Juggling with numbers? Effect of juggling on basic mathematical skills

Abstract

Mental rotation (MR) is a spatial skill that allows to rotate the mental image of a two- or three- dimensional object. It has been suggested that MR might be a key-component of intellectual ability. Studies also showed a possible link between MR ability and the performance of tasks of numerical estimation. On the other hand, experimental results suggested that the practice of physical activities (PAs) involving spatial capacities, such as juggling, may influence positively the performance of a MR task. Whether the practice of such PAs may improve both the performance of a MR task and basic numerical skills remained an opened question. The present study thus aimed to determine the possible influence of juggling on the performance of a MR test and of two tasks of numerical estimation. A total of 35 subjects participated to the experiment. The subjects were from two schools based in Switzerland, which led to define two groups each including subjects aged of 12-14 years. For five weeks, one group practiced juggling during the PE courses and during 10mn at the beginning of each school day (GJ; 10 males and 6 females) while the other group practiced endurance running during the PE courses (GR; 10 males and nine females). Before and after the five weeks of PA practice, each subject performed: (1) a MR test (Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test, VMRT), (2) a task requiring to position numbers on a line segment with numerical values at the extremities (NP), and (3) a task requiring to determine numbers from positions on such a line segment (PN). Before the PA practice, no statistically significant difference between GJ and GR was found in the VMRT, the NP, and the PN scores (Mann-Whitney test; p ≥ .243). GR also showed no difference in the VMRT, PN and NP scores obtained before and after the PA practice (Wilcoxon test; p ≥ .136). Interestingly, GJ showed better VMRT, PN and NP scores after the PA practice than before the PA practice (Wilcoxon test; p ≤ .049). Moreover, after the PA practice GJ had better VMRT, PN and NP scores than GR (Mann-Whitney test; p ≤ .023). The results thus lead to discuss possible positive influence of PE on other school subjects.