Working memory and number line representations in single-digit addition: Approximate versus exact, nonsymbolic versus symbolic.

How do kindergarteners solve different single-digit addition problem formats? We administered problems that differed solely on the basis of two dimensions: response type (approximate or exact), and stimulus type (nonsymbolic, i.e., dots, or symbolic, i.e., Arabic numbers). We examined how performanc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Vol. 68; no. 6; pp. 1148 - 1168
Main Authors: Xenidou-Dervou, Iro, van der Schoot, Menno, van Lieshout, Ernest C. D. M.
Format: Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. Jun2015
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=102621375&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 102621375
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        17470218
        1US5
      jtl: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
      issn: 17470218
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Jun2015
      vid: 68
      iid: 6
      pid: 344
      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
    artinfo:
      ui:
        102621375
        10.1080/17470218.2014.977303
      ppf: 1148
      ppct: 20
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Working memory and number line representations in single-digit addition: Approximate versus exact, nonsymbolic versus symbolic.
      aug:
        au:
          Xenidou-Dervou, Iro
          van der Schoot, Menno
          van Lieshout, Ernest C. D. M.
        affil: Department of Educational Neuroscience and LEARN! Research Institute for Learning and Education, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
      su:
        Short-term memory
        Number line
        Addition (Mathematics)
        Stimulus & response (Psychology)
        Cognitive Abilities Test
      sug:
        subj:
          Short-term memory
          Number line
          Addition (Mathematics)
          Stimulus & response (Psychology)
          Cognitive Abilities Test
      keyword:
        Kindergarten children
        Mental model
        Nonsymbolic addition
        Numerical cognition
        Simple arithmetic
        Symbolic addition
        Kindergarten children
        Mental model
        Nonsymbolic addition
        Numerical cognition
        Simple arithmetic
        Symbolic addition
      ab: How do kindergarteners solve different single-digit addition problem formats? We administered problems that differed solely on the basis of two dimensions: response type (approximate or exact), and stimulus type (nonsymbolic, i.e., dots, or symbolic, i.e., Arabic numbers). We examined how performance differs across these dimensions, and which cognitive mechanism (mental model, transcoding, or phonological storage) underlies performance in each problem format with respect to working memory (WM) resources and mental number line representations. As expected, nonsymbolic problem formats were easier than symbolic ones. The visuospatial sketchpad was the primary predictor of nonsymbolic addition. Symbolic problem formats were harder because they either required the storage and manipulation of quantitative symbols phonologically or taxed more WM resources than their nonsymbolic counterparts. In symbolic addition, WM and mental number line results showed that when an approximate response was needed, children transcoded the information to the nonsymbolic code. When an exact response was needed, however, they phonologically stored numerical information in the symbolic code. Lastly, we found that more accurate symbolic mental number line representations were related to better performance in exact addition problem formats, not the approximate ones. This study extends our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying children's simple addition skills.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N