Kognitive Determinanten unterschiedlicher Rechenleistungen in der Primarstufe: Arbeitsgedächtnismerkmale und Aufmerksamkeitsaspekte

Abstract

Recent research has focused on cognitive factors as predictors for arithmetical achievement in elementary school. The present study investigates whether individual differences among selected working memory functions and differences in visual selective attention performance explain individual differences in arithmetical achievement of elementary school children. Forty-eight third graders (divided into 3 groups of 16 based on arithmetic performance: low, average and high) and 17 second graders participated. The second graders performed at the level equivalent to the low performing third graders and were included to help investigate the causes of low performance. The groups were drawn from a pool of 186 third graders and 106 second graders based on their performance in a basic arithmetic fact test. Groups were controlled for intelligence, reading performance, cognitive processing speed (simple trail-making task, digit reading speed), sex and age. In view of the multicomponential working memory model, performance of working memory components was examined with a simple word span task (phonological loop), a complex word span task (central executive) and a block-tapping span task (visual-spatial sketchpad). Performance of the visual selective attention was examined by an enumeration task. The children completed the tasks in two separate sessions, the order of the tasks was counterbalanced. Differences in the visual-spatial working memory, the central-executive and the visual selective attention between the low performing and high performing 3rd graders were not due to specific deficits of low performing pupils after controlling for reading performance. On the contrary, these differences were due to the functional ability of high performing pupils. The study found no differences between low and average performing children. The problems of low performing pupils seem to stem from a developmental delay, as their performance was similar to that of the younger pupils after controlling for cognitive processing speed differences. In conclusion, working memory and visual selective attention differences do appear not to be an essential variable for low arithmetical performance in elementary school. However, good performance of the cognitive factors could be advantageous with regard to arithmetical performance.