Sirota, Miroslav and Theodoropoulou, Andriana and Juanchich, Marie (2021) Disfluent fonts do not help people to solve math and non-math problems regardless of their numeracy. Thinking and Reasoning, 27 (1). pp. 142-159. DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2020.1759689
Sirota, Miroslav and Theodoropoulou, Andriana and Juanchich, Marie (2021) Disfluent fonts do not help people to solve math and non-math problems regardless of their numeracy. Thinking and Reasoning, 27 (1). pp. 142-159. DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2020.1759689
Sirota, Miroslav and Theodoropoulou, Andriana and Juanchich, Marie (2021) Disfluent fonts do not help people to solve math and non-math problems regardless of their numeracy. Thinking and Reasoning, 27 (1). pp. 142-159. DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2020.1759689
Abstract
Prior research has suggested that perceptual disfluency activates analytical processing and increases the solution rate of mathematical problems with appealing but incorrect answers (i.e., the Cognitive Reflection Test, hereafter CRT). However, a recent meta-analysis does not support such a conclusion. We tested here whether insufficient numerical ability can account for this discrepancy. We found strong evidence against the disfluency effect on the problem-solving rate for the Numerical CRT problems regardless of participants’ numeracy and for the Verbal CRT non-math problems (n = 310, Exp. 1) even though simple instructions to pay attention to and reflect upon the Verbal CRT problems substantially increased their solution rate (n = 311, Exp. 2). The updated meta-analysis (k = 18) yielded close-to-zero effect, Hedge’s g = -0.01, 95% CI[-0.05, 0.03] and decisive evidence against the disfluency effect on math problems, BF0+ = 151.6. Thus, perceptual disfluency does not activate analytical processing.
Item Type: | Article |
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Uncontrolled Keywords: | Cognitive Reflection Test, Verbal Cognitive Reflection Test, disfluent font, numeracy, fluency |
Divisions: | Faculty of Science and Health Faculty of Science and Health > Psychology, Department of |
SWORD Depositor: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Date Deposited: | 20 Apr 2020 08:40 |
Last Modified: | 30 Oct 2024 16:09 |
URI: | http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/27332 |
Available files
Filename: Sirota et al Disfluency effectTR.pdf