Automatic activation of the shared-digit network in the solution of complex multiplication problems.
Previous studies have shown that the associative network of single-digit multiplication problems is automatically activated, even when participants perform irrelevant tasks, and that single-digit multiplication problems automatically activate all single-digit problems sharing at least one digit with...
| Published in: | Memory & Cognition Vol. 54; no. 2; pp. 532 - 548 |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
Feb2026
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| 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=192010493&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 192010493 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 0090502X MEG jtl: Memory & Cognition issn: 0090502X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Feb2026 vid: 54 iid: 2 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 192010493 10.3758/s13421-025-01766-1 ppf: 532 ppct: 16 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 974KB tig: atl: Automatic activation of the shared-digit network in the solution of complex multiplication problems. aug: au: Sapir-Yogev, Smadar Ashkenazi, Sarit affil: https://ror.org/03qxff017 The Seymour Fox School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91905, Jerusalem, Israel su: Israel Task performance Universities & colleges Learning Problem solving Students Memory Computer assisted instruction Cognition Mathematics T-test (Statistics) Two-way analysis of variance Research evaluation Descriptive statistics Data analysis software Reaction time Regression analysis sug: subj: Task performance Universities & colleges Learning Problem solving Students Memory Computer assisted instruction Cognition Israel Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Mathematics T-test (Statistics) Two-way analysis of variance Research evaluation Descriptive statistics Data analysis software Reaction time Regression analysis keyword: Arithmetic Associative network Complex multiplication Mathematical knowledge Multiplication table Numerical cognition Arithmetic Associative network Complex multiplication Mathematical knowledge Multiplication table Numerical cognition ab: Previous studies have shown that the associative network of single-digit multiplication problems is automatically activated, even when participants perform irrelevant tasks, and that single-digit multiplication problems automatically activate all single-digit problems sharing at least one digit with them (the shared-digit network; SDN). We examined whether the SDN would also be automatically activated when participants perform an irrelevant task. Specifically, we asked whether complex multiplication problems (e.g., 2 × 12 =) automatically activate all single-digit problems that share digits with them. In Experiment 1, participants solved all complex problems whose solutions were less than 100. In Experiments 2 and 3, participants solved sets of complex problems that differed in SDN size and in carryover status and were matched in problem size. Participants reported the strategies they used to solve the problems. Results showed that SDN size, which reflected the number of single-digit problems sharing digits with the complex problem, predicted speed and accuracy in the solution of complex problems. Regardless of carryover status and strategy, participants solved complex problems with small SDNs more quickly than complex problems with large SDNs. Regardless of carryover status, participants used retrieval more often when solving problems with a small SDN than with a large SDN. Thus, we have demonstrated that SDN size determines speed and accuracy in the solution of complex multiplication problems, and that the SDN is automatically activated even during performance of an irrelevant task. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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