Math ability is inborn

[The Straight Story]

We accept that some people are born with a talent for music or art or athletics. But what about mathematics? Do some of us just arrive in the world with better math skills than others?

It seems we do, at least according to the results of a study by a team of Johns Hopkins University psychologists. Led by Melissa Libertus, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the study -- published online in a recent issue of Developmental Science -- indicates that math ability in preschool children is strongly linked to their inborn and primitive "number sense," called an "Approximate Number System" or ANS.

Research reveals that "number sense" is basic to all animals, not just human beings. For instance, creatures that hunt or gather food use it to ascertain where they can find and procure the most nuts, plants or game and to keep track of the food they hunt or gather. We humans use it daily to allow us, at a glance, to estimate the number of open seats in a movie theater or the number of people in a crowded meeting. And it is measurable, even in newborn infants.

Though the link between ANS and formal mathematics ability already has been established in adolescents, Libertus says her team's is the first study to examine the role of "number sense" in children too young to already have had substantial formal mathematics instruction.


http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-08-math-ability-inborn.html

[MichiganVote]

1. Tell me about it.

[undeterred]

2. This does not surprise me.

[bemildred]

3. All abilities are inborn.

Just saying.

[The Straight Story]

5. NCLB does not seem to think so.... (nt)

[bemildred]

8. And it's working so well too ...

:sarcasm:

The fact is we are all the result of a roll of the genetic dice, and there is not all that much we can do about it; but some compassion, generosity, and humility towards the "less gifted" looks nice.

[indurancevile]

25. and all abilities are also learned. just saying.

[exboyfil]

4. Yes but it is not preordained that you should take a particular

math track. I had to fight for both of my daughters to get into Algebra I in 8th grade. It is not their strongest subject, but it is the subject which they spend the most time on. The time and hard work compensate for the lack of natural ability. My older daughter has gotten As in both Algebra and Geometry so far.

[Drale]

6. O I have no doubts about this

No matter how hard I try I can't ever get higher then a low B in Math, thank God I am completely done with Math.

[bananas]

7. Interesting online test linked in the article

http://www.panamath.org/testyourself.php

A free resource for all

Panamath measures your Approximate Number System (ANS) aptitude. The simple task of deciding whether there are more blue dots or yellow dots in a brief flash can tell us a lot about the accuracy of your basic gut sense for numbers. Because this task is so simple, Panamath can be used across the entire lifespan from 2-year-olds to older adults. Across many trials, Panamath asks you simply to decide whether there are more blue dots or yellow dots.

<snip>

edit to add: I haven't tried the test, but the description shows what they're testing in the OP.

[pnorman]

9. I "like" math, unlike so many of my friends & acquaintances.

But I have no idea if I have any particular "gift" for it. Thanks for that link, I'll check it out later.

[gkhouston]

10. Oh, I know that I have all the mathematical intuition of a brick.

It was fun, though.

[RC]

13. One can learn so much about anything on DU.

I took the test. I was starting to get a little board by the time it ended.

Saved the .pdf of the results.

[Demonaut]

17. took it and got a .10 weber fraction which is really good but I suck at math

my age group 48 years

[Bunny]

30. I got a .07 weber and I totally suck at math.

That surprised me.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. inumeracy is real

[T Roosevelt]

12. Except in Americans

Seems most Americans lack the gene for understanding math and statistics... ;)

[McCamy Taylor]

16. Which Americans are those? The Mayans are great at math. And all those American poker players

make money because they have a feel for statistics.

[surrealAmerican]

21. ... only because 90% of the statistics Americans are exposed to ...

... are either made up or intentionally misleading (or both).

Seriously, though, genetics doesn't always trump environment. The vast majority could understand, given the proper education.

[pipi_k]

14. IMO, it is...

or, for myself, anyway.

I hate math. Detest it.

It's like this whole other language that, no matter how hard I try, I can't understand.

And the worst of it is...I don't WANT to know.


Show me a list of numbers and my mind shuts off. That's it. Get that shit away from me.

Although I do seem to have a pretty good "numbers sense". Which is weird.

[immoderate]

20. Math is not numbers.

It's a system of manipulating symbols to solve problems. You do it more than you think.


--imm

[pipi_k]

33. OK how about this...

I can manipulate letter symbols to solve word problems very well.

I like doing word games. I like words and language.


If you give me a problem consisting of numbers I am stuck. No interest whatsoever.


so the part of Math that involves numbers is the part I hate and am really bad at.

Which was my original point, sort of.

[immoderate]

36. I do get your point.

Consider what you do when you scale a recipe, plan a trip, schedule your day, etc. In real life the arithmetic is camouflaged.


--imm

[McCamy Taylor]

15. I could make change before I could read. So could my son. My mom majored in math

in college, because it was her best subject, and she went onto to become a computer scientist at NASA. My father-in-law was a a college math instructor and authored math textbooks. My husband got his degree in electrical engineering. My sister's degree is in computer science. I am a physician, but my favorite course when I was getting a Masters Public Health was biostatistics.

On the other hand, I was a late reader. It did not really click until I was seven. Same for my son, and my mother and husband report the same.Friends have told me that they could not remember a time when they could not read, which always strikes me as odd, because I clearly remember not being able to read. However, I never remember a time when I did not know exactly how much change the salesperson was supposed to give me for my purchase. So, I suspect that the "math" gene and the "reading" gene are two different things.


The people I know who are "good" at math solve problems in a slightly different way from those who consider themselves "bad" at math. For me, there is something like a bulletin board at the back of my mind. Whenever I try to calculate anything---simple addition as well as statistical odds---I visualize a mercury thermometer or sometimes several mercury thermometers. The gauge (s) keeps rising and falling based upon what I am doing to the numbers. I get a "general feel" for the answer before I get the actual value. Useful for when you need to check your work, as in calculating the correct dose of a drug.

I remember giving my pre-school son ( I think he was around 3 or 4) a series of relatively simple math problems to solve in his head, all subtraction and addition, nothing too tough. I thought I would stump him with some big numbers, something like 109 minus thirteen. He looked to the side for a second and then replied "96." I asked how he got the answer and he said "13 minus 9 is 4 so I took 4 away from 100." Basically, he invented algebra on the spot in order to solve the problem. I realized then that not all math is taught.

I had a friend in college, as smart as she could be. She took freshmen Calculus and got a C. Since C's don't look good on a pre-med record, she took it again and studied very, very hard---and got a C. I never went to Calculus class, read through the material once and then took the self paced tests whenever I felt like it, and got one of my easiest A's in college.

So yeah, math ability is obviously genetically programed. Certain cultures are better at math too. Itsy bitsy Mayan children selling stuff on the streets can all make perfect change.

[BadgerKid]

24. .

>I remember giving my pre-school son ( I think he was around 3 or 4) a series of relatively simple math problems to solve in >his head, all subtraction and addition, nothing too tough. I thought I would stump him with some big numbers, something like >109 minus thirteen. He looked to the side for a second and then replied "96." I asked how he got the answer and he said "13 >minus 9 is 4 so I took 4 away from 100." Basically, he invented algebra on the spot in order to solve the problem. I >realized then that not all math is taught.

FWIW, this is how I do it, too...especially for calculating the correct change or giving cashier extra coinage in order to receive back only paper bills. Addition works similarly: 109 plus 4 is gotten by noting 4-1=3, so 110+3 = 113.

[RobinA]

28. I'm That Way With Reading

I remember learning to read, but I remember once I was over the hump, I was 5, I could read absolutely anything. Math? If I studied myself blind I probably wouldn't get a C in Calc. Not that I ever tried. I remember our Phonics books in elementary school. It was all just common sense to me. Math? Made no sense whatsoever. The odd thing is I come from a more "math" family. Calc no problem, but don't ask them what a college level book means.

[pipi_k]

35. Same here...from very early childhood...

Reading and music.


There are VERY few activities, if any, I'd rather be doing than reading or listening to music.

My dad was a voracious reader. He also liked music.

My mom...she's still alive, and at 77, I don't think she's read more than ten books her whole life.

So I'm glad I inherited my dad's love of books and music.

:)

[mzteris]

18. another point I'd like to make

Numbers "Concepts" and Numbers "computation" are two different abilities. You can be fantastic at the one and abysmal at the other.

There is a learning difference called "dysgraphia" which affects people's ability to "do math". Some of the most advanced "mathematicians" have a difficult time performing basic computations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).

[jpgray]

19. One's starting circumstances are also inborn

[gkhouston]

22. No wonder all the economists who say we need to fix jobs, not debt, get ignored. n/t

[laundry_queen]

23. I was decent at math

I took that test and was mostly along the 90th percentile for my age. My main problem is mental math. Give me a piece of paper and I can do most equations. Ask me to make change in my head and you get this: :shrug: I did well in my math courses all throughout school (university calculus was my weakest). My brother won a scholarship for having the best math score in the province. My ex-husband was opposite of me - good at mental math, awful at the subject in school. Our kids are all unbelieveably good at math so far. I'm sure it's a genetic trait just as musical ability is to a degree.

[jwhitesj]

27. I scored the same as you

Right along the 90th percintile.

tip for doing math in your head. Make the numbers easier to work with by rounding. Example

You have a restraunt bill fro 43.24 and want to know how much to tip

Say the service was mediocre so you decide to give 15%

round down to 40, and calculate 10% of 40 equals 4...everyone can pretty much do that

Then add half of that number which is 6. 3.24 is less than 1 dollar so let's make it an even 7.

You can do math like that for all sorts of things that you have to do in every day life and get close enough where the difference won't be significant

[War Horse]

26. I'm a math atheist...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99706190@N00/1869299/

[TBF]

29. I think it is innate -

My grandfather did all his math in his head and managed his large farm quite well (including an incredible memory for remembering commodity prices). I was a pretty good math student - enough to make my high school math team. I can see it in my kids as well, particularly my son who is doing addition at age 4. With another grandfather who was an accountant my kids got it from both sides. They are funny - they will remember hotel room numbers months after we've stayed in them and silly things like that.

[MissB]

31. I've always said my kids were doomed from birth.

Dh and I are both engineers. We could argue nature vs nurture forever, but my kids' math abilities make more sense if I assume that it's somehow genetic.

My oldest is set to take calculus this year. He will choose the advanced honors version too, because that's how he is. He is 13. His sibling is a bit more than a year younger and is two years back from his brother in math.

I took calculus my senior year of high school. And I'm not stupid when it comes to math. I had to double up on math one year during high school to get there. Dh took a similar route- standard course of math culminating in senior year calculus.

Maybe it'll skip a generation when/if we have grandkids.

[seabeyond]

32. add, multiply, divide, percentages... i do in a snap in my head. sit me in front of statistics

or geometry.... and nothing. cant do it for anything. and no interest in even trying.

but the basics, i kick ass. my husband who has a statistics and engineering masters degree defers to me when doing numbers in the head. i dont get it.

[octothorpe]

34. I wonder if that's why we can sometimes intuitively figure out moderately complex math problems

without being able to clearly define the whys and hows. Well, at least not be able to explain it without giving it more thought.

Or is that just from the various tricks we taught ourselves throughout our lives?