Abstract

FORMOSO, Jesica; INJOQUE-RICLE, Irene; JACUBOVICH, Silvia  and  BARREYRO, Juan Pablo. Mental arithmetic in children and its relation to cognitive abilities. Acta de investigación psicol [online]. 2017, vol.7, n.3, pp.2766-2774. ISSN 2007-4719.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aipprr.2017.11.004.

This study aimed to analyze whether verbal working memory (WM), visual-spatial WM, processing speed, and verbal ability predicted children's ability to perform mental arithmetic. Five tests were administered to 70 6-years-old children: the Vocabulary and Digits Span subtests from the WISC-III Intelligence Scale, the Animal Pegs subtest from WPPSI-R, and an arithmetic test (ad hoc). A linear regression analysis showed that only visual-spatial WM predicted the variability in children's scores in the arithmetic test (t=4.72; P<.001; β=.50). These findings contradict studies carried out in adults and older children where verbal WM seemed to play a greater role in the subject's ability to conduct calculations without external aids. It is possible that as they grow older, the automation of certain counting processes, as well as the storage and recovery of arithmetic knowledge from long-term memory will cause them to rely primarily on verbal WM resources.

Keywords : Mental arithmetic; Processing speed; Working memory; Verbal ability; Children.

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