Perceptual learning theory suggests that perceptual grouping in mathematical expressions can direct students' attention toward specific parts of problems, thus impacting their mathematical reasoning. Using in-lab eye tracking and a sample of 85 undergraduates from a STEM-focused university, we investigated how higher-order operator position (HOO;…

Language is often depicted as the sine qua non of mathematical thinking, a view buttressed by findings of language-of-training effects among bilinguals. These findings, however, have been limited to studies of arithmetic. Nothing is known about the potential influence of language on the ability to learn rules about the relations among variables…