When is working memory important for arithmetic? The impact of strategy and age

Abstract

Our ability to perform arithmetic relies heavily on working memory, the manipulation and maintenance of information in mind. Previous research has found that in adults, procedural strategies, particularly counting, rely on working memory to a greater extent than retrieval strategies. During childhood there are changes in the types of strategies employed, as well as an increase in the accuracy and efficiency of strategy execution. As such it seems likely that the role of working memory in arithmetic may also change, however children and adults have never been directly compared. This study used traditional dual-task methodology, with the addition of a control load condition, to investigate the extent to which working memory requirements for different arithmetic strategies change with age between 9–11 years, 12–14 years and young adulthood. We showed that both children and adults employ working memory when solving arithmetic problems, no matter what strategy they choose. This study highlights the importance of considering working memory in understanding the difficulties that some children and adults have with mathematics, as well as the need to include working memory in theoretical models of mathematical cognition.

Interventions targeting working memory in 4–11 year olds within their everyday contexts: A systematic review

“…WM supports many everyday activities from reading to learning how to use a new device. It underpins many thinking processes (Henry, 2012), and is strongly linked with attention (Bunting and Cowan, 2005, Cowan et al, 2006), language learning (Baddeley et al, 1998, Weiland et al, 2014); mental arithmetic (Cragg, Richardson, Hubber, Keeble, & Gilmore, 2017); reading development (Kudo et al, 2015, Swanson et al, 2009); and sensory and motor skills (Alloway and Archibald, 2008, Leonard et al, 2015). Consequently, poor WM is associated with a wide range of learning difficulties, including specific language impairment2 (Archibald & Gathercole, 2007), dyslexia and reading difficulties (Jeffries and Everatt, 2003, Jeffries and Everatt, 2004, Swanson, 2003) and dyscalculia and mathematical learning problems (Geary et al, 2004, Szucs et al, 2013).…”

Effects of multisession transcranial direct current stimulation as an augmentation to cognitive tasks in patients with neurocognitive disorders in Japan: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

“…These tasks are designed to improve working memory. 22 All questions will be printed on A4 sheets of paper. The interval between sessions will be set as greater than 20 min.…”

Teachers’ Understanding About Executive Function Toward Mathematics

“…These skills collaborate with components of executive functions to achieve good abilities in mathematics for students (Gilmore & Cragg, 2014). Previous studies reported that mathematical achievements influenced by working memory (Cragg, Richardson, Hubber, Keeble, & Gilmore, 2017), inhibition control (Gómez, Jiménez, Bobadilla, Reyes, & Dartnell, 2015) and shifting (Poorghorban, Jabbari, & Chamandar, 2018). Executive function low capacity as a predictor for students' difficulty in learning mathematics.…”