Journal of Numerical Cognition (JNC - PsychOpen)
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The Parity Judgment SNARC Effect: The Role of Response Mapping Order and the Nature of the Instruction
No full textPrevious research has investigated the Spatial Numerical Associations of Response Codes (SNARC) effect as a measure of spatial number coding in relation to mathematics (Cipora et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14355). An issue that arises if one wants to correlate mathematical performance with the SNARC effect, is how individual differences in the SNARC effect are measured. Specific design choices might have an impact on the size of the SNARC effect as an individual difference measure. In the present study we investigated two design choices that have previously been neglected as possible determinants of the size of the SNARC effect as obtained in the parity judgment task. The first determinant that we investigated is mapping order. The odd-even left-right response assignments can be congruent (even-right and odd-left) or incongruent (even-left and odd-right) in terms of linguistic markedness (MARC effect: markedness association of response codes) and might be presented in two different orders (congruent first or incongruent first) possibly affecting the size of the SNARC effect. A second possible determinant is task instruction. Instructions can emphasize parity (judge numbers as odd or even) or emphasize two categories (classify numbers as 1-3-7-9 versus 2-4-6-8) as the basis for responding, perhaps requiring different levels of semantic processing. To investigate the potential impact of these variables, this study used a 2x2 between subject design, resulting in four conditions to verify the effect of mapping order and instructions. The results show that the SNARC effect is not influenced by mapping order or by the nature of the instructions, revealing the parity judgment SNARC effect as a robust marker of spatial number coding useful for individual difference research
Assessing Early Math Skills in Preschoolers by Using Digital Games
No full textImproving early mathematical competence is a major priority worldwide; thus, assessing early math abilities is critical. Although various international standardized instruments serve this purpose, their usage in underdeveloped countries is prohibitive due to their resource-intensive requirements. In this report, we explore the development of the “Test de Pensamiento Matemático" (TPM, Test of Preschool Mathematics), which is an automated, game-based, digital instrument for assessing early math abilities in 4-to-6-year-old children in accordance with international curricular standards. A confirmatory factor analysis shows an optimal fit for two dimensions: numerical thinking and visuospatial reasoning. By drawing on technology, the TPM can be applied to large groups of children, so it becomes an efficient tool for assessing performance, monitoring learning improvements, and screening children who need additional support to develop their math abilities at the same pace with their peers
Examining a Factor Structure of Home Math Activities by Math Subdomain With Associations to Children’s Math Skills
No full textEvidence of positive associations between the frequency of home math activities and preschool children’s math skills is mixed, and the operationalization of home math activities varies across studies. We test whether home math activities can be grouped by activity factors based on the math subdomain they target (i.e., counting and cardinality, comparison, number identification, addition and subtraction, and patterning) and examine associations between these activity factors and child math skills. Data were collected from 78 parents and their four-year-old children in the United States. Parents completed a home math activities survey, and children completed math assessments. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) indicated a well-fitting model with the five activity factors (one factor per subdomain) and a sixth factor for activities that could incorporate multiple subdomains. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses indicated positive associations between activity factors and child math skills for counting and cardinality, comparison, addition and subtraction, and patterning, but not for number identification. Results reveal that this model is appropriate for older four-year-old children closer to the beginning of kindergarten but is not appropriate for younger four-year-old children. This study suggests the possibility of operationalizing home math activities by activity factors based on math subdomains
The Psychometric Properties of the Polish-Language Version of the Mathematical Resilience Scale
No full textThis study aims to present the psychometric properties of the Polish language version of the Mathematical Resilience Scale (MRS; Kooken et al., 2016), established in a sample of 443 adults. We confirmed the first-order three-factor structure (Value, Struggle, Growth) with the second-order factor (Total Mathematical Resilience) of the MRS and its measurement invariance across gender and field of study and profession. We also confirmed the validity of the scale: negative correlations were found between MRS scores and math anxiety, math avoidance, intellectual helplessness in mathematics; positive correlations were found between MRS scores, mathematical achievement, math learning motivation; no relationship or weak correlations were found between MRS scores, intellectual helplessness in Polish language, Polish language grades obtained in high school. Finally, we observed gender and study and profession differences in some of the MRS scores. However, further research is needed on the nature of mathematical resilience, especially to establish its relationship with general resilience
Book Review of “Numerical Cognition and the Epistemology of Arithmetic” by Markus Pantsar
No full textNo abstract available
Thirty Years of the Give-N Task: A Systematic Review, Reflections, and Recommendations
No full textThe Give-N (give-a-number) task has become a popular assessment of children’s number words and counting knowledge since Wynn’s (1990, 1992) seminal work over 30 years ago. Using the Give-N task, numerous studies have shown that children learn the first few number words slowly, before they understand how counting represents number. This learning trajectory and children's associated behaviors on the Give-N task are represented by “knower-levels” and form the basis for a large body of research assessing children’s number learning. Recent research has started to critically analyze the theoretical conceptualisation and reliability of knower-levels. We added to this work by conducting a systematic review of studies using the Give-N task. This review provides an overview of methodological practices and variations in the task’s administration and scoring of knower-levels which have theoretical and methodological implications. We argue that advancing methodology and theory for research in children’s number learning requires (1) consideration of Give-N task administration and scoring in study design and reporting and (2) reflection on the assumptions and limitations of classifying children’s performance on the Give-N task in the knower-level framework
Learning Number Notations – Comparison of a Sign-Value and Place-Value System
No full textAlthough numbers are universal, there are great differences between languages and cultures in terms of how they are represented. Numerical notation can influence number processing. Two well-known types of notational systems are sign-value, such as the Roman numeral system, and place-value systems, such as the Indo-Arabic numeral system. What is involved in learning each system? Here we report a study that investigated adults’ abilities to implicitly learn an artificially created sign-value or place-value system. We asked if they could perform symbolic comparison and ordering tasks using the novel symbol system. We found adults could learn the ordinal meaning of symbols within either system and were able to extend the system to symbols not encountered during training. There was a relative advantage of the sign-value system over the place-value system for expressions encountered during the training, but also for expressions that had not previously been encountered. These results shed light on how easily the structure of place-value and sign-value systems can be learned
Do Preschoolers Use Rules to Represent Their Count List?
No full textWhen children first learn to count, what do they understand about the structure of the count system? The present study investigated English-speaking children’s ability to generalize the rules that structure their count list to novel contexts. A total of N = 86 children (3;0 – 6;11) completed a battery of tasks aimed at measuring their understanding of the English count list: they counted as high as they could, and were asked to generate successors to English numbers (e.g., “Fifty-seven: what comes next?”). Next, they were introduced to novel decade terms, and were asked to generate successors to numbers containing those terms (e.g., “Blicky-seven: what comes next?”). Children’s ability to generate successors was predicted by their counting ability, and a sizeable subset of children were able to generate successors both for novel numbers and for English numbers outside their productive count range. These data suggest that emerging counters can use their understanding of the structure of the English count list to generate successors to unfamiliar numbers
The Role of Math Games for Children’s Early Math Learning: A Systematic Review
No full textMath learning in early childhood is critical for later success, as it is predictive of mathematical and academic achievement through adolescence. Therefore, developing engaging and effective methods for early math instruction are important. Math games are a common method for teaching math in a way that is motivating and engaging for young children and are often used in early childhood classrooms. However, research on what games are effective and who can benefit from playing them often focuses on single elements or contexts of gameplay, and there is little research summarizing the effects of math games on children’s learning. The current systematic review presents research on the impact of math games on preschool through third grade children’s math development, examining what game contexts, types, and content areas are effective for math learning, who can learn from games, and what features of math games effectively promote learning in early childhood. Themes in the literature include the impact of game design factors, math outcomes studied, and dosage of gameplay for learning through games. The review reveals that future research is needed to compare the effects of gameplay across contexts and to examine additional factors influencing children’s learning from games
Variation in Mathematics Performance: A Multilevel Analysis With Student and School's Characteristics
No full textUsing data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), this study examines the student and school characteristics that contribute to students’ mathematics performance in early elementary school in Chile. Previous research has separately analyzed the association of student and school factors with mathematics performance. This study uses multilevel modeling analyses to account for those factors together and understand variability within and between schools. The sample in this study was 6,322 fourth grade students from 169 schools. The students’ mean age was 10.07 (SD = 0.50); 49.6% were girls. The results from this study show that student characteristics, such as the home mathematics environment, helped explain the variation between schools more than within schools. These findings highlight the importance of considering contextual factors, such as parent–child math interactions, when developing education policy and intervention to foster students’ mathematics skills