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Updated: Aug 28, 2025
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Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics BM-PROMA
Published on: August 28, 2021
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Number sense: the mediating effect between nonverbal intelligence and children's mathematical performance
Hui Zhou1,2, Qiutong Tan3,4, Xiaolin Ye5
1Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing City, 312000, People's Republic of China. demom_bore@163.com.
Summary
Number sense and basic arithmetic skills significantly improve children's mathematical performance by mediating nonverbal intelligence. Developing these domain-specific skills is crucial for primary school math education.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Understanding factors influencing children's mathematical performance is vital for educational interventions.
- Previous research has explored cognitive and domain-general factors, but the interplay requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mediating role of number sense between nonverbal intelligence and mathematical performance in primary school pupils.
- To identify key predictors of mathematical performance, distinguishing between domain-specific and domain-general cognitive functions.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 131 primary school students (grades 1, 3, 5) in China completed assessments.
- Measures included nonverbal intelligence, number sense, basic arithmetic ability, mathematical performance, rapid automatized naming, and working memory.
- A multiple-mediation model was employed to analyze the relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Nonverbal intelligence, number sense, and basic arithmetic ability were significant predictors of mathematical performance (p < .01).
- Number sense and basic arithmetic ability mediated the relationship between nonverbal intelligence and mathematical performance.
- Domain-specific mathematical skills demonstrated a more prominent role than domain-general cognitive functions.
Conclusions:
- Number sense and basic arithmetic ability are critical mediators in the development of mathematical performance.
- Educational strategies should prioritize fostering number sense and arithmetic skills in primary education.
- Domain-specific mathematical competencies are more influential than general cognitive abilities for early mathematical success.
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