Individual differences in mathematical cognition: A Bert’s eye view

Bert deSmedt

Developmental literature has revealed a wide variety of factors that correlate with individual differences in mathematical cognition. In this talk, I will review the research we have done over more than a decade on this topic. This work highlights the critical role of domain-specific skills. Originally centered around magnitude processing, it has become increasingly clear that these domain-specific skills encompass a wide variety of symbolic numerical skills. I will review studies on these specific abilities in typically developing children, children at risk for math difficulties and children with exceptionally high mathematical skills and I will elaborate on the (early) assessment of these specific abilities. I will also discuss intervention work as well as studies that have examined the causal impact of schooling on these domain-specific skills.