Reversal errors—where students incorrectly transpose relationships when translating word problems into algebraic equations—represent a persistent challenge in mathematics educations. This study examined how sentence structures variations influenced Chinese middle school students’ performance on algebraic word problems. We administered paper-and-pencil tests featuring three problem types: Type I (“There are six times as many students as professors”), Type II (“There are six students for every professor”), and Type III (“The ratio of students to professors is 6:1”). Response accuracy and error patterns were analyzed using latent class analysis to identify distinct learning profiles. Results showed that students achieved significantly higher accuracy on Type III problems compared to Type II problems, with reversal errors reduced by 50

This study examined the reversal error phenomenon in Chinese students’ algebra word problem-solving, focusing on how sentence structures influence performance and problem representation strategies across educational levels. Using a person-centered Bayesian classification approach, this study analyzed individual differences in problem-solving strategies across different grade levels. Results confirmed the presence of reversal errors among Chinese students, with sentence structures significantly affecting error rates. Students demonstrated superior performance on congruent problems compared to incongruent problems, showing both fewer errors and faster response times across all grade levels. The study revealed that students processed congruent problems and incongruent problems using fundamentally different strategies. The analysis identified five distinct strategy profiles across grade levels, revealing grade-related differences in strategy use: younger students predominantly relied on direct translation, whereas older students more frequently employed analytic strategies. These findings advance our understanding of cognitive processes in algebra problem-solving and suggest targeted interventions for addressing the reversal error.

This study examined how Chinese children aged 4-6 years integrated testimony and statistical information, focusing on testimony accuracy and witness authority in base rate use. Experiment 1 (n = 76) investigated testimony accuracy effects, while Experiment 2 (n = 116) examined witness authority (teacher vs. peer) effects on probabilistic reasoning. Results showed that children flexibly integrated multiple information sources. In conflict conditions, they trusted accurate over inaccurate testimony and increasingly relied on base rate when testimony was unreliable. A critical developmental threshold emerged at age 5;5 (65 months) for overriding inaccurate testimony. Authority can also influence children's choices; children favored teachers over peer testimony in conflict conditions, and this tendency strengthened with age. The threshold for using base rate over conflicting testimony was 6;0 (72 months) for teachers. Latent Class Analysis revealed that 64.47% demonstrated base rate sensitivity with appropriate testimony adjustment, while 25% showed testimony sensitivity without distinguishing accuracy. In the authority conflict condition, 76.73% showed teacher authority sensitivity, though 14.66% unexpectedly preferred peer testimony.

Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to infer and understand others’ mental states. Previous research has shown that adults also exhibit egocentric bias in theory of mind tasks. While adults exhibit egocentric bias in ToM tasks, potential confounding factors (e.g., memory load, selection strategies) in traditional paradigms make it unclear whether this bias stems from failure to inhibit one’s own beliefs or from other cognitive demands. This study isolated the role of inhibitory control in overcoming egocentric interference in False Belief tasks through two experiments. First, a computerized False Belief paradigm eliminated confounding factors and verified that adults show a systematic egocentric bias, with longer response times on false belief versus true belief trials, indicating interference from their own perspective when inferring conflicting beliefs. Second, a Negative Priming (NP) experiment directly tested whether overcoming true beliefs requires inhibitory control. Results showed a robust NP effect, with impaired performance on true belief trials preceded by conflicting false belief primes. This demonstrates that inhibitory control mechanisms are recruited to suppress one’s own beliefs when inferring others’ incongruent beliefs. These findings suggest that even for adults, suppressing personal beliefs is necessary for understanding others’ mental states during social interaction.

The phenomenon of “the more targets, the higher probability” often occurs when people perform nonsymbolic probability judgment tasks. However, it remains unclear whether inhibitory control is needed to overcome this intuitive bias and whether the distance between the two probabilities moderates this process. We designed a probability judgment task with large and small distances and conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1 (n = 31), participants judged which box was more likely to get the target ball in the congruent task (more targets, higher probability) or the incongruent task (fewer targets, higher probability). Participants demonstrated an intuitive bias that was affected by numerical distance. In Experiment 2 (n = 33), we adopted the negative priming paradigm and found that participants required inhibitory control to overcome intuitive bias only in small-distance tasks. These results show that inhibitory control plays an essential role in overcoming intuitive bias in nonsymbolic probability judgment and that numerical distance has a moderating effect.

The natural number bias (NNB) in arithmetic operations refers to the application of natural number properties to reasoning about rational numbers. Previous studies found the NNB interferes with students' problem-solving. However, few studies have examined it in the Chinese context or the underlying mechanism by which it can be overcome. Addressing these gaps, in Experiments 1a (n symbolscript 31) and 1b (n symbolscript 30), we found that Chinese students demonstrate the NNB despite linguistic differences between Chinese and western languages. Experiment 2 (n symbolscript 38) adopted a negative priming paradigm and found that inhibitory control was necessary to overcome the NNB. Experiment 3 (n symbolscript 34) employed the event-related potential technique; we observed increased P2 amplitude when students solved congruent problems, and increased N2 and decreased P3 amplitude when they solved incongruent problems. These results indicated that the NNB is rooted in intuitive thinking, and overcoming this bias relies on inhibition.

从抑制控制模型出发,采用负启动范式考察视觉观点采择的认知机制.实验1采用自身体转换任务(N=35)、实验2采用圆点判断任务(N=33)分别考察成人在完成二级和一级视觉观点采择任务时是否需要抑制控制的参与.结果发现,成人在完成两类视觉观点采择任务时均出现了负启动效应,说明当他人观点和自我观点不一致时,个体需要抑制自我的观点才能成功采择他人的观点.

Level-2 visual perspective taking (VPT) refers to the ability to understand that other people may see objects differently. Using the number verification task, previous studies have found egocentric and altercentric biases in level-2 VPT. However, the cognitive mechanism of these biases is still unclear. Thus, the present study used the adapted negative priming (NP) paradigm to investigate the role of inhibitory control in overcoming these biases in two experiments. In Experiment 1, we found egocentric bias and observed the NP effect for children and adults. However, there was no significant difference between children and adults in the magnitude of the NP effect, indicating that when children can overcome the egocentric bias in the level-2 VPT, their inhibitory control ability is comparable to that of adults. In Experiment 2, altercentric bias was confirmed in children and adults. However, we did not observe the NP effect in children. These results suggest that children may not have sufficient cognitive capacity to suppress others’ perspectives, or may not experience interference by others’ perspectives and thus have no need to inhibit.

Short waits are pervasive in modern life. This study addressed how risk impacts intertemporal decisions that involve short waits (of 72 s or less) and how those decisions change while waiting. We used an experience time-discounting task sensitive to the impact of risk and which can measure intratrial preference reversals. Three experiments showed that (1) adding uncertainty to outcomes does not change participants' preferences in waiting for a reward, but it reduces their willingness in waiting for a reduction of losses; (2) adding uncertainty to outcomes increases participants' tendency to switch their decisions during the course of waiting; and (3) participants showed no gain-loss asymmetry for risky intertemporal choices.

With the accumulating of anthropological and archaeological knowledge, the problem of the genesis of ancient Egyptian civilization is becoming clearer, but key factors in its rise and fall remain to be further explored. The answer to the problems as rise and fall of ancient Egyptian civilization in this paper is tried to be made with some new ideas. In ancient times, the Nile River provided the Egyptians with a convenient communication channel, permitting an interplay of knowledge from diff erent regions which prompted the creation of writing, and empowered Egypt’s transition from prehistory into the historical period. The key to sustaining the prosperity of ancient Egyptian civilization was the creation of a set of bureaucratic institutions, with the pharaoh at its core operating in concert with the “four carriages”（inner palace, outer palace, temple and army）. However, after over 2000 years of development, the ancient Egyptian civilization failed to enter the Iron Age and eventually declined, due to changes in the natural environment and poor ability to innovate. The rise and fall of ancient Egyptian civilization warn us of the importance of grasping historical trends with a modern rational spirit in order to maintain civilization longevity.

"核心素养观"是我国当前深化基础教育课程改革的重要理念之一.当下,对知识的浅层学习、简单识记已经不符合"核心素养观"的教育理念,促进学生的深度学习已成为基础教育未来发展的必然趋势.学习科学领域的研究为深度学习提供了新的视角.研究者梳理了深度学习的概念界定和内涵,并在此基础上,聚焦中小学生教育提出可行性教学策略,以激发和促进学生的深度学习.

比例推理的过度使用是指学生在解决非比例问题时错误地使用了比例方法的现象.采用负启动范式,以小学四至六年级学生为研究对象,从抑制控制模型及工作记忆容量角度探讨比例推理过度使用的机制.发现:学生在非比例题上要克服比例策略的误导需要抑制控制的参与;工作记忆容量不足时,儿童在解决非比例题时难以克服比例策略的干扰.

"小学生基础认知能力训练课程"是基于脑科学和心理学研究成果开发设计的一门创新课程.课程采取"专项+综合"的整合训练模式,目的是增强学生的观察力、注意力、记忆力、思维力、想象力、创造力,以及解决问题等能力,提高学生的工作记忆容量,让学生掌握基本记忆策略,学会基本的类比和简单的推理,理解简单的因果关系和逻辑关系.鼓励学生想象与创造,通过发散性思维和批判性思维的培养与训练,让学生的大脑更聪明、思维更活跃.

Aim Previous studies have found that both children and adults have difficulties in dealing with judgments in which self-perspective differs from other-perspective, even in level-1 perspective-taking. However, the underlying cognitive mechanism of this is still unclear. In the present study, we designed a negative priming (NP) paradigm of the dot-perspective task to examine whether inhibitory control was required to overcome egocentric bias in level-1 visual perspective-taking in children and adults. We observed an NP effect in both children (n= 43) and adults (n= 40). However, there was no significant difference between children and adults on the magnitude of the NP effect, indicating that when children could overcome the egocentric bias, they had inhibitory control ability comparable to that of adults in level-1 other-perspective-taking. Background Visual perspective-taking is an indispensable ability in social interaction; hence, it has attracted great attention from researchers. However, the mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of inhibitory control in level-1 visual perspective-taking from a developmental perspective in order to understand the performance differences in perspective-taking tasks between children and adults. Methods The NP paradigm was applied to the dot-perspective task. Participants’ response times (RTs) and error rates (ERs) were recorded during the experiment. A 2 (trial type: test vs control, within-subject) × 2 (age: children vs adults) mix-design ANOVA was used to analyse the RTs and ERs data separately. Results We observed an NP effect for both children (7.31, t (42) = 2.78, p < 0.01, Cohen’s d = 0.22) and adults (27.58, t (39) = 2.31, p < 0.05, Cohen’s d = 0.21). However, the difference in the magnitude of the NP effect between children and adults was not significant (t (81) = 0.54, p = 0.59). Conclusion Inhibitory control was needed to overcome egocentric bias in level-1 visual perspective-taking for both children and adults. Moreover, when children could overcome egocentric bias, they had an inhibitory control ability comparable to that of adults.

Introduction: People often use heuristics derived from natural number tasks to solve fraction comparison tasks. For instance, one may falsely consider a fraction with a larger natural number to be the larger in magnitude, as in the case of 1/5 vs 1/4. We hypothesized that inhibitory control was needed to overcome this type of bias. Methods: To test the hypothesis, Event-related potentials (ERP) were collected when participants were conducting fraction comparison tasks that designed with the negative priming paradigm. Twenty-eight adult participants performed three types of fraction comparison tasks: congruent items, incongruent items and neutral items. Results: We found a negative priming effect in terms of response time. Consistently, ERP results demonstrated larger N1 and N2 amplitudes and a smaller P3 amplitude in the test trial than in the control trial. Conclusion: These findings indicated that adults still need to inhibit the "larger natural number-larger fraction" misleading strategy when solving fraction comparison tasks with common components.

Being considered as a heuristic-based strategy, proportional reasoning is misused by many students to solve non-proportional problems. The present study investigated the underlying mechanisms of the overuse of proportional reasoning from a series of linked aspects. First, we designed a variant of the negative-priming (NP) paradigm with Chinese sixth grade and eighth grade students. We observed NP effects in both age groups, indicating that inhibitory control was necessary to overcome the overuse of proportionality. Then, we observed a confidence decrease when participants use proportional reasoning to solve non-proportional problems, indicating that overusing proportionality was more likely due to the inability to inhibit proportional reasoning rather than the unsuccessful detection of incorrect use of proportionality. Furthermore, the present study found that participants who had a stronger tendency to use proportional reasoning were also low in working memory capacity, indicating a critical role played by execution resource in inhibiting the misleading strategies.

Many learners often commit systematic errors in mathematics tasks because they rely on heuristics even when they are not applicable. This phenomenon is known as the heuristic bias, and it has been found in children, adolescents, and educated adults. However, it is still unclear whether mathematics teachers are still affected by heuristic biases and whether they still need to inhibit such biases. The present study employed a negative priming paradigm and compared the performance of overcoming heuristic bias among mathematics teachers (N = 32), pre-service mathematics teachers (N = 23), and non-mathematics undergraduate students (N = 43) in the case of overusing proportional heuristics. We found that all the participants were affected by the proportional heuristic bias, and they all demonstrated a cognitive process of inhibition when solving non-proportional problems. Moreover, we found that teachers with many years of teaching experience showed a stronger tendency to overuse proportionality than the other two groups. The present study highlights the importance of teachers' ability to understand their cognitive processes in teaching practice. The results imply that inhibitory control plays an essential role in both mathematical teaching and learning. Interventions that aim at improving teachers' metacognition and inhibition ability might be needed in future professional development programs.

Many people apply the "larger area-larger perimeter" rule to solve the perimeter comparison problems, even in situations where this intuitive rule is misleading. To investigate whether inhibitory control is needed in the perimeter comparison reasoning and whether the efficiency of inhibitory control varies with students' ages and achievements, we designed a negative priming paradigm and conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, a negative priming effect was observed in both Chinese primary school students (n = 123) and college students (n = 42) when they were solving a perimeter comparison task. In Experiment 2 (N = 86), we found that the negative priming effect existed in both high-achieving and low-achieving primary school students, but the magnitude of this effect appeared to be smaller in high-achieving students. These results imply that success in solving geometry quantitative problems requires the ability to inhibit the larger area-larger perimeter intuition in some situations and also that high achieving students are more capable of doing so. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This study examined the role of inhibitory control in overcoming English written errors related to the past tense marking of irregular verbs. The participants were Chinese English as a second language (ESL) learners, including 55 eighth-grade students and 30 undergraduate students who were asked to perform a sentence determination task (i.e., to determine whether a sentence presented on a screen is grammatically correct). The study used a negative priming paradigm. We found that the negative priming (NP) effect occurred in both the adolescent participants and the adult participants, and the magnitude of the NP effect was smaller in the adults than in the adolescents. These findings support the inhibitory control perspective-that learning verb inflections relies not only on the acquisition of declarative grammatical knowledge but also on the ability to inhibit an overgeneralized rule or an overlearned strategy. This study sheds light on the importance of inhibitory control in ESL learning and teaching.