ArticlePloS one2026
The relationship between intellectual curiosity and adolescents' mathematical problem-solving ability: A moderated mediation model.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The ability to solve mathematical problems is one of the key skills for students to excel in mathematics. Based on PISA 2022 data from Ireland (N = 5,521), the current study constructed a moderated mediation model to systematically examine how intellectual curiosity (IC) influences mathematical problem-solving ability (MPSA) through the mediation of self-efficacy (SE), and to test the moderating role of perseverance (PE). The results indicated significant positive correlations among IC, SE, PE, and MPSA. Further mediation analysis revealed that IC not only exerted a direct effect on MPSA, but also affected MPSA indirectly through the role of SE, accounting for 45.40% of the total effect. Moreover, the moderated mediation analysis uncovered a dual role of PE in the mechanism through which IC influences MPSA: it negatively moderated the paths from IC to SE and from IC to MPSA, while positively moderating the path from SE to MPSA. Multi-group analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in the mechanism across gender and economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS). Specifically, male students relied more heavily on the mediating path of SE, whereas female students exhibited a stronger direct effect of IC. Students with low ESCS primarily depended on the direct drive of IC, whereas their high-ESCS counterparts achieved ability enhancement more through the mediating pathway of SE. These findings elucidate the cross-group psychological mechanisms influencing MPSA, validate the applicability of self-determination theory and social cognitive theory in standardized educational contexts, provide empirical evidence for Ireland to formulate differentiated and targeted mathematics education intervention policies, and offer practical insights for promoting the comprehensive development of adolescents.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.