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Spatial-numerical associations in first-graders: evidence from a manual-pointing task
Wenke Möhring1,2, Masami Ishihara3, Jacqueline Curiger4
1Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. wenke.moehring@gmail.com.
Psychological Research
|August 12, 2017
Summary
Young children entering school naturally map numbers onto space from left to right. This spatial number representation is robust and influences their performance on number tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Numerical Cognition
- Spatial Reasoning
Background:
- Understanding how children develop number sense is crucial for early education.
- Investigating the spatial organization of numerical representations provides insight into foundational mathematical cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if first-graders mentally organize numbers spatially.
- To examine the directionality (left-to-right or right-to-left) of this spatial number representation.
- To assess the flexibility of this spatial mapping in young children.
Main Methods:
- A manual-pointing Go/No-Go task was administered to 77 first-graders.
- Participants responded to numbers (1, 3, 7, 9) presented in different screen positions.
- Response times were analyzed based on number magnitude and spatial location.
Main Results:
- Response times were significantly influenced by the spatial presentation of numbers.
- Reaction times for small numbers increased, and for large numbers decreased, as they moved rightward on the screen.
- This left-to-right spatial mapping of numbers proved resistant to directional priming.
Conclusions:
- First-graders spontaneously utilize a left-to-right spatial representation for numbers.
- This continuous mapping of numbers onto space is an early developing cognitive skill.
- Findings highlight the intrinsic link between numerical cognition and spatial processing in young children.
