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Related Concept Videos

Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
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Related Experiment Video

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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

Working memory components as predictors of children's mathematical word problem solving.

Xinhua Zheng1, H Lee Swanson, George A Marcoulides

  • 1Graduate School of Education, Area of Educational Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. xinhua.zheng@ucr.edu

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|July 26, 2011
PubMed
Summary

All working memory (WM) components aid math word problem-solving in children. However, strong reading and math skills can help compensate for weaker working memory abilities.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) is crucial for complex cognitive tasks.
  • Understanding WM's role in mathematical word problem-solving is key for educational interventions.
  • Specific WM components may differentially contribute to problem-solving accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify which working memory components best predict mathematical word problem-solving accuracy in elementary students.
  • To investigate the mediating roles of reading skills and calculation proficiency.
  • To examine potential moderation effects of academic skills on the WM-problem solving relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed problem-solving accuracy, processes, working memory, reading, and math calculation in 310 2nd-4th graders.
  • Utilized structural equation modeling to analyze predictive relationships.
  • Examined mediation and moderation effects of academic skills.

Main Results:

  • All three working memory components (central executive, phonological loop, visual-spatial sketchpad) significantly predicted math word problem-solving accuracy.
  • Reading skills and calculation proficiency mediated the effects of the central executive and phonological loop on solution accuracy.
  • Academic mediators did not moderate the relationship between the visual-spatial sketchpad and solution accuracy.

Conclusions:

  • Working memory is vital for mathematical word problem-solving across elementary grades.
  • Strong foundational skills in reading and calculation can mitigate the impact of weaker working memory on problem-solving.
  • Targeted interventions should consider both working memory capacity and foundational academic skills.