Intra-Subject Variability in Mathematical Learning Difficulties

Overview

Journal J Cogn

Publisher Ubiquity Press

Specialty Psychology

Date 2022 Sep 8

PMID 36072114

Authors

Sharon Levy

Liat Goldfarb

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Mathematical learning difficulties (MLD) are characterized by difficulties in the understanding and processing of numbers and quantities. While MLD is related mainly to numerical deficits, studies show that this population has several other cognitive difficulties. The current study examined whether the cognitive deficits consisting of cognitive instability in the form of intra-subject variability (ISV) will also characterize the performance of individuals with MLD.

Method: Female adults with MLD and a matched control group performed numerical and non-numerical tasks and various ISV measures were compared between the two groups.

Results: Overall, the results showed that participants with MLD had higher ISV measures, including SD, sigma, and tau, only when performing numerical tasks.

Conclusions: It appears that the cognitive system of MLD participants is less consistent and noisier when performing these numerical tasks. However, this inconsistency is not a general deficiency but rather a numerically specific one, as this inconsistency does not seem to characterize the performance of individuals with MLD in tasks that do not involve numerical processing. These findings have unique importance for understanding the difficulties characterizing individuals with MLD and possible future interventions.

References

Ansari D, Lyons I, van Eimeren L, Xu F . Linking visual attention and number processing in the brain: the role of the temporo-parietal junction in small and large symbolic and nonsymbolic number comparison. J Cogn Neurosci. 2007; 19(11):1845-53. DOI: 10.1162/jocn.2007.19.11.1845. View

Wilkey E, Pollack C, Price G . Dyscalculia and Typical Math Achievement Are Associated With Individual Differences in Number-Specific Executive Function. Child Dev. 2019; 91(2):596-619. PMC: 8183686. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13194. View

Szucs D, Devine A, Soltesz F, Nobes A, Gabriel F . Developmental dyscalculia is related to visuo-spatial memory and inhibition impairment. Cortex. 2013; 49(10):2674-88. PMC: 3878850. DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2013.06.007. View

Lovden M, Li S, Lee Shing Y, Lindenberger U . Within-person trial-to-trial variability precedes and predicts cognitive decline in old and very old age: longitudinal data from the Berlin Aging Study. Neuropsychologia. 2007; 45(12):2827-38. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.05.005. View

Beard E, Dienes Z, Muirhead C, West R . Using Bayes factors for testing hypotheses about intervention effectiveness in addictions research. Addiction. 2016; 111(12):2230-2247. PMC: 5111611. DOI: 10.1111/add.13501. View

Rao N, Motes M, Rypma B . Investigating the neural bases for intra-subject cognitive efficiency changes using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Front Hum Neurosci. 2014; 8:840. PMC: 4204461. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00840. View

Rabbitt P, Osman P, Moore B, Stollery B . There are stable individual differences in performance variability, both from moment to moment and from day to day. Q J Exp Psychol A. 2002; 54(4):981-1003. DOI: 10.1080/713756013. View

Rotzer S, Loenneker T, Kucian K, Martin E, Klaver P, von Aster M . Dysfunctional neural network of spatial working memory contributes to developmental dyscalculia. Neuropsychologia. 2009; 47(13):2859-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.06.009. View

Shalev R, Auerbach J, Manor O, Gross-Tsur V . Developmental dyscalculia: prevalence and prognosis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001; 9 Suppl 2:II58-64. DOI: 10.1007/s007870070009. View

10.

Gliksman Y, Weinbach N, Henik A . Alerting cues enhance the subitizing process. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2016; 170:139-45. PMC: 5058260. DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.06.013. View

11.

Shalev R, Manor O, Gross-Tsur V . Developmental dyscalculia: a prospective six-year follow-up. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2005; 47(2):121-5. DOI: 10.1017/s0012162205000216. View

12.

Attout L, Salmon E, Majerus S . Working Memory for Serial Order Is Dysfunctional in Adults With a History of Developmental Dyscalculia: Evidence From Behavioral and Neuroimaging Data. Dev Neuropsychol. 2015; 40(4):230-47. DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2015.1036993. View

13.

Klein E, Moeller K, Dressel K, Domahs F, Wood G, Willmes K . To carry or not to carry--is this the question? Disentangling the carry effect in multi-digit addition. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2010; 135(1):67-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2010.06.002. View

14.

Ashkenazi S, Rubinsten O, Henik A . Attention, automaticity, and developmental dyscalculia. Neuropsychology. 2009; 23(4):535-40. DOI: 10.1037/a0015347. View

15.

Tamnes C, Fjell A, Westlye L, Ostby Y, Walhovd K . Becoming consistent: developmental reductions in intraindividual variability in reaction time are related to white matter integrity. J Neurosci. 2012; 32(3):972-82. PMC: 6621149. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4779-11.2012. View

16.

Butterworth B, Varma S, Laurillard D . Dyscalculia: from brain to education. Science. 2011; 332(6033):1049-53. DOI: 10.1126/science.1201536. View

17.

Ashkenazi S, Rosenberg-Lee M, Metcalfe A, Swigart A, Menon V . Visuo-spatial working memory is an important source of domain-general vulnerability in the development of arithmetic cognition. Neuropsychologia. 2013; 51(11):2305-17. PMC: 4136716. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.06.031. View

18.

Fan J, McCandliss B, Fossella J, Flombaum J, Posner M . The activation of attentional networks. Neuroimage. 2005; 26(2):471-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.02.004. View

19.

Leibovich T, Ansari D . The symbol-grounding problem in numerical cognition: A review of theory, evidence, and outstanding questions. Can J Exp Psychol. 2016; 70(1):12-23. DOI: 10.1037/cep0000070. View

20.

Kaiser S, Roth A, Rentrop M, Friederich H, Bender S, Weisbrod M . Intra-individual reaction time variability in schizophrenia, depression and borderline personality disorder. Brain Cogn. 2007; 66(1):73-82. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2007.05.007. View