The Role Of Working Memory Subsystem In Children's Mental Arithmetic

Mental calculation is an important everyday skill involving access to well-learned procedures, problem solving, and working memory, long term memory. Although there is an active literature on adults' mental arithmetic mechanism, relatively little is known about the role of working memory in children's mental calculation. And ,there is a debate among the researchers of the which subcomponents will be involved in retention. A 2×3×4 mixed design was adopted to invertigate the specific temporary storage roles played by WM subcomponents(visualspatial sketchpad/phonologyical articulateory)in the process of mental calculation and mental abacus calculation. The dual-task methodology is used in children's mental addition and subtraction. All of the subject are 8 or 9 years old. The results showed that ⑴the performance of mental abacus subjects was much better than of normal subjects. ⑵ children don'tso rely on phonological loop as adults when they are calculating. ⑶ mental abacus subjects more rely on visuo-skechpad. ⑷ the factor of retention may cause the difference in ability of calculateion between mental abacus subjects and normal subjects.