The advantage of a large working-memory span on children's arithmetic strategy use decreases across grades: span predicts retrieval frequency in second grade only and retrieval efficiency in second and fourth grade only¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2008 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Working-memory span significantly predicted retrieval frequency for second graders but not for fourth and sixth graders, and predicted retrieval efficiency for second and fourth graders but not sixth graders. → Ineke Imbo · André Vandierendonck 2008 q3 i? High-span sixth graders were less efficient procedural strategy users than low-span sixth graders, an effect the article explains by high-span children reserving procedural strategies for the largest problems. → Ineke Imbo · André Vandierendonck 2008 (2)

Evidence¶

Ineke Imbo · André Vandierendonck 2008¶

Ineke Imbo · André Vandierendonck. (2008). Effects of problem size, operation, and working-memory span on simple-arithmetic strategies: differences between children and adults? Psychological Research (2008) 72:331–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-007-0112-8

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Regression analyses per grade on trial-level data showed span predicted retrieval use only in second grade (β = .218, R² = .073) and retrieval latency in second and fourth grade (β = −.153 and −.218), with no span effect in sixth grade.

"working-memory span signiWcantly predicted retrieval fre- quency for second graders but not for fourth and sixth grad- ers, and (2) working-memory span predicted retrieval eYciency for second and fourth graders but not for sixth graders."

Ineke Imbo · André Vandierendonck 2008 (2)¶

Ineke Imbo · André Vandierendonck. (2008). Effects of problem size, operation, and working-memory span on simple-arithmetic strategies: differences between children and adults? Psychological Research (2008) 72:331–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-007-0112-8

q3 · i? · causal · r2

In the per-grade regressions of procedural latencies, span was predictive in all grades but reversed direction in sixth grade; the article explains this via strategy selection, since high-span sixth graders used procedural strategies almost exclusively on large problems (procedural RTs 3,707 ms vs. 3,089 ms on large problems).

"high-span sixth graders were less eYcient procedural strategy users than were low-span sixth graders."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• As predicted by the adaptive strategy choice model, children's retrieval frequency correlates with retrieval efficiency but not with procedural efficiency — related
• Retrieval use increases with grade, and the small-versus-large difference in retrieval use decreases significantly between fourth and sixth grade only — related
• Simple subtraction in adults relies heavily on strategy use, which disadvantages participants under limited working memory resources — related
• Finger use is related to arithmetic performance in children, but the strength of this relation decreases significantly over development — related