基于干预反应范式的儿童数感行为及认知神经机制研究

Number sense is a good indicator of early arithmetic achievement and a strong predictor of later mathematics grades and learning disabilities. The purpose of this project is to investigate development and correlates of number sense from age 4 to age 10, as well as the cognitive-neural mechanism that is likely involved in this development. The project will use a longitudinal response to intervention (RTI) design and collect both behavioral and neurological data (i.e., ERPs). The data will be analyzed using advanced statistical techniques such as growth curve modeling. . Firstly, Number Sense Developmental Test will be administrated to investigate general development, prevalence of deficiency and demographical factors' impact on children's number sense. Based on this, the current study will adapting and developing a RTI that involves multi-tiered intervention and uses Calculation Fluency in assessment, a better benchmark than math grades for evaluating young children's mathematical abilities. The assessment and intervention developed in prior Western studies might not apply to Chinese children due to the significant cultural differences in math education. Drawing from the literature, the current study will fill this gap by developing RTI matching Chinese children's number sense level.. With the follow up data, the developmental trajectories of number sense can be analyzed using growth curve modeling which provides important information on parameters of growth curves and factors that might facilitate or inhibit the growth of number sense. . The study will also explore neural mechanism that is involved in the development of number sense. Given the unique developmental patterns of number sense, it is expected that the bran potentials associated with specific components of number sense would be relatively consistent. Moreover, number sense abilities begin to develop when children are three or four years old, earlier than their development of arithmetic abilities, providing an opportunity to develop successful intervention based on discovery of neural mechanisms and early assessment and screening. The current study will examine and compare ERPs at systematically developed number sense tasks among children of different ages, of varying developmental levels of number sense, and across different time points. The multidimensional assessment of ERPs used in the current study will help us better understand the developing neural mechanisms of number sense among multiple groups of children.

数感在童年早期即可反映儿童的数学能力，并对数学困难有显著的预测作用。本项目拟采用干预反应范式（RTI）的追踪研究策略，结合生长曲线建模（GCM）、事件相关电位（ERPs）等手段，探查4~9、10岁不同数感发展水平儿童的数感发展特征、影响因素及认知神经机制。首先，以《儿童数感发展测验》考查儿童数感发展状况、数感不良程度以及人口学变量在其中的影响。在此基础上，建立一套适于进行多级干预的不同强度的干预方案，并形成数感研究的干预反应范式，以对数感发展过程进行追踪研究。根据追踪研究所获得的多个测量点的数据构建数感发展的生长曲线模型，分析其截距、斜率和曲线特征等指标，探查儿童数感发展的潜在制约机制。最后，借助具有高时间分辨率的事件相关电位技术，对干预前后数感不良儿童的脑电变化，对不同年龄、不同数感发展水平儿童在数感任务上的脑电差异进行对比分析，从多个角度探查不同群体儿童在各个数感成分上的神经加工机制。

数感在童年早期即可反映儿童的数学能力，并对数学困难有显著的预测作用。本项目采用干预反应范式（RTI）的纵向追踪研究策略，结合生长曲线建模（GCM）、事件相关电位（ERPs）等手段，探查了4~9、10岁不同数感发展水平儿童的数感发展特征、内外影响因素及认知神经机制。本项目取得了以下重要成果：首先，编制了《幼儿简明数感量表》和《儿童数感发展测验》两个评估儿童数感发展的标准化测量工具，并构建了多个测验复本，经检验，两个测验信、效度指标良好。其次，在描绘幼儿和小学低年级儿童数感发展状况的基础上，探析了影响儿童数感发展的内外因素——儿童一般认知能力、计算流畅性、家庭社会经济地位、家庭教育资源等的影响。尤其是对多个测量点的追踪数据进行了生长曲线建模分析，通过分析截距、斜率和曲线特征等指标探查了影响幼儿数感发展的潜在机制。再次，在上述研究的基础上，建立一套适于进行多级干预的不同强度的干预方案，证实了基于干预反应范式的教学手段可以明显提升数感不良儿童的数学水平。经检验，数感不良干预组分数显著高于同龄数感不良对照组，且赶上了正常组水平。最后，借助具有高时间分辨率的事件相关电位技术，对数感不良儿童的脑电变化进行了对比研究，结果发现，在有意基本数值加工任务中，数感不良儿童在大脑皮层激活的范围更广泛，说明数感不良儿童在完成数学任务中的注意和工作记忆资源卷入更多。而且ERPs研究进一步证实，数感不良儿童可以分为模块组和提取组两类，模块组儿童在非符号数量比较任务中的N1波幅和P2波幅都显著低于正常组，而提取组儿童的N1波幅与正常儿童没有差异。说明数感不良提取组儿童的数量表征在早期知觉上不存在缺陷，而数感不良模块组儿童则存在着早期加工的不足。