Document Detail


Representations of the magnitudes of fractions.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20873937     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
We tested whether adults can use integrated, analog, magnitude representations to compare the values of fractions. The only previous study on this question concluded that even college students cannot form such representations and instead compare fraction magnitudes by representing numerators and denominators as separate whole numbers. However, atypical characteristics of the presented fractions might have provoked the use of atypical comparison strategies in that study. In our 3 experiments, university and community college students compared more balanced sets of single-digit and multi-digit fractions and consistently exhibited a logarithmic distance effect. Thus, adults used integrated, analog representations, akin to a mental number line, to compare fraction magnitudes. We interpret differences between the past and present findings in terms of different stimuli eliciting different solution strategies.
Authors:
Michael Schneider; Robert S Siegler
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance     Volume:  36     ISSN:  1939-1277     ISO Abbreviation:  J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform     Publication Date:  2010 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-09-29     Completed Date:  2011-01-26     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7502589     Medline TA:  J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1227-38     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Schneider@ifv.gess.ethz.ch
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Concept Formation*
Decision Making
Female
Humans
Judgment
Male
Mathematics*
Problem Solving*
Young Adult

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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