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Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
Published on: June 20, 2012
The effect of problem structure on problem-solving: an fMRI study of word versus number problems
Sharlene D Newman1, Gregory Willoughby, Benjamin Pruce
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. sdnewman@indiana.edu
Brain Research
|July 26, 2011
Summary
Solving word problems may not be harder than number problems. This study found similar brain processing networks and more errors in number problems, challenging common assumptions about problem-solving difficulty.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Traditionally, word problems are considered more challenging than number/equation problems.
- Recent research questions this long-held belief regarding problem-solving difficulty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cognitive processing differences between word problems and number/equation problems.
- To compare behavioral and neuroimaging data for both problem types.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral experiments measuring problem-solving accuracy and response times.
- Neuroimaging techniques (e.g., fMRI) to observe brain activity during problem-solving.
Main Results:
- Behavioral data did not show a significant advantage for number problems; word problems had fewer errors.
- Neuroimaging revealed substantial overlap in brain regions for both problem types, including the superior posterior parietal cortex, intraparietal sulcus, pre-SMA, and basal ganglia.
- Distinct neural activation patterns were observed: language areas (Broca's, Wernicke's) for word problems and the horizontal segment of the intraparietal sulcus for number problems.
Conclusions:
- Word and number problems engage overlapping neural networks for general problem-solving and working memory.
- Specific brain regions are differentially activated, with language areas for word problems and the intraparietal sulcus for number problems.
- The assumption that word problems are inherently more difficult than number problems may need re-evaluation.
