A Comparison of Seventh Grade Students’ Brian Wave Patterns During Arithmetic Testing

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to; 1) compare the brainwave patterns of students while performing arithmetic tasks for measuring three cognitive processes (remembering, understanding, and applying), categorized by gender and students’ ability, and 2) to investigate an interaction effect between gender and students’ ability on brainwave patterns of students while performing aforementioned tasks. The sample group consisted 40 grade-seven students of Preechanusas School in Chonburi (students took a mathematics subject at 6th grade) who volunteered to participate in the study. The participants were divided into two groups; high and low ability. The research instruments were; 1) a general information questionnaire (gender, health condition, and ability to see), 2) Oldfield’s evaluation form in evaluating the right-hand limit, 3) the arithmetic test for measuring the 3 cognitive processes, 4) the arithmetic testing task for measuring the 3 cognitive processes via computer with Stim 2 program, 5) SynAmps RT, and 64-channel Quik-Cap, and 6) a computer with Intel core i5-2400 (3.1 GHz) and Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and two-way multivariate analysis of variance (Two-Way MANOVA). The results showed that amplitude and latency of P300 of the participants, classified by ability and gender of the participants, while performing arithmetic tasks for measuring the 3cognitive processes, were significantly difference at the .05 level at the electrode sites of FT8 F2 F6 FC3 FC1 FCZ FC2 FC4 CP2 CP4 CP6 C5 C3 C1 CZ C2 C6 TP7 TP8 T7 T8 CP6 P5 P3 P1 PZ P2 P4 P6 P8 PO7 PO5 PO3 POZ PO4 PO6 PO8 OZ and O2. When focusing on the participants’ ability, it was found that for remembering-based arithmetic task, the students with high ability had higher P300 amplitude than students with low ability. However, at some electrode sites, the students with low ability had higher P300 amplitude than the students with high ability for remembering-and understanding-based tasks. Furthermore, for applying-based arithmetic task, the students with high ability had longer P300 latency than students with low ability. When focusing on the participants’ gender, it was found that for remembering and applying-based arithmetic task, female students had higher and longer P300 amplitude and latency than male students. However, at some electrode sites, the male students had higher P300 amplitude than the female students for understanding-based tasks. In addition, female students had longer P300 latency than male students for all arithmetic tasks. Furthermore, a two-way MANOVA demonstrated the significant interaction effect between gender and students’ ability on P300 amplitude and latency for remembering and understanding-arithmetic tasks at p<.05 at FC4, FC6, F2, F6, C3, C1, C4, C6, P1, and P7 electrode sites.