Parnika Bhatia

 

Fraction Processing in Children and Adults With and Without Mathematic Difficulties

Fraction understanding is critical for mathematics achievement and academic success. However, despite considerable research and teaching efforts, fractions are difficult to grasp for both children and adults. These difficulties have led some to postulate that fractions and rational numbers are not intuitive and are not supported by the human cognitive architecture (Innate Constraint Theory). Recently, a handful of researchers have challenged this theory claiming for the presence of an intuitive, perceptual Ratio Processing System (RPS) that aids in automatic processing of non-symbolic and symbolic fraction magnitudes (Cognitive Primitive Hypothesis). The presence of two conflicting theories demands further investigation in the domain of fractions. Unravelling the abovementioned concepts/ theories will not only inform the numerical development theories but will also help us to design effective instruction and remediation in classrooms. In this talk I will present our study that sheds light on the RPS system and its role in symbolic fraction processing.