Spatial Bias Induced by Simple Addition and Subtraction: From Eye Movement Evidence

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• The link between numerical cognition and spatial representation is well-established.
• Recent research suggests this association extends to complex cognitive tasks like mental arithmetic.
• The precise mechanisms underlying arithmetic-space associations in mental arithmetic remain debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the underlying mechanisms of arithmetic-space associations during mental arithmetic.
• To determine if spatial biases are linked to spatial attention shifts on the mental number line or semantic operator-space links.
• To utilize eye-tracking technology to explore these cognitive processes.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Participants solved addition and subtraction problems, with eye movements recorded as they responded to cues.
• Experiment 2: Participants' eye movements were tracked while they responded to arithmetic operators (plus/minus).
• Utilized eye-tracking to precisely measure spatial attention shifts and response times.

Main Results:

• Participants exhibited a leftward spatial bias after subtraction and a rightward bias after addition.
• No significant spatial bias was observed when the second operand was zero, supporting the mental number line hypothesis.
• Mere presentation of operators did not induce spatial bias, suggesting the effect is tied to numerical processing.

Conclusions:

• Arithmetic-space associations in mental arithmetic are likely driven by spatial attention shifts along the mental number line.
• The findings suggest a dynamic interplay between numerical processing and spatial cognition.
• Eye-tracking provides valuable insights into the real-time cognitive mechanisms of mental arithmetic.