Measuring spatial-numerical associations: evidence for a purely conceptual link
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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
Martin H Fischer1, Samuel Shaki2
1Division of Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, House 14, 14476, Potsdam OT Golm, Germany. martinf@uni-potsdam.de.
Abstract:
Previous work on spatial-numerical association (SNAs) included either spatially distributed stimuli or responses. This raises the possibility that the inferred spatial nature of number concepts was a methodological artifact. We present results from a novel task that involves two categories (spatially oriented objects and number magnitudes) and dissociates spatial classification from number classification. The results reveal SNAs without inferential limitations of previous work and point to a working memory mechanism that transfers spatial coding across categories.
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