Metadata and additional information for dataset: ÒSkills underlying mathematics: when is working memory important for arithmeticÓ

One-hundred and thirty-eight participants took part in this experiment: Fifty one 9-11-year-olds, forty five 12-14-year-olds and 42 adults. The children attended primary (9-11-year-olds) and secondary (12-14-year-olds) schools in predominantly white British, low to average socio-economic status neighbourhoods of UK cities. The adults were undergraduate psychology students.

This dataset consists of 2 files in addition to this ReadMe file. 1 .csv file contains summary data, and 1 .txt file contains a description of the task.

The remaining text below provides further details on the contents of the .csv data file.

Data File 1: Exp1_MASTERDATA_2016_DataRepositoryÐ contains participant information and summary variables of the task

Subject: Unique participant number

Gender: M = male, F = female

Comments: experimenter comments about the testing session

Handedness: L = left, R = right

Age: Age at testing in whole years

@1stTask: Condition completed first. Verbal = verbal, V/S = visuospatial

Excluded_MainAnalysis: x = participant excluded from our analyses

Yeargroup: School year group. Adults dummy coded as year group 15

AgeGroup: Age group for analysis

ChronologicalAge: Age at testing as decimal

Verbal.Counting.SumOnly.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 

Verbal.Counting.zeroback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Counting.oneback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Decomposition.SumOnly.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 


Verbal.Decomposition.zeroback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Decomposition.oneback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Retrieval.SumOnly.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 

Verbal.Retrieval.zeroback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Retrieval.oneback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Counting.SumOnly.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 

Verbal.Counting.zeroback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Counting.oneback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Decomposition.SumOnly.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 

Verbal.Decomposition.zeroback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Decomposition.oneback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Retrieval.SumOnly.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task.

Verbal.Retrieval.zeroback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Retrieval.oneback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Counting.SumOnly.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 

Verbal.Counting.zeroback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Counting.oneback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a counting strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Decomposition.SumOnly.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task. 

Verbal.Decomposition.zeroback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Decomposition.oneback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Verbal.Retrieval.SumOnly.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names but with no dual task.

Verbal.Retrieval.zeroback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names and responding to the word ÔdogÕ.

Verbal.Retrieval.oneback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, listening to animal names and responding when the animal name was the same as the one presented previously.  

Visuospatial.Counting.SumOnly.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Counting.zeroback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Counting.oneback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Decomposition.SumOnly.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Decomposition.zeroback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Decomposition.oneback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Retrieval.SumOnly.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Retrieval.zeroback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Retrieval.oneback.Acc: Proportion of correct responses when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Counting.SumOnly.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Counting.zeroback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Counting.oneback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Decomposition.SumOnly.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Decomposition.zeroback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Decomposition.oneback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Retrieval.SumOnly.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Retrieval.zeroback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Retrieval.oneback.RT: Median response time in milliseconds when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Counting.SumOnly.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Counting.zeroback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Counting.oneback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a counting strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Decomposition.SumOnly.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Decomposition.zeroback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Decomposition.oneback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a decomposition strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

Visuospatial.Retrieval.SumOnly.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red but with no dual task. 

Visuospatial.Retrieval.zeroback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box second from left on the top row turned red.

Visuospatial.Retrieval.oneback.logRT: Mean log response time when completing sums using a retrieval strategy, watching a sequence of boxes on the screen flash red and responding when the box that turned red was the same as the one two items previously in the sequence.

ÉÉÉÉÉStrategyCheck: Participant rating, on a scale of 1 to 5, how many of the problems they had used the required strategy for. 1 = hardly any, 5 = almost all