Central Executive Function and Phonological Loop in Students with Mathematical Word Problems Solving Disability

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the central executive function (including: Updating, Inhabitation, Shifting (Switching)) and phonological loop among students with mathematical word problems solving disability (MWPD).
This study is casual-comparative. In this study, 30 students in grade 4 with average and poor ability in problem solving were selected by the Iran Key Math and by Wechsler Intelligence. The updating by a computer program, the inhibiting by the Stroop, the shifting by the Wisconsin Cards Sorting Test (WCST), the Phonological loop by subtest of Wechsler intelligence were measured.
Analysis of data revealed that there is no significant difference between the students with problem solving disability in their performances in central executive function and phonological loop with average students.
This result emphasizes that two factors of intelligence and reading comprehension have essential roles in ability of mathematical word problems solving