Numerical magnitude processing is significantly associated with children's mental multi-digit subtraction performance, controlling for intellectual ability and motor speed¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2014 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Children who were faster at symbolic magnitude comparison were also faster at mentally solving multi-digit subtractions (partial r = .43 and .50), and more accurate on indirect-addition items, controlling for intellectual ability; the response-time associations held after also controlling motor speed (rs > .39). → Linsen 2014

Evidence¶

Linsen 2014¶

Linsen, S., Verschaffel, L., Reynvoet, B., De Smedt, B. (2014). The Association between Children's Numerical Magnitude Processing and Mental Multi-digit Subtraction. Acta Psychologica. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2013.10.008

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Partial correlational analyses in a study of 56 third-graders, controlling for intellectual ability and motor reaction time, showed significant associations between numerical magnitude processing tasks and mental multi-digit subtraction performance. Table 3 prints the partial correlations: symbolic comparison speed with subtraction speed r = .43 (direct subtraction) and .50 (indirect addition), with indirect-addition accuracy r = −.32; nonsymbolic comparison accuracy with indirect-addition accuracy r = .33; symbolic number-line error with subtraction speed r = .37 and .35. The speed associations stayed significant after also controlling motor reaction time (rs > .39); other associations were nonsignificant. Impact is left uncoded because these are correlations, not converted to a d-type effect size.

"our results indicated that there was a significant association between numerical magnitude processing and mental multi-digit subtraction, even after we additionally controlled for intellectual ability and motor speed"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Number Sense — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Direct subtraction items were solved more accurately and faster than indirect addition items — related
• Symbolic numerical magnitude comparison has a more unique association than number line estimation with children's speed on indirect-addition subtraction items — related
• Both symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude processing correlate with subtraction accuracy, but subtraction speed is associated only with symbolic tasks — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The association between numerical magnitude processing and subtraction is more prominent for items eliciting indirect addition than for direct subtraction items — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The three estimation tasks do not represent the same construct in young children and should not be combined into composites — related
• Both numerical magnitude processing tasks correlate positively with arithmetic fact retrieval, more strongly for symbolic — related
• Fourth graders' multiplication fact solving speed correlates significantly with both symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude comparison speed — related