Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
09:47
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Cognitive control in number magnitude processing: evidence from eye-tracking.
1Knowledge Media Research Center, Schleichstrasse 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany, s.huber@iwm-kmrc.de.
Psychological Research
|July 24, 2013
Summary
The unit-decade compatibility effect in number comparisons is influenced by filler item types. Eye-tracking reveals cognitive control impacts this effect, with more same-decade fillers strengthening it.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- The unit-decade compatibility effect demonstrates slower responses and more errors in incompatible number comparisons.
- Prior studies suggest this effect is modulated by the proportion of same-decade filler items presented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between filler item characteristics and the unit-decade compatibility effect.
- To examine the influence of cognitive control on number comparison using eye-fixation data.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed number comparison tasks across four conditions with varying filler item types (same-decade, same-unit) and percentages (25%, 50%, 75%).
- Eye-fixation behavior was recorded to analyze visual attention patterns during number comparisons.
Main Results:
- A reduced unit-decade compatibility effect was observed with same-unit filler items, correlated with increased fixation on tens.
- The compatibility effect intensified with a higher percentage of same-decade filler items, accompanied by more fixations on units and fewer on tens.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first eye-tracking evidence for the role of cognitive control in the unit-decade compatibility effect.
- Findings highlight the impact of filler item properties on numerical cognition and attentional strategies.
