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

Real Number Operations01:27

Real Number Operations

The concept of real numbers includes all the values that can be represented on a continuous number line. The system began with basic counting values used for enumeration. It later expanded to include values that represent the absence of quantity and opposites of the counting values. When situations required expressing parts of a whole or dividing quantities evenly, values capable of representing such proportions were developed. When written using decimal notation, these values can end or repeat...
Complex Numbers01:29

Complex Numbers

The real number system cannot represent the square root of a negative number, which restricts solutions for certain equations, such as quadratics with negative discriminants. To address this, the complex number system was developed, introducing the imaginary unit i, where i = √(-1). This extension allows for the representation of all roots, including those involving negative radicands.A complex number is written in the form x + yi, where x and y are real numbers. Here, x represents the real...
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia01:30

Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Vector Representation of Complex Numbers01:16

Vector Representation of Complex Numbers

Complex numbers, represented in Cartesian coordinates, can also be visualized as vectors. These vectors can be expressed in polar form, emphasizing their magnitude and angle. When a complex number is input into a function, the output is another complex number, highlighting the function's zero point from which the vector representation can originate.
Consider a function defined as the product of the complex factors in the numerator divided by the product of the complex factors in the denominator.
Positive, Negative, and Zero Work00:58

Positive, Negative, and Zero Work

Work is done on an object when energy is transferred to the object. In other words, work is done when a force acts on a body that undergoes a displacement from one position to another. By definition, the work done by a force is the integral of the force with respect to the displacement along its path. Forces can vary as a function of position, and displacements can occur along various paths between two points. The magnitude of a force multiplied by the cosine of the angle that the force makes...
Complex Zeros01:29

Complex Zeros

Complex zeros are the solutions to polynomial equations that include imaginary numbers, specifically, numbers of the form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is the imaginary unit defined by i2=-1. These zeros satisfy the equation P(x) = 0, where P(x) is a polynomial with real or complex coefficients. Since the complex number system includes all real numbers, it provides a complete framework for analyzing all possible roots of a polynomial.Every polynomial of degree n≥1 can be...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Frontal alpha asymmetry and NoGo N2 amplitude interact to explain non-supportive parenting practices.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Error processing and coping with stressful real-life situations in children and their mothers.

Development and psychopathology·2026
Same author

A programmatic approach to osteoporosis treatment: insight from a 20-year longitudinal study.

Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA·2025
Same author

Extending the model of children's conduct problems: A cross-sectional study of the interaction of maternal temperament and character, maternal parenting practices, and their child's effortful control.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Correction: Practice makes better? The influence of increased practice on task conflict in the Stroop task.

Memory & cognition·2025
Same author

The Interplay between Maternal Depression and ADHD Symptoms in Predicting Emotional and Attentional Functioning in Toddlerhood.

Research on child and adolescent psychopathology·2025
Same journal

The costs and benefits of mind-wandering: 13 Years on.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2026
Same journal

Can computational sentiment analysis classify autobiographical memories? Comparing VADER and TextBlob.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2026
Same journal

Development of enumeration processes for kindergarten children: Evidence from eye-tracking data.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2026
Same journal

Differential sensitivity to outcome valence reveals two classes of shift behaviour related to exploitation and exploration.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2026
Same journal

Effects of valence and list composition on memory predictions, performance, and beliefs.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2026
Same journal

Differential response to cognitive stimulation in moderate versus moderately severe Alzheimer's disease.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
13:08

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Brain representations of negative numbers.

Michael Parnes1, Andrea Berger, Joseph Tzelgov

  • 1Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. michaelpa@ualberta.ca

Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology = Revue Canadienne De Psychologie Experimentale
|July 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study found that the brain processes positive numbers differently from negative numbers, suggesting natural numbers are fundamental cognitive primitives. Negative numbers appear to be constructed as needed, impacting brain activity differently.

More Related Videos

Deep Brain Stimulation with Simultaneous fMRI in Rodents
11:09

Deep Brain Stimulation with Simultaneous fMRI in Rodents

Published on: February 15, 2014

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
13:08

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Deep Brain Stimulation with Simultaneous fMRI in Rodents
11:09

Deep Brain Stimulation with Simultaneous fMRI in Rodents

Published on: February 15, 2014

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Understanding the cognitive representation of numbers, particularly the distinction between positive and negative values, is crucial for cognitive neuroscience.
  • Previous research suggests number magnitude processing involves both abstract and embodied representations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the electrophysiological differences in brain activity when processing positive versus negative numbers.
  • To examine how the congruity between numerical value and physical size affects the processing of positive and negative numbers.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological brain activity was measured using electroencephalography (EEG) during a number comparison task.
  • Participants compared pairs of positive and negative one-digit numbers, with numerical value and physical size being either congruent or incongruent.

Main Results:

  • The earliest event-related potential (ERP) difference between positive and negative numbers emerged at the P300 component peak.
  • An inverse effect of congruity was observed for negative number pairs compared to positive number pairs.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support the theory that natural numbers are fundamental cognitive primitives.
  • Negative numbers appear to be cognitively constructed or generated when needed, rather than being processed as inherently primitive.