Adults' Arithmetic Builds on Fast and Automatic Processing of Arabic Digits: Evidence from an Audiovisual Matching Paradigm

Sasanguie, Delphine; Reynvoet, Bert

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0087739

Cited by 18 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…The findings of this study contradict those reported by Sasanguie and Reynvoet (), who found that performance on a dots‐number word matching task does not explain variance in arithmetic. It is necessary to note, however, that Sasanguie and Reynvoet () only include numerosities from within the subitizing range, whereas in this study both numerosities within and outside the subitizing range are presented. In contrast to Sasanguie and Reynvoet (), our findings indicate that both symbol‐magnitude associations and symbol‐symbol associations support adults’ arithmetic abilities, whereas processing numbers per se does not.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…It is necessary to note, however, that Sasanguie and Reynvoet () only include numerosities from within the subitizing range, whereas in this study both numerosities within and outside the subitizing range are presented. In contrast to Sasanguie and Reynvoet (), our findings indicate that both symbol‐magnitude associations and symbol‐symbol associations support adults’ arithmetic abilities, whereas processing numbers per se does not. Therefore, our findings align with those of Goffin and Ansari (), but extend theirs by using a matching task that explicitly (and more directly) examines symbol‐magnitude associations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent research suggests that performance on symbolic number tasks might not reflect access to magnitude representations from symbols (i.e., symbol‐magnitude associations) but the nature of symbolic representations per se (De Smedt et al., ; Sasanguie & Reynvoet, ; Sasanguie et al., ). For instance, it has been argued that two different magnitude representations may exist—an exact representation for symbolic quantities and an approximate representation for non‐symbolic ones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rather, that relationship may be explained by how symbols are processed (i.e., symbolic processing without activation of underlying magnitude representation). In an attempt to tackle this question, Sasanguie and Reynvoet () use an audiovisual matching paradigm in which auditory presented number words are matched with either Arabic digits (i.e., pure symbolic task) or dot arrays (i.e., a mixed notation task in which magnitude representations are accessed from symbols). Results show that performance on the pure symbolic task contributed to the variance in adults’ arithmetic (see Lyons et al., , for similar findings with children).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disentangling the Mechanisms of Symbolic Number Processing in Adults’ Mathematics and Arithmetic Achievement

et al. 2019

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A growing body of research has shown that symbolic number processing relates to individual differences in mathematics. However, it remains unclear which mechanisms of symbolic number processing are crucial—accessing underlying magnitude representation of symbols (i.e., symbol‐magnitude associations), processing relative order of symbols (i.e., symbol‐symbol associations), or processing of symbols per se. To address this question, in this study adult participants performed a dots‐number word matching task—thought to be a measure of symbol‐magnitude associations (numerical magnitude processing)—a numeral‐ordering task that focuses on symbol‐symbol associations (numerical order processing), and a digit‐number word matching task targeting symbolic processing per se. Results showed that both numerical magnitude and order processing were uniquely related to arithmetic achievement, beyond the effects of domain‐general factors (intellectual ability, working memory, inhibitory control, and non‐numerical ordering). Importantly, results were different when a general measure of mathematics achievement was considered. Those mechanisms of symbolic number processing did not contribute to math achievement. Furthermore, a path analysis revealed that numerical magnitude and order processing might draw on a common mechanism. Each process explained a portion of the relation of the other with arithmetic (but not with a general measure of math achievement). These findings are consistent with the notion that adults’ arithmetic skills build upon symbol‐magnitude associations, and they highlight the effects that different math measures have in the study of numerical cognition.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disentangling the Mechanisms of Symbolic Number Processing in Adults’ Mathematics and Arithmetic Achievement

et al. 2019

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More Space, Better Mathematics: Is Space a Powerful Tool or a Cornerstone for Understanding Arithmetic?

Cipora

Schroeder

Soltanlou

et al. 2018

Visualizing Mathematics

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Undoubtedly, tight links between space and number processing exist. Usually, findings of Spatial-Numerical Associations (SNA) are interpreted causally, i.e., that spatial capabilities aid or are even a fundamental cornerstone of mathematical skill. In this book chapter, we question this seemingly ubiquitous assumption. To start with, there is no robust and prevalent correlation between SNA in general and math abilities. After presenting an extended taxonomy for different SNA subtypes, we show that only some SNA subtypes correlate with math abilities, whereas others do not. We argue that these correlations are not conclusive for several reasons. (i) Their correlations vary (i.e., stronger SNA sometimes is related to better math ability, and sometimes to poorer math ability). (ii) The correlations might not show a genuine relation between space and number; rather mediator variables might explain the correlations. For instance, SNA tasks often involve an interference component tapping cognitive control functions (as in multi-digit number processing) or some relatively advanced reasoning skills or strategies. (iii) Finally, the direction of causality (if it exists) is far from resolved. While conventional theories suggest that spatial-numerical abilities underlie arithmetic skill, we argue that vice versa arithmetic abilities instead underlie performance in some spatial-numerical tasks used to assess spatial-numerical representations. On the other hand, benefits conferred by SNA trainings on math abilities seem to reinforce the claim that SNA underlies math abilities. We contend that tasks used in such trainings may tap several cognitive operations required in arithmetic, but not built-up fixed SNAs themselves. Therefore, we argue that using space is a powerful tool, especially for instructing and learning multi-digit numbers; however, this does not necessarily imply an internalized fixed mental number line.

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“Number Sense”: What’s in a Name and Why Should We Bother?

Reynvoet

Smets

Sasanguie

2016

Continuous Issues in Numerical Cognition

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Adults' Arithmetic Builds on Fast and Automatic Processing of Arabic Digits: Evidence from an Audiovisual Matching Paradigm

Cited by 18 publications

References 35 publications

Disentangling the Mechanisms of Symbolic Number Processing in Adults’ Mathematics and Arithmetic Achievement

Disentangling the Mechanisms of Symbolic Number Processing in Adults’ Mathematics and Arithmetic Achievement

More Space, Better Mathematics: Is Space a Powerful Tool or a Cornerstone for Understanding Arithmetic?

“Number Sense”: What’s in a Name and Why Should We Bother?

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