title: Cross-cultural investigation into cognitive underpinnings of individual differences in early arithmetic.
abstract: The present study evaluated 626 5-7-year-old children in the UK, China, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan on a cognitive test battery measuring: (1) general skills; (2) non-symbolic number sense; (3) symbolic number understanding; (4) simple arithmetic - operating with numbers; and (5) familiarity with numbers. Although most inter-population differences were small, 13% of the variance in arithmetic skills could be explained by the sample, replicating the pattern, previously found with older children in PISA. Furthermore, the same cognitive skills were related to early arithmetic in these diverse populations. Only understanding of symbolic number explained variation in mathematical performance in all samples. We discuss the results in terms of potential influences of socio-demographic, linguistic and genetic factors on individual differences in mathematics.
authors: InLab, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK; Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioural Genetics, Tomsk State University, Russia.
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Rodic
authors: Xinlin
authors: X
authors: Zhou
authors: Tatiana
authors: T
authors: Tikhomirova
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wei
authors: Sergei
authors: S
authors: Malykh
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Ismatulina
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Sabirova
authors: Yulia
authors: Y
authors: Davidova
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Tosto
authors: Jean-Pascal
authors: JP
authors: Lemelin
authors: Yulia
authors: Y
authors: Kovas
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013561:Symbolism