Amland Tonje, Grande Germán, Scherer Ronny, Lervåg Arne, Melby-Lervåg Monica
Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo.
Department of Education, University of Oslo.
Psychol Bull. 2025 Jan;151(1):88-129. doi: 10.1037/bul0000457. Epub 2024 Dec 19.
In understanding the nature of mathematical skills, the most influential theories suggest that mathematical cognition draws on different systems: numerical, linguistic, spatial, and general cognitive skills. Studies show that skills in these areas are highly predictive of outcomes in mathematics. Nonetheless, the strength of these relations with mathematical achievement varies, and little is known about the moderators or relative importance of each predictor. Based on 269 concurrent and 174 longitudinal studies comprising 2,696 correlations, this meta-analysis summarizes the evidence on cognitive predictors of mathematical skills in children and adolescents. The results showed that nonsymbolic number skills (often labeled approximate number sense) correlate significantly less with mathematical achievement than symbolic number skills and that various aspects of language relate differently to mathematical outcomes. We observed differential predictive patterns for arithmetic and word problems, and these patterns only partly supported the theory of three pathways-quantitative, linguistic, and spatial-for mathematical skills. Concurrently, nonsymbolic number and phonological skills were weak but exclusive predictors of arithmetic skills, whereas nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) predicted word problems only. Only symbolic number skills predicted both arithmetic and word problems concurrently. Longitudinally, symbolic number skills, spatial ability, and nonverbal IQ predicted both arithmetic and word problems, whereas language comprehension was important for word problem solving only. As in the concurrent data, nonsymbolic number skill was a weak longitudinal predictor of arithmetic skills. We conclude that the candidates to target in intervention studies are symbolic number skills and language comprehension. It is uncertain whether the two other important predictors, nonverbal IQ and spatial skills, are actually malleable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
在理解数学技能的本质时，最具影响力的理论表明，数学认知依赖于不同的系统：数字、语言、空间和一般认知技能。研究表明，这些领域的技能对数学成绩具有高度预测性。尽管如此，这些与数学成就的关系强度各不相同，而且对于每个预测因素的调节因素或相对重要性知之甚少。基于269项同时期研究和174项纵向研究（共2696个相关性），这项元分析总结了关于儿童和青少年数学技能认知预测因素的证据。结果表明，非符号数字技能（通常称为近似数感）与数学成就的相关性显著低于符号数字技能，而且语言的各个方面与数学成绩的关系也有所不同。我们观察到算术和文字问题的预测模式存在差异，这些模式仅部分支持了数学技能的三条途径——数量、语言和空间——的理论。同时，非符号数字和语音技能是算术技能的弱但独特的预测因素，而非言语智商（IQ）仅预测文字问题。只有符号数字技能同时预测算术和文字问题。纵向来看，符号数字技能、空间能力和非言语智商同时预测算术和文字问题，而语言理解仅对文字问题解决很重要。与同时期数据一样，非符号数字技能是算术技能的弱纵向预测因素。我们得出结论，干预研究中应针对的对象是符号数字技能和语言理解。另外两个重要预测因素，非言语智商和空间技能，实际上是否可塑尚不确定。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2025美国心理学会，保留所有权利）
