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Khokhlov N.A., Kovyazina M.S. (2016). Lateral signs and their interaction as a factor in the severity of mathematical abilities in adolescence. National Psychological Journal. 3, 98-114.

Abstract

The paper studies the connection of the lateral features in the manual, auditory, visual fields, and their interaction with the mathematical abilities in adolescence. The research involved 92 healthy people including 17 males and 75 females aged 15 to 25 years (18,7 ± 2,2), who do not major in mathematics. To measure the components of mathematical ability the standardized math test MAAGS-2015 to reveal arithmetic, algebraic, geometric abilities was used. Diagnosis of hemispherical asymmetry was performed using self-reports of manual asymmetry, M.Annette standardized questionnaire modification, samples of «Interlocking fingers,» «Napoleon’s Pose», «Applause», «Aiming», Rosenbach’s test and dichotic listening. When comparing the features with lateral components of mathematical ability to incorporate asymmetries possible interaction of different analyzers was considered.

The research results reveal that different lateral characteristics are significant predictors for the different components of mathematical abilities; some lateral symptoms are not related to mathematical ability. The greatest predictive power belongs to sensory asymmetries and their interaction. In general, the highest mathematical abilities are observed in patients with right and bilateral signs, left-sided symptoms often reveal negative predictors. The interaction asymmetries between different analyzers manifested in unequal due to the mathematical abilities indicators lateralization in the same field in different versions of lateralization in the other. Cross-lateralization in most cases is a negative predictor of mathematical abilities. The models based on the interaction between the lateral features allow to explain more than a quarter of the variability of the components of mathematical abilities. The predictive ability of these models is significantly higher than that of models with individual predictors.

Received: 08/16/2016
Accepted: 09/02/2016
Pages: 98-114
DOI: 10.11621/npj.2016.0313

Sections: Neuropsychology;

PDF: Download

Keywords: brain asymmetry; mathematical ability; intermodal interaction; differential neuropsychology; lateralization;

Available Online 30.11.2016

Table. 1. Descriptive statistics of measured variables

Variable

Type of Variable

Descriptive Statistics

N

1

Self-Report

categorical

Right – 89.1%; Ambidextrous– 4.3%; Left – 6.5%

92

2

M.Annette Questionnaire (modification)

Metric (standardization)

15.6±10.9 (-0.2682±0.8424)

61

3

Interlocking fingers

categorical

Right – 40.6%; Left – 59.4%

64

4

Napoleon's Pose

categorical

Right – 42.2%; Left – 57.8%

64

5

Applause

categorical

Right – 60.9%; Ambidextrous –12.5%; Left – 26.6%

64

6

Aiming

categorical

Right – 40.6%; Ambidextrous – 10.9%; Left – 48.4%

64

7

Rosenbach’s Test

categorical

Right – 51.1%; Ambidextrous – 29.5%; Left – 19.3%

88

8

REC (total)

metric

2.5±18.9

44

9

REC (1st series)

metric

4.5±30.8

38

10

REC (2nd series)

metric

0.4±20.4

38

11

EC-R (total)

metric

49.8±17.9

38

12

EC-R (1st series)

metric

50.3±20.9

38

13

EC-R (2nd series)

metric

49.4±17.3

38

14

EC-L (total)

metric

46.6±17

38

15

EC-L (1st series)

metric

45.1±18.8

38

16

EC-L (2nd series)

metric

48±18.4

38

17

Arithmetic Scale MAAGS-2015 Test

Metric (standardization)

4.2±1.8 (0.0868±0.9299)

92

18

Algebra Scale MAAGS-2015 Test

Metric (standardization)

5.5±2.3 -0.0088±0.8547

92

19

Geometry Scale MAAGS-2015 Test

Metric (standardization)

3.8±1.8 -0.0327±0.9480

92

20

Mathematics Scale MAAGS-2015 Test

Metric (standardization)

13.5±4.7 0.0201±0.8710

92

21

Attention Scale MAAGS-2015 Test

Metric (standardization)

9.1±1.4 (-0.0386±0.8226)

92

Table 2. Correlation of algebraic abilities to the Napoleon's Pose test results

Napoleon's Pose

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Left

-0.0378

0.1374

-0.275

0.784

Right

0.3607

0.2115

1.705

0.0931

Multiple R2: 0.0448. adjusted R2: 0.0294. F (1. 62) = 2.909. p = 0.0931

Table 3. Correlation of algebraic abilities to the Rosenbach’s Test results

Rosenbach’s Test

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Ambidextrous

0.1329

0.168

0.791

0.431

Left

-0.5136

0.2672

-1.922

0.058

Right

-0.0934

0.2111

-0.442

0.659

Multiple R2: 0.0455. adjusted R2: 0.0231. F (2. 85) = 2.027. p = 0.138

Table 4. Correlation of geometric abilities to the Rosenbach’s Test results

Rosenbach’s Test

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Ambidextrous

-0.194

0.1813

-1.07

0.2877

Left

-0.1468

0.2884

-0.509

0.612

Right

0.39

0.2278

1.712

0.0905

Multiple R2: 0.06. adjusted R2: 0.0378. F (2. 85) = 2.711. p = 0.0723

Table 5. Correlation of attention performance to the Rosenbach’s Test results

Rosenbach’s Test

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Ambidextrous

0.2017

0.1575

1.281

0.2038

Left

-0.6225

0.2505

-2.485

0.0149

Right

-0.2975

0.1979

-1.503

0.1364

Multiple R2: 0.0686. adjusted R2: 0.0467. F (2. 85) = 3.132. p = 0.0487

Table 6. Correlation of the Napoleon's Pose Test results and the REC 1st series of dichotic listening (including interactions) with algebraic skills

Lateral Signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Napoleon's Pose – Left REC (1st series) = 0

-0.0851

0.1725

-0.493

0.625

Napoleon's Pose – Right

0.4527

0.2615

1.731

0.0925

REC (1st series)

0.0103

0.0043

2.424

0.0208

Multiple R2: 0.21. adjusted R2: 0.1636. F (2. 34) = 4.52. p = 0.0182

Table 7. Correlation of the Napoleon's Pose Test results and the EC-R (total) (including interactions) with algebraic skills

Lateral Signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous Napoleon's Pose – Left EC-R (total) = 0

0.6172

0.6881

0.897

0.3769

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-2.3828

1.4343

-1.661

0.1071

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

-2.139

0.83

-2.577

0.0151

Napoleon's Pose – Right

0.5103

0.2572

1.984

0.0564

EC-R (total)

-0.0077

0.0124

-0.626

0.5362

EC-R (total) Rosenbach’s Test – Left

0.0383

0.0292

1.312

0.1994

EC-R (total) Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.0353

0.0153

2.312

0.0278

Multiple R2: 0.3704. adjusted R2: 0.2445. F (6. 30) = 2.942. p = 0.0223

Table 8. Correlation of the Rosenbach’s Test results and the REC (total) (including interactions) with geometric skills

Lateral Signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous REC (total) = 0

0.0765

0.2575

0.297

0.7681

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-0.3836

0.4149

-0.924

0.3611

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.0556

0.3081

0.18

0.8577

REC (total)

-0.0782

0.0259

-3.021

0.0045

REC (total) Rosenbach’s Test – Left

0.0838

0.0331

2.537

0.0154

REC (total) Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.0964

0.027

3.579

0.001

Multiple R2: 0.3153. adjusted R2: 0.2252. F (5. 38) = 3.5. p = 0.0106

Table 9. Correlation of the Rosenbach’s Test/ Napoleon's Pose Test results and the REC (total) (including interactions) with mathematical skills

Lateral Signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous Napoleon's Pose – Left REC (total) = 0

0.2525

0.2627

0.961

0.3429

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-0.6999

0.3681

-1.901

0.0653

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

-0.3219

0.2772

-1.161

0.2531

Napoleon's Pose – Right

0.5209

0.2355

2.212

0.0334

REC (total)

-0.0358

0.0229

-1.566

0.126

REC (total) Rosenbach’s Test – Left

0.0337

0.0298

1.132

0.2653

REC (total) Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.0524

0.0238

2.204

0.034

Multiple R2: 0.3367. adjusted R2: 0.2262. F (3. 36) = 3.046. p = 0.0163

Table 10. Correlation of the Rosenbach’s Test/ Napoleon's Pose Test results and the EC-R 1st series of dichotic listening (including interactions) with mathematical skills

Lateral signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous Napoleon's Pose – Left EC-R (1st series) = 0

0.202

0.5821

0.347

0.731

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-0.3051

1.1133

-0.274

0.7859

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

-1.5

0.6897

-2.175

0.0376

Napoleon's Pose – Right

0.6889

0.2417

2.85

0.0078

EC-R (1st series)

-0.0028

0.01

-0.274

0.786

EC-R (1st series) Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-0.006

0.0215

-0.28

0.7817

EC-R (1st series) Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.0274

0.0123

2.222

0.034

Multiple R2: 0.4066. adjusted R2: 0.2879. F (6. 30) = 3.426. p = 0.0107

Table 11. Correlation of the Rosenbach’s Test/ Napoleon's Pose test results and the EC-R 1st series of dichotic listening (including interactions) with arithmetical skills

Lateral signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous Napoleon's Pose – Left EC-R (1st series) = 0

-0.7077

0.4649

-1.522

0.1385

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

0.1608

0.5101

0.315

0.7548

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

-0.0588

0.3968

-0.148

0.8833

Napoleon's Pose – Right

0.962

0.4734

2.032

0.0511

EC-R (1st series)

0.0132

0.0064

2.071

0.0471

Rosenbach’s Test – Left Napoleon's Pose – Right

-1.9069

0.769

-2.48

0.019

Rosenbach’s Test – Right Napoleon's Pose – Right

-0.2865

0.6006

-0.477

0.6368

Multiple R2: 0.4066. adjusted R2: 0.2879. F (6. 30) = 3.426. p = 0.0107

Table 12. Correlation of the Rosenbach’s Test test results and the EC-R 1st series of dichotic listening (including interactions) with attention skills

Lateral signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous EC-R (1st series) = 0

1.0676

0.571

1.87

0.0707

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-3.0364

1.0888

-2.789

0.0088

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

-1.1686

0.6871

-1.701

0.0987

EC-R (1st series)

-0.0142

0.01

-1.409

0.1685

EC-R (1st series) Rosenbach’s Test – Left

0.0517

0.021

2.468

0.0191

EC-R (1st series) Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.0194

0.0123

1.581

0.1238

Multiple R2: 0.214. adjusted R2: 0.0911. F (5. 32) = 1.742. p = 0.1534

Table 13. Correlation of the Rosenbach’s Test results and M.Annette Questionnaire modification (including interactions) with attention skills

Lateral signs

Value

Standard Error

t

p

Rosenbach’s Test – Ambidextrous M.Annette Questionnaire = 0

0.2833

0.196

1.446

0.1539

Rosenbach’s Test – Left

-0.5869

0.2867

-2.047

0.0454

Rosenbach’s Test – Right

-0.0572

0.235

-0.243

0.8087

M.Annette Questionnaire

-0.2599

0.1935

-1.343

0.1848

M.Annette Questionnaire Rosenbach’s Test – Left

0.0594

0.314

0.189

0.8506

M.Annette Questionnaire Rosenbach’s Test – Right

0.7422

0.2489

2.982

0.0043

Multiple R2: 0.2346. adjusted R2: 0.1651. F (5. 55) = 3.372. p = 0.001

Table 14. Influence of visual and auditory asymmetry match on the MAAGS 2015 Test results

MAAGS-2015 Test Scale

Asymmetry Match (N = 18)

Asymmetry Mismatch (N = 26)

F (1. 42)

p

R2

Attention

0.1638±0.7534

0.0031±0.8011

0.449

0.507

 

Arithmetics

0.7178±0.7739

-0.2213±0.8273

14.436

0.0005

0.2558

Algebra

0.4166±0.7832

-0.0625±0.886

3.412

0.0717

0.0752

Geometry

0.3911±0.7544

-0.2695±1.0024

5.602

0.0226

0.1177

Mathematics

0.619±0.6339

-0.177±0.7924

12.562

0.001

0.2302

Table 15. Influence of visual and manual asymmetry match on the MAAGS 2015 Test results

MAAGS-2015 Test Scale

Asymmetry Match (N = 31)

Asymmetry Mismatch (N = 30)

F (1. 59)

p

R2

Attention

0.2312±0.699

-0.0965±0.8305

2.788

0.1

 

Arithmetics

0.2538±0.8344

0.047±0.9599

0.808

0.372

 

Algebra

0.2801±0.7337

-0.0769±0.957

2.684

0.107

 

Geometry

0.222±0.8636

-0.3406±0.9655

5.761

0.0196

0.089

Mathematics

0.3243±0.7225

-0.113±0.8715

4.564

0.0368

0.0718

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For citing this article:

Khokhlov N.A., Kovyazina M.S. (2016). Lateral signs and their interaction as a factor in the severity of mathematical abilities in adolescence. National Psychological Journal. 3, 98-114.