than the typical achievement children in simultaneous processing, counting, number processing, and conceptual comprehension. Number processing and conceptual comprehension were the most consistent classifiers, although successive and simultaneous processing, respectively, also contributed to identifying students with mathematical difficulties and high achievement. These findings have practical implications for preventive and intervention proposals linked to the observed profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Alfonso
- Department of Evolutionary Psychology, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, Ourense, Spain
| | - Ángeles Conde
- Department of Evolutionary Psychology, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, Ourense, Spain
| | - Leire Pérez
- Department of Evolutionary Psychology, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, Ourense, Spain
| | - Manuel Deaño
- Department of Evolutionary Psychology, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, Ourense, Spain
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Visual form perception is fundamental for both reading comprehension and arithmetic computation. Cognition 2019; 189:141-154. [PMID: 30953825 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Visual perception has been found to be a critical factor for reading comprehension and arithmetic computation in separate lines of research with different measures of visual form perception. The current study of 1099 Chinese elementary school students investigated whether the same visual form perception (assessed by a geometric figure matching task) underlies both reading comprehension and arithmetic computation. The results showed that visual form perception had close relations with both reading comprehension and arithmetic computation, even after controlling for age, gender, and cognitive factors such as processing speed, attention, working memory, visuo-spatial processing, and general intelligence. Results also showed that numerosity comparison's relations with reading comprehension and arithmetic computation were fully accounted for by visual form perception. These results suggest that reading comprehension and arithmetic computation might share a similar visual form processing mechanism.
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Skagerlund K, Östergren R, Västfjäll D, Träff U. How does mathematics anxiety impair mathematical abilities? Investigating the link between math anxiety, working memory, and number processing. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211283. [PMID: 30682125 PMCID: PMC6347150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In contemporary society, it is essential to have adequate mathematical skills. Being numerate has been linked to positive life outcomes and well-being in adults. It is also acknowledged that math anxiety (MA) hampers mathematical skills increasingly with age. Still, the mechanisms by which MA affect performance remain debated. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we contrast the different ways in which MA has been suggested to interfere with math abilities. Our models indicate that MA may affect math performance through three pathways: (1) indirectly through working memory ability, giving support for the 'affective drop' hypothesis of MA's role in mathematical performance, (2) indirectly through symbolic number processing, corroborating the notion of domain-specific mechanisms pertaining to number, and (3) a direct effect of MA on math performance. Importantly, the pathways vary in terms of their relative strength depending on what type of mathematical problems are being solved. These findings shed light on the mechanisms by which MA may interfere with mathematical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenny Skagerlund
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rickard Östergren
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Västfjäll
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- JEDILab, Division of Economics, Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ulf Träff
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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