| Can young infants add and subtract? | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 11194253 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Three experiments (N = 68), using Wynn's procedure, tested 5-month-old infants' looking time reactions to correct and incorrect results of simple addition and subtraction transformations. The aim was to investigate both the robustness and the parameters of infants' arithmetic competence. Experiments 1 and 2 (N = 44) were replications of Wynn's first two experiments in which infants were shown addition (1 + 1 = 1 or 2) and subtraction (2 - 1 = 1 or 2) requiring imprecise calculation. Experiment 3 (N = 24) was a subtraction counterpart (3 - 1 = 1 or 2) to Wynn's third experiment requiring precise calculation of addition (1 + 1 = 2 or 3). Unlike Wynn, we found no systematic evidence of either imprecise or precise adding and subtracting in young infants. Our results, together with the mix of both positive and negative findings from other studies of infant arithmetic, suggest that infants' reactions to displays of adding and subtracting are variable and, therefore, that infants' numerical competencies are not robust. This conclusion is consistent with previous findings indicating that simple adding and subtracting develops gradually and continuously throughout infancy and early childhood. |
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Authors:
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A Wakeley; S Rivera; J Langer |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Child development Volume: 71 ISSN: 0009-3920 ISO Abbreviation: Child Dev Publication Date: 2000 Nov-Dec |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2001-01-19 Completed Date: 2001-04-05 Revised Date: 2006-11-15 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0372725 Medline TA: Child Dev Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 1525-34 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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School of Education, University of California, Berkeley 94720-1690, USA. awakeley@socrates.berkeley.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Attention Child Psychology* Female Humans Infant Male Mathematics* Problem Solving* Reaction Time |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Comment In:
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Child Dev. 2000 Nov-Dec;71(6):1535-6; discussion 1537-9
[PMID:
11194254
]
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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