Magnitude processing in populations with spina-bifida: The role of visuospatial and working memory processes

[en] People with Spina Bifida usually experience difficulties with mathematics. In a series of other developmental disorders, a magnitude processing deficit was considered to be the main source of subsequent difficulties in mathematics. The processing of magnitude could be numerical (which is the larger number) or non-numerical such as spatial (e.g., which is the longer?) or temporal (which one last longer?) for instance. However, no study yet has examined directly magnitude processes in a population with Spina Bifida. On the other hand, recent studies in people with genetic syndromes have suggested that visuospatial and working memory processes play an important role in magnitude processing, including number magnitude. Therefore, in this study we explored for the first time magnitude representation using several tasks with different visuospatial and working memory processing requirements, cognitive skills frequently impaired in Spina Bifida. Results showed children with SB presented a global magnitude processing deficit for non-numerical and numerical comparison tasks, but not in symbolic number magnitude tasks compared to controls. Importantly, visuospatial skills and working memory abilities could partially explain the differences between groups in comparison and estimation tasks. This study proposes that magnitude processing difficulties in children with SB could be due to higher cognitive factors such as visuospatial and working memory processes.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

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

Noël, M.-P.; Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Rousselle, Laurence ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psychologie du développement cognitif normal et atypique

Language :

English

Title :

Magnitude processing in populations with spina-bifida: The role of visuospatial and working memory processes

Publication date :

2020

Journal title :

Research in Developmental Disabilities

ISSN :

0891-4222

eISSN :

1873-3379

Publisher :

Elsevier Inc.

Volume :

102

Issue :

Pages :

103655

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Available on ORBi :

since 27 May 2020

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