Does Gender Impact the Neural Basis of Mathematical Cognition in Early Childhood?

数学是理解科学和工程的关键。最近的神经科学证据表明，语言和数学是在大脑的不同部位进行处理的。孩子们如何学习数学概念？这项研究研究了幼儿数学的普遍神经和认知基础，并测量了导致数学认知个体差异的生物和环境因素。通过非侵入性地测量幼儿(4-8岁)的大脑活动，这项新颖的研究将首次评估，随着儿童发展更强的数学能力，数字和空间概念的神经表征如何随着时间的推移而变化，以及大脑激活模式如何与儿童在学校的数学能力相关。这一点很重要，因为教育研究表明，早期精通数学可以预测未来在数学上的成功。除了研究所有儿童数学处理的神经基础外，研究人员还试图发现男孩和女孩学习数学的方式是否存在差异。为此，该项目探讨了性别以及学习环境对儿童的影响。这项研究的具体目的是检验一种假设，即男孩和女孩在幼儿早期(4-6岁)的数学学习中表现出相似的神经发育模式，后来(7-8岁左右)开始出现性别差异，并仅限于受社会化影响的特定领域(空间技能)。为了全面了解儿童时期的数学学习、能力和结果，该提议收集了幼儿的纵向功能磁共振成像(FMRI)数据，以及多项行为测试和学习表现。研究人员将试图定义在数学认知过程中选择性激活的大脑网络。为了严格测试可能存在的性别差异，该提案将使用新的统计方法。这项研究在社会层面上具有很高的相关性，因为尽管男孩和女孩的能力水平相同，但随着时间的推移，数学差距会随着时间的推移而扩大，因为女孩被劝阻并远离STEM(科学、技术、工程、数学)科目。到学生进入大学时，女性在STEM专业的比例明显偏低。这项研究的结果将带来更深层次的见解，这将对儿童教育产生深远的影响。这项研究还将有可能影响教育政策，并将鼓励所有儿童，特别是女孩，在学校参与数学和科学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Mathematics is key to understanding science and engineering. Recent neuroscience evidence suggests that language and mathematics are processed in different parts of the brain. How do children learn mathematical concepts? The research in this project studies the universal neural and cognitive bases of mathematics in young children and measures the biological and environmental factors that lead to individual variations in mathematical cognition. By non-invasively measuring brain activity in young (4-8 year-old) children, this novel study will assess for the first time, how neural representations of numbers and spatial concepts change over time as children develop greater capacity with mathematics, and how patterns of brain activation relate to children’s mathematical competence in school. This is important because educational studies show that early proficiency in mathematics can predict later success in mathematics. In addition to studying the neural basis for math processing in all children, the researchers also seek to discover whether there are differences in the ways that boys and girls learn mathematics. To this end, the project explores the impact of gender as well as the learning environment on children. The study specifically aims to test the hypothesis that boys and girls exhibit similar patterns of neural development during mathematical learning in early childhood (4-6 years-of-age, and that later gender differences begin to emerge (around 7-8 years-of-age) and are limited to specific areas (spatial skills) that are influenced by socialization.In order to develop a full picture of mathematical learning, aptitude and outcomes in childhood, the proposal collects longitudinal functional magnetic brain imaging (fMRI) data in young children, as well as multiple behavioral tests and also track scholastic performance. The researchers will seek to define the brain networks that are selectively activated during mathematical cognition. To rigorously test for possible gender differences, the proposal will utilize new statistical approaches. This research is highly relevant at a societal level, because despite equal levels of ability among boys and girls, a math gap grows over time as girls are discouraged and tracked away from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects. By the time students reach college, women are significantly underrepresented in STEM majors. The results of this study will lead to deeper insights which will have profound implications for child education. This study will also have the potential for influencing educational policy and will encourage all children, especially girls, to engage with math and science in school.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.