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Implications of number-space synesthesia on the automaticity of numerical processing
Limor Gertner1, Avishai Henik, Daniel Reznik
1Department of Psychology and the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. limorger@bgu.ac.il
Summary
Number-space synesthetes, who visualize numbers spatially, showed altered automatic processing of numerical information. Their unique number-space perceptions impacted how they processed numeral meaning, unlike controls.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Number-space synesthesia involves automatic spatial visualization of numbers.
- This spatial-numerical perception influences numerical task performance.
- The Size Congruency Effect (SiCE) indicates automatic numerical processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if synesthetic number-space associations modulate the Size Congruency Effect (SiCE).
- To determine if synesthetes exhibit automatic numerical processing differently than controls.
Main Methods:
- A numerical Stroop task was administered to number-space synesthetes and matched controls.
- Participants performed numerical and physical size comparisons of digit pairs.
- Congruent, incongruent, and neutral conditions were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Both groups exhibited the SiCE in the numerical comparison block.
- Synesthetes demonstrated a lack of automatic numerical processing in the physical comparison block when spatial-numerical representations conflicted.
- Controls showed automatic processing in both blocks.
Conclusions:
- Synesthetic number-space representations interfere with automatic semantic processing of numerals.
- Spatial processing plays a role in automatic magnitude processing for both synesthetes and non-synesthetes.
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