Catherine Thevenot | Université de Genève (original) (raw)

Papers by Catherine Thevenot

Acta Psychologica, 2010

In the first experiment reported here, adults were given an unexpected task of problem recognitio... more In the first experiment reported here, adults were given an unexpected task of problem recognition after a resolution task. During the recognition task, participants were presented with the original problems, inconsistent problems that had never been solved, and paraphrases, which respected the relational structure of the original problems but not their exact wording. More precisely, paraphrases were constructed by inversing the terms and the linguistic expressions in the original problems. Whereas the literal form of paraphrastic problems bore the least resemblance to original problems, paraphrastic problems were associated to higher recognition rates than inconsistent problems. A second experiment ruled out the interpretation that this result was due to a mere remembering of the exact values used in the problem text. Taken together, these results provide evidence that a non-propositional representation is built by individuals to solve arithmetic word problems and suggest that a mental model is constructed .

Annee Psychologique, 2008

Les problèmes arithmétiques verbaux à plusieurs étapes peuvent être résolus grâce à différentes s... more Les problèmes arithmétiques verbaux à plusieurs étapes peuvent être résolus grâce à différentes stratégies. En effet, la représentation mentale construite par les individus de la situation décrite dans l'énoncé conditionne l'ordre d'atteinte des différents sous-buts. Cet article montre que, chez les enfants de CM2, la structure de cette représentation est isomorphe à la structure de la situation décrite dans le problème. Cependant, les enfants peuvent construire une représentation alternative à la représentation initiale afin de réduire le coût cognitif de la tâche en mémoire de travail. Ce résultat vient conforter un modèle prédictif de la construction de représentations alternatives dont le principe repose sur un trade-off entre le coût de cette construction et la quantité relative de ressources qu'elle libère .

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A-human Experimental Psychology, 2005

Multiple-step arithmetic problems can be solved by diverse strategies depending on the mental rep... more Multiple-step arithmetic problems can be solved by diverse strategies depending on the mental representation constructed by individuals from the situation described in the text of the problem. This representation will indeed determine the organization of subgoals to be reached or in other words the order of completion of calculations. This study aims at determining the conditions under which specific strategies are set up by adults. Using a paradigm that allows us to assess when calculations are performed, we show that adults usually organize their subgoals as they are explicitly mentioned in the problem, even though a strategy that is less demanding on working memory could have been used. However, we show that increasing the difficulty of the problem leads individuals to set up more economic strategies. Moreover, these economic strategies are even more likely to be used when the cognitive cost of the construction of the representation they rely on is low.

European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 2006

This study aims at determining the structure of the representation constructed by adults to solve... more This study aims at determining the structure of the representation constructed by adults to solve multiple-step arithmetic word problems. We show that this structure is isomorphic to the structure of the situation described in the text of the problem. In effect, dynamic problems, which describe sequential events, are more likely to be solved by sequential strategies than are static problems. In other words, the order of succession of subgoals reached by individuals for the resolution is determined by the order of succession of subgoals explicitly described in the text of the problem. However, an alternative mental representation is constructed by low span individuals when its cognitive cost is not too high and, therefore, certain static problems are solved by a sequential strategy as well. We conclude that the probability of the construction of an alternative representation to the one induced by the text of the problem depends on its cost and the relative amount of cognitive resources it releases.

Swiss Journal of Psychology, 2011

In this study, we used a paradigm recently developed (Thevenot, Fanget, &... more In this study, we used a paradigm recently developed (Thevenot, Fanget, & Fayol, 2007) to determine whether 10-year-old children solve simple addition problems by retrieval of the answer from long-term memory or by calculation procedures. Our paradigm is unique in that it does not rely on reaction times or verbal reports, which are known to potentially bias the results, especially

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2010

The aim of this study was to provide evidence for knowledge of the syntax governing the verbal fo... more The aim of this study was to provide evidence for knowledge of the syntax governing the verbal form of large numbers in preschoolers long before they are able to count up to these numbers. We reasoned that if such knowledge exists, it should facilitate the maintenance in short-term memory of lists of lexical primitives that constitute a number (e.g., three hundred forty five) compared with lists containing the same primitives but in a scrambled order (e.g., five three forty hundred). The two types of lists were given to 5-year-olds in an immediate serial recall task. As we predicted, the lists in syntactic order were easier to recall, suggesting that they match some knowledge of the way lexical primitives must be ordered to express large numerosities.

In a first experiment, adults practiced single- and two-digit mental addition over a 6-day period... more In a first experiment, adults practiced single- and two-digit mental addition over a 6-day period. There was a clear training effect for both types of problems, even if two-digit additions were different from one day to another. Moreover, participants were tested on their written calculation abilities before and after the training programme. We showed that participants who entered the mental arithmetic training programme did not progress more in written arithmetic than participants who did not receive any training between the pre- and the post-tests. Conversely, in a second experiment, participants were trained in multidigit written addition and we examined the effect of such training on single- and two-digit mental addition. Again and trivially, there was a clear effect of training on written addition, but, more importantly, a transfer on mental addition. The implications of these results on the nature of the relationship between mental and written arithmetic are discussed.

Annee Psychologique, 2004

Résoudre un problème arithmétique requiert la construction d'une représentation mentale de la sit... more Résoudre un problème arithmétique requiert la construction d'une représentation mentale de la situation décrite par l'énoncé. Devidal, Fayol et Barrouillet (1997) ont montré que le placement de la question en tête plutôt qu'en fin d'énoncé entraîne une amélioration des performances de résolution. Selon les auteurs, la question en début d'énoncé activerait le schéma de résolution adéquat, lequel permettrait d'effectuer les calculs au cours même de la lecture de l'énoncé au fur et à mesure que les données numériques nécessaires sont disponibles. L'allégement de la charge en mémoire qui en résulterait serait à l'origine de l'amélioration des performances. Dans la présente expérience, nous avons utilisé un paradigme original permettant de déterminer le moment précis où les calculs sont effectués. Les résultats confirment l'effet facilitateur du placement de la question en tête d'énoncé et l'étendent à des problèmes beaucoup plus complexes que ceux étudiés par Devidal et al. (1997). Cependant, nous démontrons que cet effet s'observe que les calculs soient effectués ou non en cours de lecture. Ces résultats sont discutés à lumière de la théorie des schémas et de celle des modèles mentaux.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the strategies used by third graders in solving the 81 e... more The aim of this study was to investigate the strategies used by third graders in solving the 81 elementary subtractions that are the inverses of the one-digit additions with addends from 1 to 9 recently studied by Barrouillet and Lépine. Although the pattern of relationship between individual differences in working memory, on the one hand, and strategy choices and response times, on the other, was the same in both operations, subtraction and addition differed in two important ways. First, the strategy of direct retrieval was less frequent in subtraction than in addition and was even less frequent in subtraction solving than the recourse to the corresponding additive fact. Second, contrary to addition, the retrieval of subtractive answers is confined to some peculiar problems involving 1 as the subtrahend or the remainder. The implications of these findings for developmental theories of mental arithmetic are discussed.

European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 2010

Journal of Experimental Psychology-learning Memory and Cognition, 2010

The authors used the operand-recognition paradigm (C. Thevenot, M. Fanget, &a... more The authors used the operand-recognition paradigm (C. Thevenot, M. Fanget, & M. Fayol, 2007) in order to study the strategies used by adults to solve subtraction problems. This paradigm capitalizes on the fact that algorithmic procedures degrade the memory traces of the operands. Therefore, greater difficulty in recognizing them is expected when calculations have been solved by reconstructive strategies rather than by retrieval of number facts from long-term memory. The present results suggest that low- and high-skilled individuals differ in their strategy when they solve problems involving minuends from 11 to 18. Whereas high-skilled individuals retrieve the results of such subtractions from long-term memory, lower skilled individuals have to resort to reconstructive strategies. Moreover, the authors directly confront the results obtained with the operand-recognition paradigm and those obtained with the more classical method of verbal report collection and show clearly that this second method of investigation fails to reveal this differential pattern. The rationale behind the operand-recognition paradigm is then discussed.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2007

The authors showed that for primary school children, response times (RTs) for simple addition pro... more The authors showed that for primary school children, response times (RTs) for simple addition problems (e.g., 4 3) increase linearly with the size of the smaller operand. This result was the first to provide evidence for the use of the min strategy by children. This strategy consists in counting on from the larger of the two operands by the number indicated by the smaller of the operands . Adults also show a significant increase in response latencies as a function of the size of the operands, but this increase is much smaller than that in children. Moreover, unlike in children, adults' RTs form a curvilinear function that is best explained by the square of the sum or the product of the operands than by According to , averaging solution latencies in order to study individuals' arithmetic strategies can result in misleading conclusions. Therefore, in addition to classical chronometric data, they collected verbal reports and challenged the assumption that adults rely systematically on retrieval of arithmetic facts from memory to solve simple addition problems. However, questioned the validity of such a methodology and concluded that a more appropriate method has to be found. Thus, we developed an operand recognition paradigm that does not rely on verbal reports or on solution latencies. In accordance with LeFevre et al., we show in a first experiment that adults resort to nonretrieval strategies to solve addition problems involving medium numbers. However, in a second experiment, we show that high-skilled individuals can solve the same problems using a retrieval strategy. The benefits of our paradigm to the study of arithmetic strategies are discussed.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A-human Experimental Psychology, 2001

Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a... more Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a given problem results in an association of the two operands and the answer in memory (Logan & Klapp, 1991; Siegler, 1996). In this experiment, adults had to perform either an operation or a comparison on the same pairs of two-digit numbers and then a recognition task. It is shown that unlike comparisons, the algorithmic solution of operations impairs the recognition of operands in adults. Thus, the postulate of a necessary and automatic storage of operands-answer associations in memory when young children solve additions by algorithmic strategies needs to be qualified.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2011

This paper addresses the relationship between basic numerical processes and higher level numerica... more This paper addresses the relationship between basic numerical processes and higher level numerical abilities in normal achieving adults. In the first experiment we inferred the elementary numerical abilities of university students from the time they needed to encode numerical information involved in complex additions and subtractions. We interpreted the shorter encoding times in good arithmetic problem solvers as revealing clearer or more accessible representations of numbers. The second experiment shows that these results cannot be due to the fact that lower skilled individuals experience more maths anxiety or put more cognitive efforts into calculations than do higher skilled individuals. Moreover, the third experiment involving non-numerical information supports the hypothesis that these interindividual differences are specific to number processing. The possible causal relationships between basic and higher level numerical abilities are discussed.

Memory & Cognition, 2006

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of a complex encoding of numbers according to wh... more The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of a complex encoding of numbers according to which each numerical processing requires a specific representational format for input. In three experiments, adult participants were given two numbers presented successively on screen through a self-presentation procedure after being asked to add, to subtract, or to compare them. We considered the self-presentation time of the first number as reflecting the complexity of the encoding for a given planned processing. In line with Dehaene’s triple-code model, self-presentation times were longer for additions and subtractions than for comparisons with two-digit numbers but longer for subtractions than for additions and comparisons with one-digit numbers. The implications of these results for different theories of number processing are discussed.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A-human Experimental Psychology, 2001

Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a... more Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a given problem results in an association of the two operands and the answer in memory . In this experiment, adults had to perform either an operation or a comparison on the same pairs of two-digit numbers and then a recognition task. It is shown that unlike comparisons, the algorithmic solution of operations impairs the recognition of operands in adults. Thus, the postulate of a necessary and automatic storage of operands-answer associations in memory when young children solve additions by algorithmic strategies needs to be qualified.

Memory & Cognition, 2007

According to LeFevre, Sadesky, and Bisanz (1996), averaging solution latencies in order to study ... more According to LeFevre, Sadesky, and Bisanz (1996), averaging solution latencies in order to study individuals’ arithmetic strategies can result in misleading conclusions. Therefore, in addition to classical chronometric data, they collected verbal reports and challenged the assumption that adults rely systematically on retrieval of arithmetic facts from memory to solve simple addition problems. However, Kirk and Ashcraft (2001) questioned the validity of such a methodology and concluded that a more appropriate method has to be found. Thus, we developed an operand recognition paradigm that does not rely on verbal reports or on solution latencies. In accordance with LeFevre et al., we show in a first experiment that adults resort to nonretrieval strategies to solve addition problems involvingmedium numbers. However, in a second experiment, we show that high-skilled individuals can solve the same problems using a retrieval strategy. The benefits of our paradigm to the study of arithmetic strategies are discussed.

Acta Psychologica, 2010

In the first experiment reported here, adults were given an unexpected task of problem recognitio... more In the first experiment reported here, adults were given an unexpected task of problem recognition after a resolution task. During the recognition task, participants were presented with the original problems, inconsistent problems that had never been solved, and paraphrases, which respected the relational structure of the original problems but not their exact wording. More precisely, paraphrases were constructed by inversing the terms and the linguistic expressions in the original problems. Whereas the literal form of paraphrastic problems bore the least resemblance to original problems, paraphrastic problems were associated to higher recognition rates than inconsistent problems. A second experiment ruled out the interpretation that this result was due to a mere remembering of the exact values used in the problem text. Taken together, these results provide evidence that a non-propositional representation is built by individuals to solve arithmetic word problems and suggest that a mental model is constructed .

Annee Psychologique, 2008

Les problèmes arithmétiques verbaux à plusieurs étapes peuvent être résolus grâce à différentes s... more Les problèmes arithmétiques verbaux à plusieurs étapes peuvent être résolus grâce à différentes stratégies. En effet, la représentation mentale construite par les individus de la situation décrite dans l'énoncé conditionne l'ordre d'atteinte des différents sous-buts. Cet article montre que, chez les enfants de CM2, la structure de cette représentation est isomorphe à la structure de la situation décrite dans le problème. Cependant, les enfants peuvent construire une représentation alternative à la représentation initiale afin de réduire le coût cognitif de la tâche en mémoire de travail. Ce résultat vient conforter un modèle prédictif de la construction de représentations alternatives dont le principe repose sur un trade-off entre le coût de cette construction et la quantité relative de ressources qu'elle libère .

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A-human Experimental Psychology, 2005

Multiple-step arithmetic problems can be solved by diverse strategies depending on the mental rep... more Multiple-step arithmetic problems can be solved by diverse strategies depending on the mental representation constructed by individuals from the situation described in the text of the problem. This representation will indeed determine the organization of subgoals to be reached or in other words the order of completion of calculations. This study aims at determining the conditions under which specific strategies are set up by adults. Using a paradigm that allows us to assess when calculations are performed, we show that adults usually organize their subgoals as they are explicitly mentioned in the problem, even though a strategy that is less demanding on working memory could have been used. However, we show that increasing the difficulty of the problem leads individuals to set up more economic strategies. Moreover, these economic strategies are even more likely to be used when the cognitive cost of the construction of the representation they rely on is low.

European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 2006

This study aims at determining the structure of the representation constructed by adults to solve... more This study aims at determining the structure of the representation constructed by adults to solve multiple-step arithmetic word problems. We show that this structure is isomorphic to the structure of the situation described in the text of the problem. In effect, dynamic problems, which describe sequential events, are more likely to be solved by sequential strategies than are static problems. In other words, the order of succession of subgoals reached by individuals for the resolution is determined by the order of succession of subgoals explicitly described in the text of the problem. However, an alternative mental representation is constructed by low span individuals when its cognitive cost is not too high and, therefore, certain static problems are solved by a sequential strategy as well. We conclude that the probability of the construction of an alternative representation to the one induced by the text of the problem depends on its cost and the relative amount of cognitive resources it releases.

Swiss Journal of Psychology, 2011

In this study, we used a paradigm recently developed (Thevenot, Fanget, &... more In this study, we used a paradigm recently developed (Thevenot, Fanget, & Fayol, 2007) to determine whether 10-year-old children solve simple addition problems by retrieval of the answer from long-term memory or by calculation procedures. Our paradigm is unique in that it does not rely on reaction times or verbal reports, which are known to potentially bias the results, especially

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2010

The aim of this study was to provide evidence for knowledge of the syntax governing the verbal fo... more The aim of this study was to provide evidence for knowledge of the syntax governing the verbal form of large numbers in preschoolers long before they are able to count up to these numbers. We reasoned that if such knowledge exists, it should facilitate the maintenance in short-term memory of lists of lexical primitives that constitute a number (e.g., three hundred forty five) compared with lists containing the same primitives but in a scrambled order (e.g., five three forty hundred). The two types of lists were given to 5-year-olds in an immediate serial recall task. As we predicted, the lists in syntactic order were easier to recall, suggesting that they match some knowledge of the way lexical primitives must be ordered to express large numerosities.

In a first experiment, adults practiced single- and two-digit mental addition over a 6-day period... more In a first experiment, adults practiced single- and two-digit mental addition over a 6-day period. There was a clear training effect for both types of problems, even if two-digit additions were different from one day to another. Moreover, participants were tested on their written calculation abilities before and after the training programme. We showed that participants who entered the mental arithmetic training programme did not progress more in written arithmetic than participants who did not receive any training between the pre- and the post-tests. Conversely, in a second experiment, participants were trained in multidigit written addition and we examined the effect of such training on single- and two-digit mental addition. Again and trivially, there was a clear effect of training on written addition, but, more importantly, a transfer on mental addition. The implications of these results on the nature of the relationship between mental and written arithmetic are discussed.

Annee Psychologique, 2004

Résoudre un problème arithmétique requiert la construction d'une représentation mentale de la sit... more Résoudre un problème arithmétique requiert la construction d'une représentation mentale de la situation décrite par l'énoncé. Devidal, Fayol et Barrouillet (1997) ont montré que le placement de la question en tête plutôt qu'en fin d'énoncé entraîne une amélioration des performances de résolution. Selon les auteurs, la question en début d'énoncé activerait le schéma de résolution adéquat, lequel permettrait d'effectuer les calculs au cours même de la lecture de l'énoncé au fur et à mesure que les données numériques nécessaires sont disponibles. L'allégement de la charge en mémoire qui en résulterait serait à l'origine de l'amélioration des performances. Dans la présente expérience, nous avons utilisé un paradigme original permettant de déterminer le moment précis où les calculs sont effectués. Les résultats confirment l'effet facilitateur du placement de la question en tête d'énoncé et l'étendent à des problèmes beaucoup plus complexes que ceux étudiés par Devidal et al. (1997). Cependant, nous démontrons que cet effet s'observe que les calculs soient effectués ou non en cours de lecture. Ces résultats sont discutés à lumière de la théorie des schémas et de celle des modèles mentaux.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the strategies used by third graders in solving the 81 e... more The aim of this study was to investigate the strategies used by third graders in solving the 81 elementary subtractions that are the inverses of the one-digit additions with addends from 1 to 9 recently studied by Barrouillet and Lépine. Although the pattern of relationship between individual differences in working memory, on the one hand, and strategy choices and response times, on the other, was the same in both operations, subtraction and addition differed in two important ways. First, the strategy of direct retrieval was less frequent in subtraction than in addition and was even less frequent in subtraction solving than the recourse to the corresponding additive fact. Second, contrary to addition, the retrieval of subtractive answers is confined to some peculiar problems involving 1 as the subtrahend or the remainder. The implications of these findings for developmental theories of mental arithmetic are discussed.

European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 2010

Journal of Experimental Psychology-learning Memory and Cognition, 2010

The authors used the operand-recognition paradigm (C. Thevenot, M. Fanget, &a... more The authors used the operand-recognition paradigm (C. Thevenot, M. Fanget, & M. Fayol, 2007) in order to study the strategies used by adults to solve subtraction problems. This paradigm capitalizes on the fact that algorithmic procedures degrade the memory traces of the operands. Therefore, greater difficulty in recognizing them is expected when calculations have been solved by reconstructive strategies rather than by retrieval of number facts from long-term memory. The present results suggest that low- and high-skilled individuals differ in their strategy when they solve problems involving minuends from 11 to 18. Whereas high-skilled individuals retrieve the results of such subtractions from long-term memory, lower skilled individuals have to resort to reconstructive strategies. Moreover, the authors directly confront the results obtained with the operand-recognition paradigm and those obtained with the more classical method of verbal report collection and show clearly that this second method of investigation fails to reveal this differential pattern. The rationale behind the operand-recognition paradigm is then discussed.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2007

The authors showed that for primary school children, response times (RTs) for simple addition pro... more The authors showed that for primary school children, response times (RTs) for simple addition problems (e.g., 4 3) increase linearly with the size of the smaller operand. This result was the first to provide evidence for the use of the min strategy by children. This strategy consists in counting on from the larger of the two operands by the number indicated by the smaller of the operands . Adults also show a significant increase in response latencies as a function of the size of the operands, but this increase is much smaller than that in children. Moreover, unlike in children, adults' RTs form a curvilinear function that is best explained by the square of the sum or the product of the operands than by According to , averaging solution latencies in order to study individuals' arithmetic strategies can result in misleading conclusions. Therefore, in addition to classical chronometric data, they collected verbal reports and challenged the assumption that adults rely systematically on retrieval of arithmetic facts from memory to solve simple addition problems. However, questioned the validity of such a methodology and concluded that a more appropriate method has to be found. Thus, we developed an operand recognition paradigm that does not rely on verbal reports or on solution latencies. In accordance with LeFevre et al., we show in a first experiment that adults resort to nonretrieval strategies to solve addition problems involving medium numbers. However, in a second experiment, we show that high-skilled individuals can solve the same problems using a retrieval strategy. The benefits of our paradigm to the study of arithmetic strategies are discussed.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A-human Experimental Psychology, 2001

Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a... more Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a given problem results in an association of the two operands and the answer in memory (Logan & Klapp, 1991; Siegler, 1996). In this experiment, adults had to perform either an operation or a comparison on the same pairs of two-digit numbers and then a recognition task. It is shown that unlike comparisons, the algorithmic solution of operations impairs the recognition of operands in adults. Thus, the postulate of a necessary and automatic storage of operands-answer associations in memory when young children solve additions by algorithmic strategies needs to be qualified.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2011

This paper addresses the relationship between basic numerical processes and higher level numerica... more This paper addresses the relationship between basic numerical processes and higher level numerical abilities in normal achieving adults. In the first experiment we inferred the elementary numerical abilities of university students from the time they needed to encode numerical information involved in complex additions and subtractions. We interpreted the shorter encoding times in good arithmetic problem solvers as revealing clearer or more accessible representations of numbers. The second experiment shows that these results cannot be due to the fact that lower skilled individuals experience more maths anxiety or put more cognitive efforts into calculations than do higher skilled individuals. Moreover, the third experiment involving non-numerical information supports the hypothesis that these interindividual differences are specific to number processing. The possible causal relationships between basic and higher level numerical abilities are discussed.

Memory & Cognition, 2006

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of a complex encoding of numbers according to wh... more The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of a complex encoding of numbers according to which each numerical processing requires a specific representational format for input. In three experiments, adult participants were given two numbers presented successively on screen through a self-presentation procedure after being asked to add, to subtract, or to compare them. We considered the self-presentation time of the first number as reflecting the complexity of the encoding for a given planned processing. In line with Dehaene’s triple-code model, self-presentation times were longer for additions and subtractions than for comparisons with two-digit numbers but longer for subtractions than for additions and comparisons with one-digit numbers. The implications of these results for different theories of number processing are discussed.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A-human Experimental Psychology, 2001

Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a... more Many developmental models of arithmetic problem solving assume that any algorithmic solution of a given problem results in an association of the two operands and the answer in memory . In this experiment, adults had to perform either an operation or a comparison on the same pairs of two-digit numbers and then a recognition task. It is shown that unlike comparisons, the algorithmic solution of operations impairs the recognition of operands in adults. Thus, the postulate of a necessary and automatic storage of operands-answer associations in memory when young children solve additions by algorithmic strategies needs to be qualified.

Memory & Cognition, 2007

According to LeFevre, Sadesky, and Bisanz (1996), averaging solution latencies in order to study ... more According to LeFevre, Sadesky, and Bisanz (1996), averaging solution latencies in order to study individuals’ arithmetic strategies can result in misleading conclusions. Therefore, in addition to classical chronometric data, they collected verbal reports and challenged the assumption that adults rely systematically on retrieval of arithmetic facts from memory to solve simple addition problems. However, Kirk and Ashcraft (2001) questioned the validity of such a methodology and concluded that a more appropriate method has to be found. Thus, we developed an operand recognition paradigm that does not rely on verbal reports or on solution latencies. In accordance with LeFevre et al., we show in a first experiment that adults resort to nonretrieval strategies to solve addition problems involvingmedium numbers. However, in a second experiment, we show that high-skilled individuals can solve the same problems using a retrieval strategy. The benefits of our paradigm to the study of arithmetic strategies are discussed.