2018-2022
The project aims at disentangling the differential contribution of domain-general (i.e. inhibition and attention) and domain-specific factors to the development numerical competencies such as mental arithmetic in infancy and childhood. During three consecutive years, we plan to measure four cohorts of infants and children, aged between 1 and 7 years at start. Using both standardized tests and tailored experimental parameters, we will measure the children’s domain-general and domain-specific competencies. In addition, we will measure the neural correlates of arithmetic and domain-general competencies in children using functional magnetic resonance imaging to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the neural development that parallels the behavioral performance. In year four, we will compare the effect of two training measures that are tailored to either improve (a) domain-specific or (b) domain-general capacities in the context of mental arithmetic in third and fourth-grade children.
Project team lead
Maria Dolores (Lola) de Hevia
Project supported by
