Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance
Math proficiency is an important predictor of educational attainment and life success. However, developing mathematical competency is challenging, and some content (e.g., fractions) can be enigmatic. Numerous factors are suspected to influence math performance, including strategy knowledge, attentio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210266/full |
| _version_ | 1797643319873896448 |
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| author | Karrie E. Godwin Karrie E. Godwin Clarissa A. Thompson Freya Kaur Yuika Iwai Charles J. Fitzsimmons Jennifer M. Taber |
| author_facet | Karrie E. Godwin Karrie E. Godwin Clarissa A. Thompson Freya Kaur Yuika Iwai Charles J. Fitzsimmons Jennifer M. Taber |
| author_sort | Karrie E. Godwin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Math proficiency is an important predictor of educational attainment and life success. However, developing mathematical competency is challenging, and some content (e.g., fractions) can be enigmatic. Numerous factors are suspected to influence math performance, including strategy knowledge, attention, and executive functions. In two online studies, we investigated the relationship between adults’ fraction arithmetic performance, confidence judgments, inhibitory control (a component of executive functions), and attention to strategy-relevant fraction components. We explored the utility of heat maps (based on mouse clicks) to measure adults’ attention to strategy-relevant fraction arithmetic components (operationalized according to each mathematical operation). In Study 1, attending to strategy-relevant fraction components was correlated with inhibitory control, but this finding did not replicate in Study 2. Across both studies, inhibitory control and attention to strategy-relevant fraction components were correlated with arithmetic accuracy. Intraindividual variability in participants’ attention to strategy-relevant fraction components was also found. Our findings suggest that heat map questions may be a viable alternative to assess participants’ attention during fraction tasks and that attention to specific fraction-arithmetic problem features is related to problem-solving accuracy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T14:13:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50b3984f609940e9933dbd202a980d31 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T14:13:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-50b3984f609940e9933dbd202a980d312023-11-01T16:25:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-11-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12102661210266Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performanceKarrie E. Godwin0Karrie E. Godwin1Clarissa A. Thompson2Freya Kaur3Yuika Iwai4Charles J. Fitzsimmons5Jennifer M. Taber6Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United StatesSherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United StatesMath proficiency is an important predictor of educational attainment and life success. However, developing mathematical competency is challenging, and some content (e.g., fractions) can be enigmatic. Numerous factors are suspected to influence math performance, including strategy knowledge, attention, and executive functions. In two online studies, we investigated the relationship between adults’ fraction arithmetic performance, confidence judgments, inhibitory control (a component of executive functions), and attention to strategy-relevant fraction components. We explored the utility of heat maps (based on mouse clicks) to measure adults’ attention to strategy-relevant fraction arithmetic components (operationalized according to each mathematical operation). In Study 1, attending to strategy-relevant fraction components was correlated with inhibitory control, but this finding did not replicate in Study 2. Across both studies, inhibitory control and attention to strategy-relevant fraction components were correlated with arithmetic accuracy. Intraindividual variability in participants’ attention to strategy-relevant fraction components was also found. Our findings suggest that heat map questions may be a viable alternative to assess participants’ attention during fraction tasks and that attention to specific fraction-arithmetic problem features is related to problem-solving accuracy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210266/fullattentioninhibitory controlexecutive functionsfractionsmath |
| spellingShingle | Karrie E. Godwin Karrie E. Godwin Clarissa A. Thompson Freya Kaur Yuika Iwai Charles J. Fitzsimmons Jennifer M. Taber Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance Frontiers in Psychology attention inhibitory control executive functions fractions math |
| title | Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance |
| title_full | Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance |
| title_fullStr | Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance |
| title_short | Attending to what’s important: what heat maps may reveal about attention, inhibitory control, and fraction arithmetic performance |
| title_sort | attending to what s important what heat maps may reveal about attention inhibitory control and fraction arithmetic performance |
| topic | attention inhibitory control executive functions fractions math |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210266/full |
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