How formalism shapes perception: an experiment on mathematics as a language

Jakob Kapeller and Stefan Steinerberger

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2013, vol. 4, issue 2, 138-156

Abstract: This paper discusses the role of mathematics as a conversational tool in economics. Based on the observation that mathematics is understood as an alternative language to express theoretical concepts and ideas, this paper reports experimental results trying to estimate the potential effects such a use of mathematics as a conversational tool may carry. These results refine certain intuitive statements about the role of mathematics in economic discourse and expose some unexpected effects in merit of further study. In particular, the results show that on average the mere presence of mathematics makes a problem seem more difficult, that mathematical knowledge is primarily attributed to specific training, that using mathematical expressions may decrease the proportion of people able to understand a certain argument and that mathematical arguments are more likely to convince men than women.

Keywords: mathematics as a language; psychological effects; experiment; economics education; formalism; perception; conversational tools; economic discourse. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=55441 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijplur:v:4:y:2013:i:2:p:138-156

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().