Simple additions: Dissociation between retrieval and counting with electrophysiological indexes

Publication date: Available online 10 January 2020Source: International Journal of PsychophysiologyAuthor(s): Gloria Tejero, Pedro MacizoAbstractThere is current debate about the way adult individuals solve simple additions composed of one-digit operands. There are two opposing views. The first view assumes that people retrieve the result of additions from memory, whilst the second view states that individuals use automatized counting procedures. Our study aimed to dissociate between these two hypotheses. To this end, we analysed the type of problem effect when participants resolved simple additions by comparing additions with operands between 1 and 4 and control additions with at least one operand larger than 4. Brain-waves activity of a group of 30 adult individuals were recorded with 64 scalp electrodes mounted on an elastic cap, referenced against an electrode between Cz and CPz and re-referenced to an average reference offline. We considered two electrophysiological indexes, event-related potentials, ERPs, time-locked to the addition problems to distinguish between retrieval from memory and the use of procedures: A late positivity component (LP, 500–650 time window) over posterior regions associated to memory retrieval difficulty with higher LP positivity when participants resolve difficult vs. easy additions, and a negative component (N400, 250–450 ms time window) over fronto-central regions related to the use memory retrieval vs. procedures with more pronounced N...

Source: International Journal of Psychophysiology - January 10, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research