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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

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

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

Published on: February 19, 2018

Numbers in Space: Differences between Concrete and Abstract Situations.

Diane Pecher¹, Inge Boot

¹Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Frontiers in Psychology

|June 30, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Spatial grounding aids number comprehension, especially in concrete contexts. Abstract number tasks show less reliance on spatial orientation for magnitude judgments.

Keywords:

abstract concept context grounded cognition numbers quantity

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Numerical Cognition
Spatial Cognition

Background:

Number magnitude is often conceptualized with spatial representations, linking small numbers to low/left and large numbers to high/right.
The influence of spatial orientation on number processing is a key area in understanding numerical cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether the spatial representation of numbers differs between concrete and abstract contexts.
To determine if spatial grounding effects on number magnitude judgments are modulated by context.

Main Methods:

Participants performed relative magnitude judgments on numbers presented in either concrete (e.g., 'seven shoes') or abstract (e.g., '29 - 7') contexts.
Following number judgments, participants identified a target letter presented in different locations (vertical or horizontal) within their visual field.
Congruence between number representation and letter location was assessed.

Main Results:

A benefit in letter identification was observed when the letter's location was congruent with the spatial representation of the number.
This spatial congruence effect was significant only for numbers presented in concrete contexts.
No significant spatial congruence effect was found for numbers in abstract contexts.

Conclusions:

Spatial grounding plays a more significant role in the processing of numbers within concrete contexts compared to abstract ones.
The findings suggest that abstract numerical representations may rely less on spatial orientation.