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Numerical format integration in primary school children examined with frequency-tagged electroencephalography
Mila Marinova1,2,3, Christine Schiltz4
1Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Maison des Sciences Humaines 11, Porte des Sciences, Belval, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366, Luxembourg. mila.g.marinova@gmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|August 5, 2025
Summary
Children automatically process numerical magnitude across formats like digits, words, and dots. This foundational math skill is evident even with rapid, implicit presentations, suggesting early neurocognitive integration.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Neuroscience
Background:
- Understanding numerical cognition in children is crucial for math development.
- The neurocognitive basis of integrating different numerical formats (digits, words, quantities) is not well understood in children.
- Foundational numerical skills are essential for advanced mathematical competencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the integration of different numerical formats in children.
- To examine how children process and relate digits, number words, and non-symbolic quantities (dots).
- To determine if numerical magnitude is automatically extracted regardless of format in a child sample.
Main Methods:
- Utilized electroencephalography (EEG) with an oddball paradigm in 34 primary school children (ages 7-14).
- Presented stimuli in mixed notation sequences (dots-words, digits-dots, words-digits) at a rapid rate (166 ms per stimulus).
- Manipulated numerical magnitude in experimental (rule-based) and control (no rule) conditions to elicit deviant responses.
Main Results:
- Observed significant deviant responses in the experimental condition, indicating format integration.
- The strongest neural responses were found for dot-word sequences, followed by word-digit and digit-dot sequences.
- No significant deviant responses were noted in the control condition.
Conclusions:
- Numerical magnitude information appears to be automatically extracted in children, irrespective of the presentation format.
- This automatic processing occurs under implicit and rapid stimulus presentation conditions.
- Findings highlight the early development of integrated numerical representations in the child brain.
