Third place at the Ohio State University Psychology Undergraduate Research ColloquiumMuch research indicates that fractions and proportions are difficult concepts to grasp. Is it possible to capitalize on a non-mathematical skill that we already possess to facilitate an understanding of difficult math concepts? We tested undergraduate students on their mathematical knowledge, including fractions, and followed this with a categorization task in which they learned a fraction concept. Our results show that adults easily learned a novel fraction rule across a variety of presentation conditions within our categorization task. However, accuracy was lower and reaction time was slower in conditions where participants were presented with additional and extraneous perceptual features, which presumably distracted them from the critical numerical information. This data mirrors that found with children, suggesting the critical role of visual attention and task demands rather than a developmental shift per se. By inducing adults to think like children with the introduction of challenging task demands, we can begin to understand the mechanism underlying children's learning, which will allow for better development of learning materials. Using a well-mastered skill (categorization) to learn a difficult math concept (fractions) without the presence of distracting perceptual information intruding on learning and transfer is a novel finding and may be a unique strategy for teaching other difficult concepts both inside and outside of formal education.Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Summer Research FellowshipOSU Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research ScholarshipNo embargoAcademic Major: Psycholog
