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Related Experiment Videos

Do young calendrical calculators improve with age?

N O'Connor1, B Hermelin

  • 1Medical Research Council, University of London, Institute of Education, U.K.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|July 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
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Two 10-year-olds with exceptional calendrical calculation skills performed similarly to adult savants. Their abilities suggest rule inference rather than practice alone, highlighting cognitive strategies in calendrical computation.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Mathematical Cognition

Background:

  • Calendrical calculation is a complex cognitive skill.
  • Savant syndrome, characterized by extraordinary abilities in individuals with developmental disorders, often includes exceptional mathematical talents.
  • Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of such abilities can offer insights into general cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the calendrical calculation performance of typically developing children with that of adult savants.
  • To investigate whether practice alone can account for the high-level calendrical calculation skills observed in young individuals.
  • To explore the cognitive strategies employed by individuals with exceptional calendrical abilities.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative analysis of calendrical calculation speed and accuracy.
  • Assessment of two 10-year-old children (IQ 90) with varying calendrical abilities against eight adult savant calculators.
  • Repeated trials to assess learning and improvement over time.

Main Results:

  • The calculating speeds of the two 10-year-olds were comparable to the reaction times of the adult savants.
  • No significant improvement in speed or accuracy was observed across successive trials for the young calculators.
  • The performance suggests pre-existing rule inference rather than skill acquisition through practice.

Conclusions:

  • The young calculators likely possess an innate understanding of calendrical structures.
  • Their performance is not solely attributable to practice, indicating the involvement of advanced cognitive strategies.
  • These findings contribute to the understanding of cognitive strategies in savant abilities and mathematical cognition.