Math Shortcut Study Reveals How Anyone Can Problem-Solve Better

Your approach to solving 29 + 14 might reveal more about your problem-solving abilities than you'd think.

Researchers from Indiana University Bloomington studied 213 high school students and 810 adults to understand how people tackle basic math problems. They discovered something remarkable: people who naturally seek creative shortcuts (like turning 29 + 14 into 30 + 13) perform significantly better on complex problems they've never seen before.

Sarah Lubienski, the lead researcher, calls these findings "the most interesting of my career." When her team realized another research group had reached nearly identical conclusions with a separate study, they joined forces to publish their combined results in the British Journal of Educational Psychology.

The study uncovered an unexpected insight about learning styles. Students who strongly wanted to please their teachers were more likely to stick with traditional step-by-step methods, even when shortcuts existed. This dedication to following instructions exactly as taught might explain why some students who excel in classroom settings struggle with unfamiliar challenges on high-stakes tests.

Here's where the story gets even more hopeful. The research team found that creative problem-solving strongly correlates with spatial reasoning skills, like mentally rotating objects. And unlike innate abilities, spatial skills can be developed through practice at any age.

Why This Inspires

Joseph Cimpian, an education researcher at New York University who reviewed the study, emphasizes that these findings point to "potentially malleable mechanisms." The differences researchers observed aren't about fixed abilities. They're about how instruction, classroom expectations, and student beliefs interact to shape thinking patterns.

This discovery matters because it shifts the conversation from who can problem-solve to how we can help everyone become better problem-solvers. The study suggests that encouraging students to explore multiple solution paths, rather than focusing solely on prescribed methods, could unlock stronger analytical skills.

Lubienski offers simple advice for anyone wanting to sharpen their creative thinking: practice solving puzzles and look for unconventional approaches to everyday math. Whether you're a student, parent, or professional, developing these skills can enhance how you tackle challenges in all areas of life.

The research opens doors for educators to rethink how they teach computation from elementary school onward, potentially helping more students develop the flexible thinking that serves them long after graduation. It's a reminder that learning to think creatively isn't just about natural talent; it's about practice, permission to explore, and recognizing that there's often more than one path to the right answer.