When outstanding mathematicians cannot figure out that 14 – 2 = 12

Hippolyte Gros (1) , Emmanuel Sander (2) , Jean-Pierre Thibaut (3)

1 UPD5 SHS - Université Paris Descartes - Faculté des Sciences humaines et sociales - Sorbonne
2 UNIGE - Université de Genève = University of Geneva
3 LEAD - Laboratoire d'Etude de l'Apprentissage et du Développement [Dijon]

We investigated what happens when non-mathematical knowledge interferes with mathematical knowledge in arithmetic word problem solving. Adults and expert mathematicians had to evaluate the solutions of basic additive problems. The non-mathematical knowledge evoked by the problems hindered both populations’ success rates and response times when incongruent with the solving algorithm.

Mots clés: Outstanding mathematicians

Domaines: Neurosciences; Mathématiques [math]

Hippolyte Gros, Emmanuel Sander, Jean-Pierre Thibaut. When outstanding mathematicians cannot figure out that 14 – 2 = 12. 30th Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, May 2018, San Francisco, United States. ⟨hal-01996693⟩