Beyond Accuracy: Reaction Time and Task Format Effects in Early Mathematical Processing

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Traditional math assessments focus on accuracy, potentially overlooking cognitive processing.
• Reaction time (RT) offers insights into temporal processing patterns during problem-solving.
• Understanding gender-related variations in early math is crucial for equitable education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore associations between task format, gender, accuracy, and RT in early mathematics.
• To investigate how different math task formats influence performance in first-grade students.
• To examine gender differences in mathematical accuracy and response speed.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-seven first-grade students (21 girls, 16 boys) completed computerized formula-based and competency-based math tasks.
• PsychoPy/Pavlovia software was used for task implementation.
• Mixed-effects models analyzed accuracy and RT at participant and item levels.

Main Results:

• Accuracy was higher for formula-based tasks compared to competency-based tasks.
• No significant overall gender effect on accuracy was found, though numerical differences appeared in specific conditions.
• Reaction times were longer for competency-based tasks, with significant interactions between accuracy, task format, and gender.

Conclusions:

• Task format significantly impacts accuracy in early math, with formula-based problems yielding higher scores.
• While overall gender differences in accuracy were not significant, RT patterns suggest gender-related variations in cognitive processing.
• Future research should consider task order effects and employ more nuanced measures of mathematical cognition.