Journal
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
Volume 27, Issue 2, Pages 191-202Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/0956797615617799
Keywords
number comprehension; educational psychology; individual differences; mathematical ability; perception
Categories
Funding
- Wisconsin Alumni Research Fund
- National Science Foundation [DRL-1420211]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
What basic capacities lay the foundation for advanced numerical cognition? Are there basic nonsymbolic abilities that support the understanding of advanced numerical concepts, such as fractions? To date, most theories have posited that previously identified core numerical systems, such as the approximate number system (ANS), are ill-suited for learning fraction concepts. However, recent research in developmental psychology and neuroscience has revealed a ratio-processing system (RPS) that is sensitive to magnitudes of nonsymbolic ratios and may be ideally suited for supporting fraction concepts. We provide evidence for this hypothesis by showing that individual differences in RPS acuity predict performance on four measures of mathematical competence, including a university entrance exam in algebra. We suggest that the nonsymbolic RPS may support symbolic fraction understanding much as the ANS supports whole-number concepts. Thus, even abstract mathematical concepts, such as fractions, may be grounded not only in higher-order logic and language, but also in basic nonsymbolic processing abilities.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available