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Core systems of number.

Lisa Feigenson1, Stanislas Dehaene, Elizabeth Spelke

  • 1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, 3400 North Charles Street, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. feigenson@jhu.edu <feigenson@jhu.edu>

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|July 10, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Humans and animals share basic number sense abilities. Recent evidence suggests two core systems for representing number: one for approximate large quantities and another for precise small quantities.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Comparative Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Numerical cognition varies across human development and species.
  • Sophisticated numerical concepts are uniquely human, but basic number sense is widespread.
  • Understanding the underlying representations of numerical abilities is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review behavioral and neuropsychological evidence on number representation.
  • To identify the core systems supporting shared numerical abilities across species and development.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing behavioral studies.
  • Analysis of neuropsychological evidence.
  • Comparative analysis across developmental stages and species.

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Main Results:

  • Evidence supports two core systems for number representation.
  • One system handles large, approximate numerical magnitudes.
  • A second system precisely represents small quantities of individual objects.

Conclusions:

  • These two core systems underpin basic numerical intuitions.
  • They form the foundation for advanced, uniquely human numerical concepts.
  • Shared abilities suggest deep evolutionary roots for numerical cognition.