解答加减文字题中情境复杂性对问题难度的影响

INFLUENCE OF SITUATION COMPLEXITY ON SOLVING ADDITION ANDSUBTRACTION WORD PROBLEM

过去人们基于语言复杂性探讨加减文字题的难度成因,本研究将探讨情境复杂性对问题难度的影响。被试为北京市一城区小学二年级共108名学生(男52,女56),平均年龄8岁4个月。采用2(问题类型:“给”问题和“拿”问题)×2(事件类型:增多事件和减少事件)混合设计。对于“给”问题,增多题中各语句的主语不一致,减少题中一致,对于“拿”问题则相反。根据语言复杂性解释,因为各语句的主语一致有利于加工,“给”问题有减少题加工优势,“拿”问题有增多题加工优势;根据情境复杂性解释,因为减少情境有利于加工,两类问题均有减少题加工优势。实验表明不论“给”问题还是“拿”问题,均有减少题的加工优势,支持情境复杂性解释。

Previous research has shown that the language complexity primarily contributed to problem difficulty in children's solving addition and subtraction word problems, which was called language complex hypothesis. The children's unfamiliarity with some words, phrases, sentences or linguistic forms might lead to their failures in processing linguistic description and finding solution. However, the situations described by familiar language can vary in difficulty level of representing, which implies that situation complexity could substantially contribute to problem difficulty. The present study probes into the possibility by exploring why object - separating word problems are easier to solve than object - joining word problems. There were two alternative explanations. In terms of language complexity hypothesis, the superiority of solving object - separating problems was owing to the consistent subject for all sentences described the problem. The object - joining problem didnt have consistent subject for all sentences, thus was solved with more difficulty. Since there was superiority of representing object - separating event disclosed in related research, the situation complexity hypothesis emphasized that the superiority of solving object - separating problems was owing to the superiority of representing object - separating event. Except for the problems containing key verb 'give' , the problems containing key verb 'take' was applied. For the latter, the object - joining problem had consistent subject, but the object - separating problem did not. According to language complex hypothesis, there should have the superiority of solving object -joining problems containing verb 'take' , however, according to situation complex hypothesis, there should have the superiority of solving object - separating problems regardless of the problem types. Second graders (mean age: 8 years and four months) in a primary suburb school of Beijing city were asked to solve these problems. Results showed that there was superiority effect of processing object - separating problems regardless of the key verbs involved in the problems, which strongly supported the situation complex hypothesis. The theoretical implication on children's mathematical cognition was discussed at the last part of this article.