Common and exceptional problems elicit distinct speed-accuracy profiles: curvilinear for common problems versus linear for exceptional problems, converging in older and higher-achieving students¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Adding a quadratic term significantly increased variance explained for common-problem SAT curves relative to exceptional ones (d = 0.65, t(9) = 2.057, p = 0.035), and the curves became more similar in older and higher-achieving students. → Ethan Roy 2025

Evidence¶

Ethan Roy 2025¶

Ethan Roy, Mathieu Guillaume, Amandine Van Rinsveld, Project iLead Consortium & Bruce D. McCandliss. (2025). Tablet-based arithmetic fluency assessment reveals developments in math cognition and math achievement from childhood to adolescence. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00314-5

q3 · i2 · associational · r3

Paired-sample t-tests across deciles of math achievement comparing change in R2 from adding a quadratic term to the SAT curves. The article reports "d = 0.65, t(9) = 2.057, p = 0.035" for common versus exceptional problems, and in the full sample the quadratic term added ΔR2 = 0.198 for common versus 0.070 for exceptional problems.

"the inclusion of a quadratic term to describe the SAT curve for common problems significantly increased the amount of variance explained compared to exceptional problems (d = 0.65, t(9) = 2.057, p = 0.035)."

Discussion¶

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