Associação entre as representações baseadas nos dedos e o desempenho aritmético em crianças

Abstract

The interest in studying the impact of fingers' use in arithmetic is growing, However, some limitations and contradictions are found in literature. This dissertation investigated the influence of finger-based representations (FBR) on arithmetic performance in children and its underlying mechanisms. First, a systematic review aimed to investigate the association between FBR and arithmetic performance in children. Results showed that fingers are most important for the learning process of arithmetic procedures. The frequency which the fingers are recruited follows a quadratic curve regarding the learning an arithmetic procedure level. Subsequently, an empirical study investigated the relationship between FBR and performance in a simple addition task in children early in the first year. It was also analyzed the underlying cognitive mechanisms of this relationship. Results showed that deficits in FBR are observed in children who had not yet learned addition operations. Furthermore, FBR, intelligence and visuospatial working memory were predictive of arithmetic performance independently. Finally, it was observed a complex relationship between the frequency of fingers' use and arithmetic performance. Participants' groups divided according to the accuracy and use of fingers in an addition task had a growing rate accuracy between the groups, since the frequency of fingers' use followed a quadratic curve. In general, data from this dissertation support the literature by pointing that fingers are most important in the learning process, to work as a support which alleviates the cognitive overhead. Besides, for the first time it was found that the impact of FBR on the arithmetic performance is independent of the intellectual level.