Cognitive Processes, Linguistic Factors, and Arithmetic Word Problem Success: a Review of Behavioral Studies

Can't help processing numbers with text: Eye-tracking evidence for simultaneous instead of sequential processing of text and numbers in arithmetic word problems

“…Instead, most studies involving arithmetic word problems identify semantic, linguistic, and processing-related factors, rather than numerical ones, as the reasons why people fail to construct a correct problem model (see Jaffe & Bolger, 2023, for a review). This review by Jaffe and Bolger (2023) argues that cognitive load increases when numbers are presented as text rather than in Arabic format; the reason for this is that number processing cannot circumvent a phonological step and be directly mapped onto numerical values (Damian, 2004). This suggests that number processing might interact with other problem-solving steps, but the review does not address the possibility of a magnitude-based mental representation.…”

“…These might take place at distinct levels, which are sequential according to some models (i.e., first text processing, then number processing), while other models assume an interaction of both types of processes. Surprisingly, far more studies have investigated text processing and linguistic features than number processing and numeric features in word problems (see Jaffe & Bolger, 2023, for a review). Nevertheless, numbers are typically relevant for solving a word problem, and there is increasing evidence of number processing even when they are not required for the solution.…”