In this paper are described data from a study of 10-yr.-old children's memory for simple addition facts and an investigation of the relationship between estimated automaticity and general mathematical ability. 21 children were each presented 100 single-digit addition combinations and their addition times analysed. Each child's automaticity for addition facts was estimated by considering the discrepancy between response times for tie and nontie combinations. Analysis indicated a significant correlation between automaticity and mathematical ability (r = .45, p< .01).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AshcraftM. H. (1992) Cognitive arithmetic: a review of data and theory. Cognition, 4, 75–106.
2.
AshcraftM. H., & BattagliaJ. (1978) Cognitive arithmetic: evidence for retrieval and decision processes in mental addition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 4, 527–538.
3.
CarpenterT. P., & MoserJ. M. (1983) The acquisition of addition and subtraction concepts. In LeishR. & LandauM. (Eds.), Acquisition of mathematics concepts and processes. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Pp. 7–44.
4.
GroenG. J., & ParkmanJ. M. (1972) A Chronometric analysis of simple addition. Psychological Review, 97, 329–343.
5.
HamannM. S., & AshcraftM. H. (1985) Simple and complex mental addition across development. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 40, 49–72.
6.
MulhernG. (1987) The development of computational skills in simple mental addition. Journal of Structural Learning, 9, 317–328.
7.
MulhernG., & BudgeA. (1993) A chronometric study of mental addition in profoundly deaf children. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 7, 53–62.
8.
National Foundation for Educational Research. (1970) Basic Mathematics Test C. Windsor, UK: NFER-Nelson.
9.
SieglerR. S. (1988) Individual differences in strategy choices. Child Development, 59, 833–851.
10.
SieglerR. S., & RobinsonM. (1982) The development of numerical understanding. In ReeseH. W. & LipsittL. P. (Eds.), Advances in child development and behaviour. Vol. 16. New York: Academic Press. Pp. 241–312.
11.
SieglerR. S., & ShragerJ. (1984) A model of strategy choice: how do children know what to do? In SophianC. (Ed.), Origins of cognitive skills. Hillsdale, NT: Erlbaum. Pp. 229–293.
12.
SuppesP., & GroenG. (1967) Some counting for first-grade performance data on simple addition facts. In ScanduraJ. M. (Ed.), Research in mathematics education. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Pp. 34–43.
