Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties

ABSTRACT It is still debated if the main deficit in mathematical difficulties (MD) is nonsymbolic or symbolic numerical magnitude processing. Objectives: In the present study, our main goal was to investigate nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude processing in MD and the relationship between...

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Main Authors: Isabella Starling-Alves, Annelise Júlio-Costa, Ricardo José de Moura, Vitor Geraldi Haase
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento 2021-12-01
Series:Dementia & Neuropsychologia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642021000400524&tlng=en
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author Isabella Starling-Alves
Annelise Júlio-Costa
Ricardo José de Moura
Vitor Geraldi Haase
author_facet Isabella Starling-Alves
Annelise Júlio-Costa
Ricardo José de Moura
Vitor Geraldi Haase
author_sort Isabella Starling-Alves
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT It is still debated if the main deficit in mathematical difficulties (MD) is nonsymbolic or symbolic numerical magnitude processing. Objectives: In the present study, our main goal was to investigate nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude processing in MD and the relationship between these abilities and arithmetic. Methods: The Brazilian school-age children with MD completed a nonsymbolic and a symbolic numerical magnitude comparison task and an arithmetic task. We compared their performance with a group of children with typical achievement (TA) and investigated the association between numerical magnitude processing and arithmetic with a series of regression analyses. Results: Results indicated that children with MD had low performance in the nonsymbolic numerical magnitude comparison task. Performance in both nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude comparison tasks predicted arithmetic abilities in children with TA, but not in children with MD. Conclusions: These results indicate that children with MD have difficulties in nonsymbolic numerical magnitude processing, and do not engage basic numerical magnitude representations to solve arithmetic.
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spelling doaj.art-ead3d18dbc3e49f6ae4d9ed4533dde902022-12-21T19:35:46ZengAssociação Neurologia Cognitiva e do ComportamentoDementia & Neuropsychologia1980-57642021-12-0115452453210.1590/1980-57642021dn15-040013Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics DifficultiesIsabella Starling-Alveshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4781-2706Annelise Júlio-Costahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9004-2009Ricardo José de Mourahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0623-0072Vitor Geraldi Haasehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1906-7702ABSTRACT It is still debated if the main deficit in mathematical difficulties (MD) is nonsymbolic or symbolic numerical magnitude processing. Objectives: In the present study, our main goal was to investigate nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude processing in MD and the relationship between these abilities and arithmetic. Methods: The Brazilian school-age children with MD completed a nonsymbolic and a symbolic numerical magnitude comparison task and an arithmetic task. We compared their performance with a group of children with typical achievement (TA) and investigated the association between numerical magnitude processing and arithmetic with a series of regression analyses. Results: Results indicated that children with MD had low performance in the nonsymbolic numerical magnitude comparison task. Performance in both nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude comparison tasks predicted arithmetic abilities in children with TA, but not in children with MD. Conclusions: These results indicate that children with MD have difficulties in nonsymbolic numerical magnitude processing, and do not engage basic numerical magnitude representations to solve arithmetic.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642021000400524&tlng=enmathematicsneuropsychologydyscalculia
spellingShingle Isabella Starling-Alves
Annelise Júlio-Costa
Ricardo José de Moura
Vitor Geraldi Haase
Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties
Dementia & Neuropsychologia
mathematics
neuropsychology
dyscalculia
title Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties
title_full Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties
title_fullStr Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties
title_full_unstemmed Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties
title_short Nonsymbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing in the Brazilian Children with Mathematics Difficulties
title_sort nonsymbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude processing in the brazilian children with mathematics difficulties
topic mathematics
neuropsychology
dyscalculia
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642021000400524&tlng=en
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AT ricardojosedemoura nonsymbolicandsymbolicnumericalmagnitudeprocessinginthebrazilianchildrenwithmathematicsdifficulties
AT vitorgeraldihaase nonsymbolicandsymbolicnumericalmagnitudeprocessinginthebrazilianchildrenwithmathematicsdifficulties