I continue to search for information
about the relationship between cognitive abilities and math performance. The more we know about it, the better we'll
be able to link specific math difficulties to cognitive abilities that may be
causing these specific difficulties.
Here are some of the things we know thus
far about the relation between visual processing and math:
·
Visual processing is significantly and
consistently linked with math in "older" children ("older"
children probably refers to junior high school and high school students) (Flanagan
et al, 2006).
·
Precision in placing numbers on a number line
predicts future math achievement. Some
see . this ability as a measure of the number sense (Geary et al, 2012).
- Poor visuospatial skill is related with dyscalculia (Furlong et al, 2014)
- Visual processing as measured by the WJ3COG is not predictive
of math achievement as measured by WJ3ACH . (McGrew&
Wendling, 2010) .
Here is another study examining this
relationship.
Tibber, M. S.,
Manasseh, G. S., Clarke, R. C., Gagin, G., Swanbeck, S. N., Butterworth, B.
& Dakin, S. C. (2013). Sensitivity
to numerosity is not a unique visuospatial psychophysical predictor of
mathematical ability. Vision
research, 89, 1-9.
More than 300 participants aged 6-71 were
recruited to an experiment in the London science museum. They completed a questionnaire about their
age, sex, general and math education level, took a math test and performed a
series of visuospatial matching tasks.
Mathematical ability was assessed using a computer-based
multiple-choice test adapted from the Mathematics Calculation Subtest
(WJ-Rcalc) of the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Participants were presented with a series of
problems that increased in difficulty from simple addition and subtraction
through to multiplication and division of fractions and negative integers . Participants were given 30 s to respond to
each problem. The test was terminated if the participant made a certain
number of errors.
Visuospatial processing was assessed by a
visual matching test. Two patches of
oriented Gabor elements were presented to the left and right of screen centre (see figure below). Participants
used a mouse to adjust the patch on the right (the test) so that it matched the
appearance of the patch on the left (the reference) for a given parameter
(orientation, size, numerosity or density). As far as I know, this task does not fit any
of the narrow CHC visual processing abilities.
The results showed, that older
participants performed significantly better on all tasks ( visuospatial and math
tasks). This finding is surprising
because I would expect a decline in performance above the age of 20-30.
It was also found that men
significantly outperformed women on all tasks.
No correlation was found between
the ability to match density and size and math achievement.
In participants older than 18,
there was a significant correlation between the ability to match orientation
and quantity and math achievement. Such a tendency
was also found in children but it was not significant. The authors think that's because the children's sample size was too
small.
The correlation found between the ability to match quantities
and math achievement is not surprising at all.
The ability to match quantities is essentially a math task (reflecting
number sense) that is only performed visually.
The correlation found in this study and other studies between the
ability to match quantities and math achievement is similar: between 0.2 and 0.4. Sensitivity to numerosity is a significant
and reliable predictor of math scores.
How can we explain the correlation between the ability to
match orientation and math achievement? The
authors ask this question but don’t answer it in a convincing way. They say that there probably is a common
system at the base of math and visuospatial tasks, and that people whose system
is more sensitive (better) will tend to study high level math.
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