Semantic Processing Mechanism Of College Students' Mental Computation With Simple Multiplication In Different Modals

Mental arithmetic is now generally recognized to play a key role in our life, and through the research of the semantic processing mechanism of the single-digit multiplication, we can explain the origin, configuration and mechanism of the mathematics cognitive ability. Besides, such research is significant to the research of learning, language, representation and memory. But because of the complexity of the mathematics cognitive, the research in this field is not fruitful. Now the main influential theoretic models are the McCloskey Model, the triple-code model, the encoding complex model and the interacting neighbors model, which is brought forward recently. All these models are mainly based on the condition of visual single-modal and most samples in relative research were occidental. There are few reports of the semantic processing mechanism of cross-modals.This research is to study the factors such as SOA, type, operand-order effect, neighborhood-consistency effects and unit-decade-compatibility effect from four ways, which are visual single-modal, auditory single-modal, visual-auditory cross-modal and auditory-visual cross-modal. The purpose of this research is to discover the essential of the semantic priming effecting of the single-digit multiplication of mental arithmetic, to find out the semantic processing mechanism of the different modals and to develop the interacting neighbors model.Fifty students verified the correctness of 480 problems. The first operand replaced the fixation cross after 800 ms. The operand appeared on the screen for 500 ms. After a blank period of 500 ms, the second operand appeared for another 500 ms. The solution was presented 0,200,500 or 800 ms after onset of the second digit. The solution remained visible until the subject had decided on its correctness.The result of the research shows that Chinese and occidental have common as well as difference in the single-digit multiplication. The research comes to the conclusion that:1. The semantic priming effect of the single-digit multiplication is the result of the automatic spread of activation as well as the controlled processes.2. The coexistence of the common semantic system hypothesis and the conversion hypotheses is more close to the semantic processing mechanism in modals.3. The numeral modality effect, which is the modal's multiplication specialty, is marked.4. The interacting neighbors model shows the specialty of cross-task, cross-number format and cross- culture.5. There was perhaps consistency between neighborhood-consistency effects and unit-decade-compatibility effect.6. The mathematics representation was markedly influenced by the personal learning experience and maybe there are only half of them are represented.Based on those findings and related theories, here a"working memory theory"of the semantic processing mechanism of the single-digit multiplication is put forward to explain the semantic processes of the simple multiplication.