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The Time Course of Spatial Attention Shifts in Elementary Arithmetic
Dixiu Liu1,2,3, Danni Cai1,2,3, Tom Verguts4
1School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China.
Scientific Reports
|April 21, 2017
Summary
Elementary arithmetic shifts attention in space. This spatial-numerical association occurs during calculation and is linked to the operation itself, not just numbers or symbols.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- The link between numerical cognition and spatial representation is an active area of research.
- Previous studies suggest a spatial-numerical association (SNA), but its temporal dynamics are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the timing of the spatial-numerical association during elementary arithmetic.
- To determine if the association is linked to the calculation process, numbers, or operators.
Main Methods:
- A target detection paradigm was employed to measure reaction times.
- Participants performed addition and subtraction operations followed by target detection in either the left or right visual field.
Main Results:
- Faster target detection in the right visual field after addition, and in the left visual field after subtraction.
- This arithmetic-space association was observed both during and after calculation.
- Processing of operators alone did not induce spatial biases.
Conclusions:
- The spatial-numerical association originates from the mental arithmetic operation itself.
- The temporal dynamics of this association differ between addition and subtraction.