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Visual Perception Supports Adults in Numerosity Processing and Arithmetical Performance
Xinyao He1, Xinlin Zhou2, Jin Zhao3
1School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Liaoning, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|November 8, 2021
Summary
Visual perception underpins the link between number sense and math skills in adults. This study shows visual figure matching explains the correlation between numerosity comparison and arithmetic performance.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Previous research links numerosity processing and arithmetic skills, often in children.
- The role of visual perception as a shared mechanism requires further investigation in adults.
- The persistence of this association in adults with developed arithmetic skills is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between numerosity processing and arithmetic performance in adults.
- To determine if visual perception mediates the association between numerosity and arithmetic skills in adults.
- To examine the role of visual perceptual ability in adult numerical cognition.
Main Methods:
- 205 adults (average age 22) completed arithmetic tests, numerosity comparison, and visual figure matching.
- Cognitive covariates included mental rotation, choice reaction time, and nonverbal intelligence.
- Statistical analyses controlled for age, gender, and general cognitive processing.
Main Results:
- Numerosity comparison correlated with arithmetic performance in adults, even after controlling for covariates.
- This association disappeared when visual figure matching (visual perception) was controlled.
- Visual figure matching accounted for the link between numerosity comparison and arithmetic performance.
Conclusions:
- Visual perception is a key factor underlying the relationship between numerosity processing and arithmetic performance in adults.
- The findings support the visual perception hypothesis, highlighting its importance in adult numerical cognition.
- Visual perceptual ability is a critical component for both number sense and mathematical skills in adults.
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