Practical Arithmetic and Transfer

A Study among West African Tribesmen

Bibliographic Data

ID2315744
AuthorsAndrea L Petitto (University of California San Diego, corresponding author)
Year1982
Volume13
Issue1
Pages15-28
Publication date1982-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0221 • E-ISSN: 1552-5422
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0022022182131003
OpenAlexW2111933658
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited4

Transfer of mathematical problem-solving ability was studied among adult unschooled cloth merchants and tailors in West Africa. The purpose was to examine the role of familiarity of problem components and of the overall problem form. Experimental tasks tested arithmetic ability, measurement facts, and ability to solve variations of typical cloth-selling arithmetic problems. Results showed cloth merchants and tailors to be equivalent in basic arithmetic and measurement skills but that cloth merchants were better able to organize these skills to effectively solve price problems with both familiar and unusual materials. Using unfamiliar numerical content interfered with the ability to execute component arithmetic operations for both professional groups

Arithmetic · Component (thermodynamics · Mathematics education · Mental arithmetic · Parallel computing · Transfer (computing · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Computer Science · Mathematics · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques