Psychological Development and Education ›› 2012, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 31-38.

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The influence of constituent integers on the processing of fractions

ZHANG Li1, XIN Zi-qiang2, WANG Qi1, LI Hong1   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715;
    2. Department of Psychology, School of Social Development, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081
  • Online:2012-01-15 Published:2012-01-15

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Abstract: This study was aimed to explore whether the constituent integers had important influence on the processing of fractions by two experiments.In the experiment 1 which repeated the study by Bonato et al.(2007), 25 subjects was asked to compare 1/1,1/2,1/3,1/4,1/6,1/7,1/8,1/9 to the reference 1/5.The results showed that participants employed the componential strategy that was based on the comparisons of fractions' denominators.In the experiment 2,the reference 1/5 was asked to be compared with 1/1,2/4,3/9,4/16,4/ 24,3/21,2/16,1/9 with different integer constituents from those in the experiment 1 but with the same real values.This experiment was administered 24 subjects and the results indicated the use of both the componential strategy and holistic strategy which was based on the comparisons of fractions'real values,but the componential strategy was primarily used as compared to the holistic strategy.Taken together,the results reflected that the representation of fractions was dependent on their constituent integers.

Key words: Mental representation of fractions, Componential strategy, Holistic strategy, Constituent integers

CLC Number: 

  • B844.3
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