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Numerical distance and size effects dissociate in Indo-Arabic number comparison.
1Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. krajcsi@gmail.com.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|October 19, 2016
Summary
Number processing differs between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. Symbolic number comparison uses a discrete semantic system (DSS), not the analog number system (ANS), suggesting distinct cognitive mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Numerical Cognition
Background:
- Numerical distance and size effects are often attributed to the analog number system (ANS) and its ratio effect.
- An alternative model proposes symbolic numbers are processed by a discrete semantic system (DSS), with independent distance and size effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether distance and size effects correlate in nonsymbolic (dot) and symbolic (Indo-Arabic) number comparison tasks.
- To contrast the classic ANS view with the alternative DSS model of number processing.
Main Methods:
- Correlating distance and size effects in nonsymbolic dot comparison tasks.
- Correlating distance and size effects in symbolic Indo-Arabic number comparison tasks.
- Examining correlations between effects across symbolic and nonsymbolic tasks.
Main Results:
- Strong correlation between distance and size effects in the dot comparison task.
- No significant correlation between distance and size effects in the Indo-Arabic comparison task.
- No correlation of effects between the symbolic and nonsymbolic tasks.
Conclusions:
- Symbolic number comparison is likely not mediated by the ANS.
- Results support the hypothesis that symbolic numbers are processed via an alternative system, such as the DSS.
- Suggests distinct neural and cognitive mechanisms for processing symbolic versus nonsymbolic numerical information.
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