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Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)
10:58

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Published on: August 28, 2021

Core multiplication in childhood.

Koleen McCrink1, Elizabeth S Spelke

  • 1Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States. kmccrink@barnard.edu

Cognition
|June 12, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Children intuitively grasp multiplication and division concepts before formal schooling, using their innate approximate number system (ANS). This study shows young children can perform multiplicative transformations, supporting early math learning.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Numerical Cognition

Background:

  • The approximate number system (ANS) supports basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction) using imprecise quantity representations.
  • Formal instruction in multiplication and division is typically introduced later in schooling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether young children can perform multiplicative transformations on large approximate numerosities without formal training.
  • To determine if this ability relies on the innate approximate number system (ANS).

Main Methods:

  • 5-7-year-old children performed scalar transformation tasks on arrays of objects.
  • Transformations included doubling, quadrupling, and fractional increases (2.5).
  • Performance was assessed for above-chance accuracy and adherence to ANS characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Children successfully performed multiplicative transformations across all conditions, even on early trials.
  • Performance patterns were inconsistent with repeated addition strategies.
  • Results demonstrated the critical ratio signature characteristic of the ANS.

Conclusions:

  • Young children possess an untrained, intuitive capacity for calculating multiplicative numerical relationships.
  • This innate ability provides a foundation for formal arithmetic instruction in multiplication and division.
  • The approximate number system (ANS) plays a crucial role in early multiplicative reasoning.