Spatial processing rather than logical reasoning was found to be critical for mathematical problem-solving

Students' ability to solve mathematical problems is a standard mathematical skill; however, its cognitive correlates are unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether spatial processing (mental rotation, paper folding, and the Corsi blocks test) and logical reasoning (abstract and concrete syllogisms) were correlated with mathematical problem-solving (word problems and geometric proofing) for college students. The regression results showed that after controlling for gender, age, general IQ, language processing, cognitive processing (visual perception, attention, and memory skills), and number sense and arithmetic computation skills, spatial processing skills still predicted mathematical problem-solving and geometry skills in Chinese college students. Contrastingly, logical reasoning measures related to syllogisms did not predict after controlling for these variables. Further, notably, it did not correlate significantly with geometry performance when no control variables were included. Our results suggest that spatial processing is a significant component of math skills involving word and geometry problems (even after controlling for multiple key cognitive factors).