The role of domain-general and domain-specific skills in the identification of arithmetic strategies

Individuals solve arithmetic problems in different ways and the strategies they choose are indicators of advanced competencies such as adaptivity flexibility, predict mathematical achievement. Understanding factors that encourage or hinder selection is therefore important for helping individuals to succeed mathematics. Our research contributed this goal by investigating skills required selecting associativity shortcut-strategy, where ‘16 + 38 – 35’ solved performing subtraction (38 35 = 3) before addition (3 16 19). In a well-powered, pre-registered study, adults completed two tasks involved ‘a b c’ problems, we recorded a) whether b) when, identified shortcut. They also measured domain-specific (calculation skill understanding order operations) domain-general (working memory, inhibition switching). Of all measures, was most reliable predictor shortcut, discuss roles it may play efficient strategies.