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What Makes Word Problem-Solving Difficult? Factors Influencing Word Problem-Solving Ability

borrow problems (Daroczy, Meurers et al. 2020; Dresen, Pixner, and Moeller
2020).

Interaction Between Numerical and Linguistic Features
Linguistic complexity and arithmetic complexity in word problems are often
seen assubsequent additiveprocesseswhich do not interact with each other.
This means, first, linguistic complexity is experienced through text compre-
hension then arithmetic complexity through calculation. However, studies
have highlighted an interaction between linguistic and numerical factors
(e.g. Pape 2003). The most prominent example of such interaction is lexical
consistency (Lewis and Mayer 1987), which refers to the presence of specific
keywords in the text, called cue words, that are semantically linked to an
arithmetic operation. A word problem is considered lexically consistent if the
semanticsofthecuewordssignalan operation that iscongruent with theop-
eration required for the correct solution. For example, in the problem ‘Mary
ate7 cookies.Kateate2morethan Mary.HowmanycookiesdidKateeat?,’the
cue word ‘more,’ which is typically associated with addition, coincides with
the arithmetic operation required to correctly solve the problem (addition, 7
+ 2 = 9). In contrast, in inconsistent word problems, the cue word hints at an
incorrect operation. For instance, in the problem ‘Mary ate 7 cookies. She ate
2 more than Kate. How many cookies did Kate eat?,’ the relational term ‘more’
evokes an addition which is inconsistent with the operation needed for the
correct solution (subtraction, 7 – 2 = 5).
Inconsistent problems are more difficult compared to consistent ones, and
the most frequent error is to apply the arithmetic operation semantically
linked to the cue word (Hegarty, Mayer, and Green 1992; Hegarty, Mayer, and
Monk 1995; Pape 2003). This is because cue words automatically trigger a su-
perficial solution strategy based on keywords (e.g. ‘if more, then addition; if
less, then subtraction’), which must be inhibited to correctly understand the
problem’s situation (Passolunghi et al. 2022).

Individual Differences
While the examination of problem characteristics has yielded valuable in-
sights into comprehending students’ challenges in word problem-solving,
it must be noted that some children solve the same word problem with ease
whileothersstruggle.Thisindicatesthatdifficultiesinsolvingwordproblems
are also influenced by individuals’ cognitive profiles. Here, we illustrate re-
search concerning both domain-specific cognitive components (that is, cog-
nitive components that are specific to the word problem-solving process)

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