Digit Repetition Effect in Two-Digit Number Comparison

Abstract

Previous data from two-digit number naming show that when target and prime numbers share one digit at different positions (e.g., target 28 and prime 86 or 72) an inhibition effect may be observed (Ratinckx, Brysbaert, & Fias, 2005). Such an effect has been ascribed to the mechanism of morpho-phonological transcoding from Arabic to verbal format. We evaluate the alternative hypothesis of an inhibition effect arising during the Arabic form processing when two different syntactic values have to be assigned to the same single digit. In Experiments 1 and 3, a digit repetition effect was observed in number comparison tasks, even when phonological transcoding is blocked by an articulatory suppression task. Conversely, Experiment 2 showed that no digit repetition effect can be found with number comparison of verbal written numbers. Results are compatible with an Arabic-syntactic processing stage, where units and decades are decomposed and where each single digit is activated and recognized.

Extending the Mental Number Line

“…For instance, it is not restricted to magnitude comparison. Multi-digit number processing is a task-overlapping research topic and can include parity processing (Reynvoet et al, 2011), number matching (Fischer & Campens, 2009; García-Orza & Damas, 2011; Zhou et al., 2008), or number naming (Brysbaert, 1995; Brysbaert, Fias, & Noël, 1998; Gazzellini & Laudanna, 2011; Ratinckx, Brysbaert, & Fias, 2005), but also more complex cognitive demands such as addition (Klein et al, 2010; Moeller, Klein, et al, in press), subtraction (Kong et al, 2005; Lindemann & Tira, 2011), or multiplication (Domahs, Delazer, & Nuerk, 2006; Domahs et al, 2007).…”

“…A number pair is termed unit-decade compatible whenever separate decade and unit digit comparisons lead to the same decision (as for the pair 42_57, 4 < 5 and 2 < 7) and incompatible when unit and decade comparisons lead to different decisions (47_62; 4 < 6, but 7 > 2). Since its discovery by Nuerk et al (2001), several studies in children and adults have shown that incompatible number pairs are processed slower and with more errors than compatible pairs (Ganor-Stern, Pinhas, & Tzelgov, 2009; Ganor-Stern & Tzelgov, 2011; Ganor-Stern, Tzelgov, & Ellenbogen, 2007; Gazzelini & Laudanna, 2011; Knops, Nuerk, Sparing, Foltys, & Willmes, 2006; Korvorst & Damian, 2008; Landerl & Kölle, 2009; Macizo & Herrera, 2008, 2010; Macizo, Herrera, Paolieri, & Román, 2010; Mann et al, 2011; Moeller, Fischer, Nuerk, & Willmes, 2009; Moeller, Nuerk, et al, 2009; Nuerk, Weger, & Willmes, 2002, 2004, 2005Pixner, Moeller, Zuber, & Nuerk, 2009; Ratinckx et al, 2006; Wood, Nuerk, Freitas, et al, 2006; Wood, Nuerk, & Willmes, 2006). The existence of the UDCE is strong evidence against a purely holistic magnitude processing of multi-digit numbers because overall distance is matched between compatible and incompatible number pairs.…”

“…The authors attributed this finding to asemantic phonological processes. Gazellini and Laudanna (2011) evaluated the alternative hypothesis that Ratinckx et al.’s (2005) finding might reflect inhibition during Arabic form processing when two different syntactic values have to be assigned to the same digit (e.g., the digit 2 is associated with the value 2 at the unit position and the value 20 at the tens position). Gazellini and Laudanna (2011) observed digit repetition effects even under conditions of articulatory suppression.…”

Multi-Digit Number Processing

“…Next, Gazzellini and Laudanna (2011) examine the digit repetition effect in two-digit number comparison in a priming study and show that this effect is not only due to asemantic morphophonological transcoding but seems to rely on Arabic-syntactic processing with decomposed processing of tens and units.…”

Flexible and unique representations of two-digit decimals

“…So far, the compatibility effect has been observed in several studies (e.g., Ganor-Stern & Tzelgov, 2011;Gazzellini & Laudanna, 2011;Moeller, Fischer, Nuerk, & Willmes, 2009;Nuerk, Moeller, Klein, Willmes, & Fischer, 2011;Nuerk & Willmes, 2005). Yet, the mode of compositional processing of two-digit numbers can be either parallel or sequential (e.g., Meyerhoff et al, 2012;Zhang & Wang, 1995).…”