Cognitive and Neural Correlates of Mathematics Problem Solving Using Diagnostic Modeling and Dynamic Real-Time fMRI

使用诊断模型和动态实时功能磁共振成像解决数学问题的认知和神经关联

• 批准号: 1561716
• 负责人: Curtis Tatsuoka
• 金额: $ 149.96万
• 依托单位: Case Western Reserve University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-01 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1561716&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Cognitive; Neural; Correlates; Mathematics; Problem

The broad objective of this study, led by a team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University, is to further understanding of the neural and cognitive basis for mathematics learning. The focus will be on mathematics problem-solving strategies used by adolescents, and how these strategies are adopted and changed as problems become systematically more difficult. The project will examine the association of these strategies with mathematics-related cognitive skills, scores on tests of mathematics achievement, and patterns of brain activations displayed by adolescents while engaged in these strategies. Problem-solving strategies are of interest because of their relation to higher-level mathematic achievement and the insights they can offer into the basis of individual differences in mathematics learning. The longer-term objective of the project is to discover new ways to tailor mathematical learning strategies to individual cognitive and neural capacities. The project will also undertake innovative methods of collecting information about neural functioning during math tasks with the potential to influence future studies of the brain systems involved in learning and behavior. The project is funded by the EHR (Education and Human Resources directorate) Core Research program, which supports fundamental research that advances the literature on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning. Participants will be adolescents, 14-16 years of age, who were previously enrolled in a longitudinal study of the consequences of preterm versus term birth on academic progress across the first 3 years in school. Measures will include tests of spatial skills, attention, executive functions such as working memory, number sense, and mathematics achievement; sets of mental arithmetic and fractions problems of varying difficulty designed to reveal individual differences in problem-solving strategies; and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedures to examine the neural correlates of these strategies. Following piloting with a separate sample of young adults, cognitive and achievement tests and assessments of problem-solving strategies will be administered to 100 adolescents, 50 of whom will be selected on the basis of their problem-solving strategies to complete in-magnet problem-solving tasks. Adolescents with more advanced problem-solving strategies (characterized by reliance on retrieval of solutions) are hypothesized to display more intact cognitive profiles and higher levels of mathematics achievement than those using less advanced approaches (characterized by more effortful multi-step procedures). Adolescents using more advanced strategies are also hypothesized to show patterns of brain activation in regions specialized for efficient mathematics processing, such as the hippocampus and posterior parietal region, as compared to regions that are less specialized such as the prefrontal area. These participants are also expected to display less pronounced changes in activation patterns with increased problem difficulty, suggestive of greater neural efficiency in mathematics problem-solving and less reliance on compensatory systems. The project will include novel statistical methods for cognitive modeling and an exciting new approach to assess brain functioning during math problem solving. This research will provide insight into the cognitive skills and neural processes associated with successful strategy adoption for problem solving, with an emphasis on neural capacity, efficiency, and compensation.

这项研究的广泛目标是由Case Western Reserve University的一组研究人员领导，是为了进一步了解数学学习的神经和认知基础。重点将放在青少年使用的数学解决问题策略上，以及随着问题在系统上变得更加困难时，这些策略如何被采用和改变。该项目将研究这些策略与数学相关的认知技能的关联，数学成就测试的分数以及青少年参与这些策略时展示的大脑激活模式。解决问题的策略引起了人们的关注，因为它们与高级数学成就的关系以及它们可以提供的见解是数学学习中个体差异的基础。该项目的长期目标是发现新方法来量身定制数学学习策略，以实现个人认知和神经能力。该项目还将采用创新的方法来收集有关数学任务期间神经功能的信息，并有可能影响学习和行为所涉及的大脑系统的未来研究。该项目由EHR（教育和人力资源局）核心研究计划资助，该计划支持基础研究，该研究可以推进有关STEM（科学，技术，工程和数学）学习的文献。参与者将是青少年，14-16岁，以前曾在校园中对早产与学期出生对学术进步的后果进行纵向研究。措施将包括测试空间技能，注意力，执行功能，例如工作记忆，数字感和数学成就；旨在揭示解决问题策略中个体差异的各种难度的精神算术和部分问题的集合；和功能磁共振成像（fMRI）程序，以检查这些策略的神经相关性。在驾驶单独的年轻人样本之后，将对100名青少年进行认知和成就测试以及解决问题的策略的评估，其中50名将根据他们的解决问题的策略来完成杂项内解决问题的任务。假设具有更先进的解决问题策略的青少年（以依赖解决方案的检索为特征），以表现出更完整的认知概况和更高水平的数学成就，而不是使用较不先进的方法（以更努力的多步骤多步骤程序为特征）。还假设使用更先进的策略的青少年在专门用于有效的数学加工区域（例如海马和后顶区域）中显示出大脑激活的模式，与较少专业化的区域（例如前额叶区域）相比。预计这些参与者的激活模式变化不太明显，问题难度增加，这表明数学解决问题的神经效率提高，并且对补偿系统的依赖较少。该项目将包括用于认知建模的新型统计方法，以及一种令人兴奋的新方法，以评估数学问题解决过程中的大脑功能。这项研究将洞悉与成功解决问题的策略相关的认知技能和神经过程，并着重于神经能力，效率和补偿。