Testing the emergentist theory of number perception throughout development

The origins of abstract concepts remain a central question in cognitive science. Empiricist theories propose that such concepts can be acquired through a set of domain-general learning mechanisms, whereas nativist accounts maintain that most abstract concepts are not learned. To investigate these contrasting perspectives, we focus on number, and specifically on how human minds perceive number in visual scenes, even without counting. Building on a recent empiricist theory inspired by generative deep neural networks - the "emergentist" account - we tested two predictions derived from model simulations: (a) number perception should be superior for stimuli reflecting properties of real-world scenes, i.e., those containing real-life correlations between number and cumulative area, and those containing real-life negative power-law distributions; and (b) these superiority effects should be especially strong in early childhood. Adult and 5- to 9-year-old participants completed a number estimation task in which stimuli either did or did not follow these natural properties. Contrary to the predictions of the emergentist models, we find little-to-no evidence for superiority for stimuli obeying natural statistics, and no evidence for predicted developmental effects. We conclude that the currently existing emergentist models of number perception do not represent number following the same mechanisms as human minds.