Individual differences in non-verbal number acuity correlate with maths achievement

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Human mathematical competence relies on symbolic and approximate number systems.
• The approximate number system (ANS) is evolutionarily ancient, shared across species and development.
• Individual differences in ANS acuity and its link to formal math abilities are largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate individual differences in non-verbal number sense (ANS acuity) in children.
• To determine the relationship between ANS acuity and mathematical achievement.
• To explore the persistence of this relationship across different developmental stages.

Main Methods:

• Assessed non-verbal approximation abilities in 14-year-old children.
• Correlated ANS acuity with past standardized math achievement test scores from kindergarten onwards.
• Controlled for other cognitive and performance factors.

Main Results:

• Significant individual differences in non-verbal approximation abilities were observed.
• ANS acuity strongly correlated with math achievement, even from kindergarten.
• The correlation remained significant after controlling for other cognitive factors.

Conclusions:

• Individual differences in school math achievement are linked to the acuity of the innate approximate number sense.
• Early differences in number sense may impact later math learning.
• Further research is needed on the interplay between number sense, math education, and external factors.