In touch with numbers: Embodied and situated effects in number magnitude comparison

Bloechle, Johannes; Huber, Stefan; Moeller, Korbinian

doi:10.1080/20445911.2014.1001760

Cited by 7 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(67 reference statements)

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“…In the present study, we tracked computer mouse movements as participants compared two-digit numbers to a fixed standard (55). Similar to Bloechle et al (2015), we found that trajectories exhibited a leftward bias that was reduced for unit-decade incompatible comparisons. However, when positions of response labels were reversed, the biases reversed.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…Along this line, Bloechle, Huber, and Moeller (2015) found that pointing positions in two-digit number comparison were biased leftward toward the decade digit. Moreover, this bias was reduced in unit-decade incompatible pairs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…In their study, Bloechle et al (2015) had participants point to the larger of a pair of two-digit numbers on a touch screen. They found that the landing position of the finger on the target number was significantly left of the midline between the decade and unit digit.…”

Section: Embodied Numerical Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both Bloechle et al (2015) and Dotan and Dehaene (2013) have found a response bias reflecting increased activation of a particular digit. Also, Bloechle et al (2015) found that on unit-decade incompatible trials, the bias toward the decade digit was reduced, implying a greater activation of the unit digit. As such, we predict to obtain a similar result with mouse trajectories.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, if the manual digit bias is due to response competition (Santens et al, 2011;Faulkenberry, 2016), then the bias patterns (e.g., reduction of leftward bias on unit-decade incompatible trials) would be due to increasing activation of the competing response option, and hence the bias patterns should reverse when using the spatially incongruent response mapping (LARGER -SMALLER). Such reversal would indicate that the unit digit bias observed in Bloechle et al (2015) and Dotan and Dehaene (2013) may be due to task demands rather than an inherently embodied representation of place value.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Reversing the Manual Digit Bias in Two-Digit Number Comparison

Faulkenberry

Cruise

Shaki

2017

Experimental Psychology

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Though recent work in numerical cognition has supported a strong tie between numerical and spatial representations (e.g., a mental number line), less is known about such ties in multi-digit number representations. Along this line, Bloechle, Huber, and Moeller (2015) found that pointing positions in two-digit number comparison were biased leftward toward the decade digit. Moreover, this bias was reduced in unit-decade incompatible pairs. In the present study, we tracked computer mouse movements as participants compared two-digit numbers to a fixed standard (55). Similar to Bloechle et al. (2015), we found that trajectories exhibited a leftward bias that was reduced for unit-decade incompatible comparisons. However, when positions of response labels were reversed, the biases reversed. That is, we found a rightward bias for compatible pairs that was reduced for incompatible pairs. This result calls into question a purely embodied representation of place value structure and instead supports a competition model of two-digit number representation.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Embodied Numerical Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Reversing the Manual Digit Bias in Two-Digit Number Comparison

Faulkenberry

Cruise

Shaki

2017

Experimental Psychology

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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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The Automatic Mapping of Magnitude to Temporal Order Is Space-Dependent

Ben-Meir

Ganor-Stern

Tzelgov

2017

Experimental Psychology

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Past research has shown that performance in ordinal magnitude tasks is enhanced when stimuli are presented in ascending order, suggesting that magnitude is mapped to temporal order, with small magnitude associated with early and large with late presentation. The present study addresses the automaticity of this effect and its limitations. We used the "same/different" task for numbers (Experiment 1) and physical sizes of shapes (Experiment 2) as well as identity of shapes (Experiment 3). The advantage for stimuli in ascending order was found for both numbers and physical sizes of shapes. However, it was limited to specific conditions - when magnitude processing was required for the task and when a "different" response was mapped to the right hand side. Thus, it seems that the automatic mapping of magnitude to temporal order is dependent on the mapping of magnitude to space.

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In touch with numbers: Embodied and situated effects in number magnitude comparison

Cited by 7 publications

References 52 publications

Reversing the Manual Digit Bias in Two-Digit Number Comparison

Reversing the Manual Digit Bias in Two-Digit Number Comparison

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

The Automatic Mapping of Magnitude to Temporal Order Is Space-Dependent

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