Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Manual pointing bias reflects spatial organization of number knowledge.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Motion-numerical compatibility affects magnitude classification.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Rethinking the roles of language and task for spatial-numerical associations: Commentary on Hochman et al. (2025).

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same author

The left-digit bias in two-dimensional manual pointing.

Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition·2026
Same author

Tracing life-mind continuity in pivotal traits - world models and isomorphism.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2025
Same author

Lexical priming of space depends on how deeply you think about it.

Scientific reports·2025
Same journal

The cognitive construction of moral scenes: Associations of visuospatial ability and impulsivity with perspective and vividness in mental simulation.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026
Same journal

Theta band activity during event-file retrieval is influenced by stimulus salience in the preceding action episode.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026
Same journal

Language recovery in Hungarian speakers with aphasia: Roles of phonology and intraindividual variability.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026
Same journal

Neural and behavioral dissociations of self-focused and other-focused incentives in trust.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026
Same journal

A multiverse analysis of the logical memory test and plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026
Same journal

Reading and writing impairments in Spanish-speaking individuals with primary progressive aphasia: A single-case series study.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS
04:40

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Published on: July 30, 2020

3.3K

Finger counting habits modulate spatial-numerical associations.

Martin H Fischer1

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK. m.h.fischer@dundee.ac.uk

Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior
|April 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Finger counting habits influence the spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect. Most adults start counting on their left hand, and this habit is linked to experiencing the SNARC effect.

More Related Videos

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
05:15

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

11.3K
Environmental Modulations of the Number of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons in Adult Mice
09:35

Environmental Modulations of the Number of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons in Adult Mice

Published on: January 20, 2015

9.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS
04:40

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Published on: July 30, 2020

3.3K
The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
05:15

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

11.3K
Environmental Modulations of the Number of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons in Adult Mice
09:35

Environmental Modulations of the Number of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons in Adult Mice

Published on: January 20, 2015

9.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Behavior

Background:

  • The spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect describes the tendency to associate smaller numbers with the left space and larger numbers with the right space.
  • Previous research has primarily focused on handedness as a factor influencing the SNARC effect, with less attention paid to other potential contributing habits.
  • Finger counting is a common strategy used for numerical tasks, and its specific patterns may play a role in number-space associations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of finger counting habits in the SNARC effect.
  • To determine if the direction of finger counting (left-hand vs. right-hand initiation) influences the presence or strength of the SNARC effect.
  • To explore the relationship between finger counting preferences and spatial-numerical associations in adults.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire was administered to 445 adults to assess their finger counting habits, specifically noting whether they initiated counting on their left or right hand.
  • Participants were categorized into 'left-starters' and 'right-starters' based on their reported finger counting initiation.
  • A parity judgment task was conducted with subgroups of left-starters (n=53) and right-starters (n=47) to measure the SNARC effect by assessing response times to even and odd numbers presented in different spatial locations.

Main Results:

  • A questionnaire study revealed that approximately two-thirds of the 445 adult participants reported starting finger counting on their left hand, irrespective of their dominant hand.
  • The SNARC effect was observed in the parity task for the group of 'left-starters' but was not significant for the group of 'right-starters'.
  • A statistically significant difference in the magnitude of the SNARC effect was found between the 'left-starters' and 'right-starters' groups, indicating a stronger association in left-starters.

Conclusions:

  • Finger counting habits, particularly initiating counting on the left hand, significantly contribute to the spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect in adults.
  • The findings suggest that the way individuals learn to count on their fingers may shape their underlying number-space representations.
  • This research highlights the importance of considering developmental and habitual factors beyond handedness when examining cognitive phenomena like the SNARC effect.