Cognitive development concerning equal distribution in preschoolers: The effects of quotient and divisor instructions

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the cognition of equal distribution within preschoolers, where children were asked to share out wooden chips. The children were divided into two experimental groups (a quotient and a divisor group), based on the instructions provided. In the trials, each child was given six wooden chips to share out, the instruction for the quotient group was to "divide the chips into twos, while the instruction for the other group was to "divide the chips by three". A total of 128 preschool children, aged from three to six years, participated in the study, with half being assigned to the respective groups. The results indicated that children in the quotient group performed better than those in divisor group at all age levels. These findings suggest that while quotient instructions facilitate equal distributions, it might be di$cult for young children to understand the phrase "divide by X".