The link between transitive reasoning and mathematics achievement in preadolescence: the role of relational processing and deductive reasoning

Abstract The link between logic and mathematics has been recognized by theorists from different fields, but empirical investigations on this link remain scarce, and even less is known about the mechanisms underlying such a link. The current study aimed to address this issue by investigating the relations between transitive reasoning and children’s mathematical competence, and exploring the potential mechanisms involved. A sample of 101 sixth graders were assessed on their transitive reasoning skills, their mathematics achievement, various potential mediators, as well as general cognitive factors (serving as control variables). The results showed that children’s transitive reasoning performance was significantly related to their mathematics achievement beyond the effects of general cognitive factors, and this relation was mediated by fraction knowledge and Relation to Operands understanding. The findings not only confirmed the relation between transitive reasoning and mathematical competence, but also shed light on the mechanisms underlying such a relation.