Multiple skills underlie arithmetic performance: A large-scale structural equation modeling analysis
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Ashkenazi, Sarit
Silverman, Sarit
Abstract / Description
Current theoretical approaches point to the importance of several cognitive skills not specific to mathematics for the etiology of mathematics disorders (MD). In the current study, we examined the role of many of these skills, specifically: rapid automatized naming, attention, reading, and visual perception, on mathematics performance among a large group of college students (N = 1,322) with a wide range of arithmetic proficiency. Using factor analysis, we discovered that our data clustered to four latent variables 1) mathematics, 2) perception speed, 3) attention and 4) reading. In subsequent structural equation modeling, we found that the latent variable perception speed had a strong and meaningful effect on mathematics performance. Moreover, sustained attention, independent from the effect of the latent variable perception speed, had a meaningful, direct effect on arithmetic fact retrieval and procedural knowledge. The latent variable reading had a modest effect on mathematics performance. Specifically, reading comprehension, independent from the effect of the latent variable reading, had a meaningful direct effect on mathematics, and particularly on number line knowledge. Attention, tested by the attention network test, had no effect on mathematics, reading or perception speed. These results indicate that multiple factors can affect mathematics performance supporting a heterogeneous approach to mathematics. These results have meaningful implications for the diagnosis and intervention of pure and comorbid learning disorders.
Keyword(s)
perception speed mathematics performance pure and comorbid mathematics disabilityPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2017-12-22
Journal title
Journal of Numerical Cognition
Volume
3
Issue
2
Page numbers
496–515
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Ashkenazi, S., & Silverman, S. (2017). Multiple skills underlie arithmetic performance: A large-scale structural equation modeling analysis. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 3(2), 496–515. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v3i2.64
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Ashkenazi, Sarit
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Silverman, Sarit
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-21T11:42:48Z
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Made available on2018-11-21T11:42:48Z
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Date of first publication2017-12-22
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Abstract / DescriptionCurrent theoretical approaches point to the importance of several cognitive skills not specific to mathematics for the etiology of mathematics disorders (MD). In the current study, we examined the role of many of these skills, specifically: rapid automatized naming, attention, reading, and visual perception, on mathematics performance among a large group of college students (N = 1,322) with a wide range of arithmetic proficiency. Using factor analysis, we discovered that our data clustered to four latent variables 1) mathematics, 2) perception speed, 3) attention and 4) reading. In subsequent structural equation modeling, we found that the latent variable perception speed had a strong and meaningful effect on mathematics performance. Moreover, sustained attention, independent from the effect of the latent variable perception speed, had a meaningful, direct effect on arithmetic fact retrieval and procedural knowledge. The latent variable reading had a modest effect on mathematics performance. Specifically, reading comprehension, independent from the effect of the latent variable reading, had a meaningful direct effect on mathematics, and particularly on number line knowledge. Attention, tested by the attention network test, had no effect on mathematics, reading or perception speed. These results indicate that multiple factors can affect mathematics performance supporting a heterogeneous approach to mathematics. These results have meaningful implications for the diagnosis and intervention of pure and comorbid learning disorders.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationAshkenazi, S., & Silverman, S. (2017). Multiple skills underlie arithmetic performance: A large-scale structural equation modeling analysis. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 3(2), 496–515. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v3i2.64en_US
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ISSN2363-8761
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1268
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1460
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v3i2.64
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Keyword(s)perception speeden_US
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Keyword(s)mathematics performanceen_US
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Keyword(s)pure and comorbid mathematics disabilityen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleMultiple skills underlie arithmetic performance: A large-scale structural equation modeling analysisen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue2
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Journal titleJournal of Numerical Cognition
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Page numbers496–515
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Volume3
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record