Abstract

Certain cognitive processes interact in the learning of arithmetic, as well as sociodemographic variables in the first years of formal education. In this context, the present study is aimed to analyze the specific contribution of the specific domains (symbolic and non-symbolic comparison) and the general domains (verbal and visuospatial working memory, attentional shifting, inhibitory control and fluid intelligence) in the resolution of a basic arithmetic task. This is a correlational and predictive study, whose sample corresponded to 203 participants with norm typical development, totalizing 94 girls and 109 boys. The results of the multiple linear regression with successive steps explained 30.4% of the variability in basis arithmetic where the symbolic comparison had greater predictive power, followed by attentional shifting. These findings highlight the importance of symbolic comparison and attentional shifting in explaining variability in basic arithmetic performance during the early years of formal education, an aspect that underlines the importance of early assessment of multiple cognitive components that have been shown to predict the acquisition of mathematical thinking, rather than focusing assessments solely on curriculum-based measures. © 2025 Universidad CES. All rights reserved.