Strategies in Number Line Estimation Under Alternating Presentation for Second-Grade Children

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2026.03.009

Abstract

Abstract: Given that traditional estimation strategies often focus on a single condition, the present study firstly investigated the strategies and cognitive mechanisms employed by children in an alternating presentation of the number line estimation task. In Experiment 1, second-grade children were asked to estimate numbers within different ranges but with the same length (0～50, 0～100, 10 cm), while in Experiment 2, they were asked to estimate numbers with different lengths but the same range (10 cm, 18 cm, 0～100). The results revealed that children utilized multiple strategies, employing both internal reference strategies and external reference strategies based on the proportional relationships between conditions. Additionally, the interaction between presentation format and experimental context was found to have a significant effect on the proportional absolute error (PAE). Due to limited cognitive resources, children exhibited significantly better strategy performance in the alternating presentation condition compared to the concentrated presentation condition when dealing with different ranges. However, their strategy performance was significantly worse in the alternating presentation condition when dealing with different lengths. These findings suggest that second-grade children’s strategies exhibit a pattern of “coexistence and competition”, providing new evidence for the applicability of the overlapping waves theory in complex estimation contexts.

Key words: number line estimation, alternating presentation, reference strategy, overlapping waves theory

摘要： 由于集中呈现仅聚焦单一条件的估计策略，本研究首次考察儿童在交替呈现数字线估计任务中的策略及认知机制。选取二年级儿童估计不同范围相同长度(0～50、0～100，10 cm)的数字(实验1)，以及不同长度相同范围(10 cm、18 cm，0～100)的数字(实验2)。结果发现儿童掌握多种策略，且同时使用内部参照策略和基于条件间比例关系的外部参照策略。另外，呈现方式与实验情境对绝对误差百分比存在交互作用。由于认知资源有限，交替呈现不同范围情境的策略运用表现显著优于集中呈现，不同长度情境的策略运用表现则差于集中呈现。这些结果表明二年级儿童的策略呈现“共存与竞争”模式，为重叠波理论在复杂估计情境的适用性提供了新证据。

关键词: 数字线估计, 交替呈现, 参照策略, 重叠波理论

CLC Number:

B844

WU Yongyin, YE Ye, CAO Bihua. Strategies in Number Line Estimation Under Alternating Presentation for Second-Grade Children[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2026, 24(3): 351-358.

吴泳茵, 叶烨, 曹碧华. 交替呈现下二年级儿童数字线估计的策略[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2026, 24(3): 351-358.

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