Serial order working memory and numerical ordinal processing share common processes and predict arithmetic abilities

[en] Recent studies have demonstrated that both ordinal number processing and serial order working memory (WM) abilities predict calculation achievement. This raises the question of shared ordinal processes operating in both numerical and WM domains. We explored this question by assessing the interrelations between numerical ordinal, serial order WM, and arithmetic abilities in 102 7- to 9-year-old children. We replicated previous studies showing that ordinal numerical judgement and serial order WM predict arithmetic abilities. Furthermore, we showed that ordinal numerical judgement abilities predict arithmetic abilities after controlling for serial order WM abilities while the relationship between serial order WM and arithmetic abilities was mediated by numerical ordinal judgement performance. We discuss these results in the light of recent theoretical frameworks considering that numerical ordinal codes support the coding of order information in verbal WM.

Research Center/Unit :

PsyNCog - Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitives - ULiège

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

Attout, Lucie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psychopathologie cognitive

Majerus, Steve ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psychopathologie cognitive

Language :

English

Title :

Serial order working memory and numerical ordinal processing share common processes and predict arithmetic abilities

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

British Journal of Developmental Psychology

ISSN :

0261-510X

Publisher :

British Psychological Society, Leicester, United Kingdom

Volume :

Pages :

285-298

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 13 October 2017

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Bibliography

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