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The approximate number system and mathematics achievement: it's complicated. A thorough investigation of different ANS measures and executive functions in mathematics achievement in children

Coolen, Ilse E.J.I.; Riggs, Kevin J.; Bugler, Myfanwy; Castronovo, Julie

Authors

Ilse E.J.I. Coolen

Myfanwy Bugler



Abstract

The ability to represent approximate numerical magnitudes is often referred to as the approximate number system (ANS) and has regularly been proposed as foundational to mathematics achievement. However, some argue that the relation between ANS acuity and mathematics achievement ceases to exist when controlling for domain-general cognitive abilities. The current debate in the literature on whether ANS acuity remains a predictor to mathematics after strict control is applied leads to the need to simultaneously investigate domain-specific and domain-general foundational abilities in different ages. 174 Children took part in two computerised ANS tasks, two executive function tasks, a verbal skills task, two intelligence subscales, and a mathematics achievement task (i.e. global, formal, and informal mathematics achievement). Results demonstrated that, when controlling for intelligence and visuospatial memory, the relation between ANS acuity and mathematics achievement ceased to exist, and that ANS acuity might only play a predictive role in early informal mathematics.

Citation

Coolen, I. E., Riggs, K. J., Bugler, M., & Castronovo, J. (in press). The approximate number system and mathematics achievement: it's complicated. A thorough investigation of different ANS measures and executive functions in mathematics achievement in children. Journal of cognitive psychology, https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2022.2044338

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 15, 2022
Online Publication Date Mar 3, 2022
Deposit Date Mar 17, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 22, 2022
Journal Journal of Cognitive Psychology
Print ISSN 2044-5911
Electronic ISSN 2044-592X
Publisher Routledge
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2022.2044338
Keywords Numerical cognition; Approximate number system; Executive functions; Mathematics achievement
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3950519

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Publisher Licence URL
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.





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