Eye-tracking reveals the role of spatial attentional shifts in children learning mental arithmetic
(2022) ESCOP — Location: Lille (29.August.2022)
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- Recent studies in adults demonstrated that arithmetic involves shifting attention along a spatial continuum. However, little is known on when these mechanisms develop. We measured spontaneous eye movements while 2nd and 4th Graders solved additions (e.g., 4+3) and subtractions (e.g., 3-2). We observed horizontal and vertical attentional shifts in both groups. 4th Graders displayed horizontal eye movements as soon as the first operand and the operator were presented. In 2nd Graders these attentional shifts occurred later, after the second operand before response onset. 2nd Graders shifting attention both horizontally and vertically performed better in arithmetic, while the opposite relation between attention and performance was observed in 4th Graders. Spatial attention is thus recruited early in arithmetic learning. With practice, children learn to use space to anticipatively guide the search for the answer. Altogether, we showed that the link between space and arithmetic is a dynamic process evolving during math acquisition.
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Masson, N., Dormal, V., Stephany, M., & Schiltz, C. (2022). Eye-tracking reveals the role of spatial attentional shifts in children learning mental arithmetic. ESCOP, Lille. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/236959