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Bidirectional links in the network of multiplication facts

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Abstract

In three experiments, we tested the hypothesis that activation of multiplication operand nodes (e.g., 3 and 8) can occur through presentation of their product (e.g., 24). In Experiments 1 and 2 we found activation of the operands when the product was presented as a cue in a number-matching task. In Experiment 3, activation also occurred in a parity-matching task, where the product (24) was not relevant to the parity matching on its operands (3 and 8). We concluded that bidirectional links exist among the operands and their product for multiplication problems and these links can be activated in a purely stimulus-driven manner. We suggest this may constitute the basis for the solution of simple divisions by mediation through the complementary multiplication facts.

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Acknowledgements

Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by grants from the European Commission (RTN grant HPRN-CT-2000–00076), MURST and University of Padua to Carlo Umiltà. We would like to thank Marc Brysbaert, Mark Ashcraft, and an anonymous reviewer for their comments on a previous version of the present manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy

    Elena Rusconi, Elena Rebonato & Carlo Umiltà

  2. Università di Trento, Rovereto, Italy

    Giovanni Galfano

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  1. Elena Rusconi
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  2. Giovanni Galfano
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  3. Elena Rebonato
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  4. Carlo Umiltà
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Correspondence to Carlo Umiltà.

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Rusconi, E., Galfano, G., Rebonato, E. et al. Bidirectional links in the network of multiplication facts. Psychological Research 70, 32–42 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-004-0187-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-004-0187-4

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