title: Complex mental arithmetic: the contribution of the number sense.
abstract: Young adults were asked to solve two-digit addition problems and to say aloud the result of each calculation step to allow the identification of computation strategies. We manipulated the position of the largest addend (e.g., 25 + 48 vs. 48 + 25) to assess whether strategies are modulated by magnitude characteristics. With some strategies, participants demonstrated a clear preference to take the largest addend as the starting point for the calculation. Hence, rather than applying strategies in an inflexible manner, participants evaluated and compared the operands before proceeding to calculation. Further, mathematically skilled participants tended to use those magnitude-based strategies more often than less skilled ones. The findings demonstrate that magnitude information plays a role in complex arithmetic by guiding the process of strategy selection, and possibly more so for mathematically skilled participants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Cognition, Langage & Développement (LCLD), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av. Roosevelt, 50/CP 191, B - 1050 Brussels, Belgium. julienys@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nys
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Content
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D055815:Young Adult