Cultural differences in complex addition: Efficient Chinese versus adaptive Belgians and Canadians.

Abstract

In the present study, the authors tested the effects of working-memory load on math problem solving in 3 different cultures: Flemish-speaking Belgians, English-speaking Canadians, and Chinese-speaking Chinese currently living in Canada. Participants solved complex addition problems (e.g., 58 ϩ 76) in no-load and working-memory load conditions, in which either the central executive or the phonological loop was loaded. The authors used the choice/no-choice method to obtain unbiased measures of strategy selection and strategy efficiency. The Chinese participants were faster than the Belgians, who were faster and more accurate than the Canadians. The Chinese also required fewer working-memory resources than did the Belgians and Canadians. However, the Chinese chose less adaptively from the available strategies than did the Belgians and Canadians. These cultural differences in math problem solving are likely the result of different instructional approaches during elementary school (practice and training in Asian countries vs. exploration and flexibility in non-Asian countries), differences in the number language, and informal cultural norms and standards. The relevance of being adaptive is discussed as well as the implications of the results in regards to the strategy choice and discovery simulation model of strategy selection (J. Shrager & R. S. Siegler, 1998).

The role of phonological and visual working memory in complex arithmetic for Chinese- and Canadian-educated adults

“…An analysis of French Kit scores confirmed that the Chinese had a substantially higher level of arithmetic skill than did the Canadians [54 vs. 34; F(1,61) cant decrements in solution times in the dual-task conditions. In accord with previous findings about cultural differences, Chinese participants performed better on the subtraction problems than did the Canadian participants: They solved the problems more quickly and more accurately and were less affected by problem complexity (Campbell & Xue, 2001;Imbo & LeFev re, 2009). However, only the Chinese participants showed differential decrements related to presentation format (cf.…”

“…Both studies tested only complex addition, however, so the present study extends these results to other operations by showing that Canadians need both phonological and visual working memory resources when performing complex subtraction and multiplication. Given the higher level of mathematical skill in Asian than in Canadian participants (Campbell & Xue, 2001;Imbo & LeFev re, 2009;LeFev re & Liu, 1997;Siegler & Mu, 2008), we had anticipated that working memory load effects might be less in the Chinese than in the Canadian participants. However, Chinese-educated participants in the present research did slow down under phonological and visual working memory loads, even though other Chinese participants did not rely on executive working memory resources when solving complex addition problems (Imbo & LeFev re, 2009).…”

“…In addition to the role of problem-based factors in arithmetic, the involvement of working memory may vary with educational experiences and arithmetic skill (Imbo & LeFev re, 2009). Assessment of the working memory demands of specific operations or particular formats usually has been done only for relatively homogeneous groups, however, and thus generalizability of the results may be limited.…”

Cultural differences in strategic behavior: A study in computational estimation.

“…Thus, as in previous research with Chinese-educated participants, the Chinese participants' computational skill was much superior to that of other groups (Campbell & Xue, 2001;LeFevre & Liu, 1997;Imbo & LeFevre, 2009.…”

“…Imbo and LeFevre (2009) defined adaptivity as the percentage of trials on which participants chose the fastest strategy as determined by their personal efficiency performance. This type of adaptivity is person based because it is relative to CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN COMPUTATIONAL ESTIMATION 4 an individual's performance.…”