MU Psychologist Finds Increasing Gap between Math Competencies of Americans and Chinese; Intelligence Not a Factor

Jan. 14, 1998

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MU PSYCHOLOGIST FINDS INCREASING GAP BETWEEN MATH COMPETENCIES OF AMERICANS AND CHINESE; INTELLIGENCE NOT A FACTOR

COLUMBIA, Mo. ≠- Word problem No. 1: Take 372 sixth-graders, 12th-graders and older adults from China and the United States, test them for mathematical ability and solve for the growing Chinese advantage in basic competencies. The answer, says David Geary, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, appears to be cultural changes in both countries including, perhaps, changes in curriculum.

Results of extensive testing of three age groups revealed a trend that has been growing since the 1940s. Older Americans and Chinese tested at nearly the same levels. However, for younger generations, the gap between mathematical abilities increased. In fact, the Chinese sixth-grade group did as well as an elite American high school group on one test and beat the high school group in complex subtraction.

≥Some people might believe the stereotype that the Chinese did better because they are smarter. If then, when you control for IQ, the differences should disappear,≤ Geary said. ≥However, we did control for IQ and the differences didnπt disappear. The study shows that whatever we were doing before World War II was working for basic math skills. Yes, the Chinese have changed their curriculum since the 1940s too, but it appears that they were able to improve it where the opposite appears to be true for the United States.≤

The American high school group was picked from students who were in either pre calculus or calculus classes. In addition, intelligence was factored out of the results. The current achievement gap appears to be a result of cross-generational improvements in basic math competencies in China and a simultaneous decline in the United States.

Mathematical abilities were measured using five different tests. Geary tested participants on complex addition, simple subtraction, complex subtraction and two forms of arithmetical reasoning. Complex addition included problems such as ≥19 + 8 + 27,≤ simple subtraction included problems such as ≥9 - 5,≤ and complex subtraction had problems such as ≥78-9.≤ In the arithmetical reasoning tests, participants had to solve multi-step arithmetic word problems. One form of the word problems asked participants to simply indicate the steps needed to be taken to solve the problem, the other form asked for the solution. All participants also were given a standard IQ test.

Gearyπs research was funded by a grant from a National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and was recently published in the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.

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