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Mathematical Abilities

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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

Synonyms

Mathematical reasoning; Mathematical talent; Mathematical thinking

Definition

Mathematical abilities refer to a combination of cognitive abilities and knowledge that contribute to one’s performance on a wide range of mathematical tasks.

Introduction

While there is no consensus on an exact definition, mathematical abilities can generally be described as a combination of cognitive abilities and knowledge that contribute to performance on the various types of mathematical tasks (Carrol 1993, 1996; Sternberg 1996). Individuals that can successfully complete difficult mathematical tasks are said to have high levels of mathematical abilities. Conversely, individuals who cannot complete the easy mathematical tasks are described as having low levels of mathematical abilities.

It must be noted, however, that there is not a single unitary ability that we can refer to as mathematical ability (Carrol 1993, 1996). The precise, scientific definition of an ability is the source of...

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References

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Correspondence to Nikki Blacksmith .

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Blacksmith, N. (2020). Mathematical Abilities. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_984

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