能否学好数学由基因决定 与智商无关

Innate talent? New research shows that there is a link between an in-built 'number sense' and maths ability If you struggle with figures, you were probably born that way, research has suggested. Being good at mathematics may be entirely pre-destined – you either have it or you don’t. And those who find the numbers never add up shouldn’t feel too dim – mathematical talent does not appear to be linked to all-round intelligence. 还在为自己的孩子的“奥数成绩”而苦恼么？还在花重金培养孩子的数学运算能力么？最新研究表明，孩子学数学的好坏程度与后天培养并无直接关系，一切都是老天注定的，基因决定的，也就是说，孩子数学好不好，一生下来就已经注定了。那些数学不好的孩子们千万别灰心丧气，因为数学不好与智力无关。

Previous research has indicated that ‘number sense’ is basic to humans. We use it to estimate such things as the number of seats in a cinema or crowd sizes. U.S. psychologists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore made their finding after testing children too young to have been taught mathematics. During the study, 200 four-year-olds viewed flashing groups of blue and yellow dots on a computer screen and were asked which colour was shown the most. The children then had to count items on a page, determine which of two numbers was greater or lesser, as well as read numbers. They were also tested on calculation skills, such as multiplication. The participants’ parents were then asked about their child’s vocabulary.

之前的许多研究报告将所谓的“数字能力”与人类的智力程度联系在一起，我们用“数字感觉”来计算在我们身边的所有可以用来做算术题的东西，比如说电影院的座椅等等。然而，来自Johns Hopkins大学的心理学家却认为我们让我们的孩子过早接触数学，有一项针对200名年仅4岁儿童的研究测试了儿童的“数字能力”与“语言能力”之间的关系。

The verbal test was done because language and maths abilities are thought to be linked through general intelligence. The researchers wanted to be sure success in maths was not part of an ability to perform better in all sorts of tasks or to some children feeling more comfortable being tested than others.

这项研究在“数字能力”与“语言能力”之间在已经被认定两者与智力关系密切的情况下提供相应的反证，研究人员希望能证明数学好的人并不是在任何方面都能取得优秀的成绩，虽然，在高中文理科分班有一条不成文的道理，那就是所谓的----理转文轻而易举，文科要是想转理科那就是难于上青天了。

The results, published in the journal Developmental Science, showed that children who got the best score in the dots test were also the most competent at the maths tests.

据悉，在实验中，所谓的“点测试”成绩优秀的孩子在数学测试上也十分不错。

Dr Melissa Libertus, who led the study, said: ‘Previous studies testing older children left open the possibility that maths lessons determined number sense. ‘In other words, some children looked like they had better number sense simply because they had better maths instruction. ‘Unlike those studies, this one shows that the link between number sense and maths ability is already present before the beginning of formal maths instruction. ‘One of the most important questions is whether we can train a child’s number sense to improving his future maths ability.’

领衔实验的研究员Dr Melissa Libertus说：“以前的研究不断的告诉我们，数学的后天培养，后天的教育对提高数学成绩有至关重要的作用，然而，我们的研究却证明数学能力是先天就已经注定好了的，与后天的培养没有任何关系。我们的面临的问题在于我们是否可以通过培养孩子对数字的感觉来提高他在未来的逻辑能力。”