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Beyond the Approximate Number System: Evidence for spatialization of the Object Tracking System at birth.

Vittoria Volpi1, María Dolores de Hevia1

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Newborns show innate spatial preferences linked to number processing. Early numerical cognition, involving the Approximate Number System (ANS) and Object Tracking System (OTS), demonstrates a shared spatial signature from birth.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Human numerical cognition involves two systems: the Approximate Number System (ANS) for magnitude estimation and the Object Tracking System (OTS) for precise individuation.
  • Understanding the origins of these systems is crucial for cognitive development research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether newborns exhibit innate spatial biases related to numerical processing.
  • To determine if the Approximate Number System (ANS) and Object Tracking System (OTS) show shared spatial characteristics from birth.

Main Methods:

  • Tested 32 healthy newborns (0-3 days old) using a familiarization-preference paradigm.
  • Habituated infants to either 2 (OTS) or 4 (ANS) elements.
  • Assessed infant preference for a different number of elements presented spatially.

Main Results:

  • Newborns familiarized with 2 elements preferred 1 element on the left.
  • Newborns familiarized with 4 elements preferred 12 elements on the right.
  • A significant shared spatial signature was observed for both numerical systems (η²p = 0.462).

Conclusions:

  • Both the Approximate Number System (ANS) and Object Tracking System (OTS) display a shared spatial signature from birth.
  • Spatial organization appears to be a fundamental property of early numerical cognition.
  • These findings suggest innate spatial biases influence early number processing in human infants.