Sobanska, M. , Szumska, I. , Warakomski, D. & Jaskowski, P.
University of Finance and Management
It is widely assumed that high-skilled adults use retrieval strategy to solve single-digit multiplication problems more frequently that others, who often base on more time-consuming and more error-prone procedural strategy. The latter is usually applied in problems of large products which may be a source of so-called problem-size effect. The aim of the present study was to compare the brain activity during multiplication in more- and less-skilled adults. Previously Jost et all. (2004) showed that topography of a slow negative wave, associated with the implicite production of multiplication result, varied with the problem type (small v. large), finding which was explained in terms of using different solution strategies (retrieval v. non-retrieval). However the level of participants’ arithmetic skills was not controlled. To investigate the cause of the topographical differences described before we used the same implicit production task with event-related potentials (ERPs) recoded from 64 scalp positions in 70 subjects. Basing on the behavioral data, e.g. speed and accuracy of simple arithmetical problems solving, we established two groups: 11 more-skilled participants, and 15 less-skilled participants. Further analysis will be carried out and discussed in the framework of models of mental arithmetic.