Document Detail


Dynamic representations underlying symbolic and nonsymbolic calculation: evidence from the operational momentum effect.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19429960     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
When we add or subtract, do the corresponding quantities "move" along a mental number line? Does this internal movement lead to spatial biases? A new method was designed to investigate the psychophysics of approximate arithmetic. Addition and subtraction problems were presented either with sets of dots or with Arabic numerals, and subjects selected, from among seven choices, the most plausible result. In two experiments, the subjects selected larger numbers for addition than for subtraction problems, as if moving too far along the number line. This operational momentum effect was present in both notations and increased with the size of the outcome. Furthermore, we observed a new effect of spatial-numerical congruence, related to but distinct from the spatial numerical association of response codes effect: During nonsymbolic addition, the subjects preferentially selected numbers at the upper right location, whereas during subtraction, they were biased toward the upper left location. These findings suggest that approximate mental arithmetic involves dynamic shifts on a spatially organized mental representation of numbers. Supplemental materials for this study may be downloaded from app.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.
Authors:
André Knops; Arnaud Viarouge; Stanislas Dehaene
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Attention, perception & psychophysics     Volume:  71     ISSN:  1943-3921     ISO Abbreviation:  Atten Percept Psychophys     Publication Date:  2009 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-05-11     Completed Date:  2009-07-13     Revised Date:  2011-02-24    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101495384     Medline TA:  Atten Percept Psychophys     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  803-21     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
INSERM, Unité 562, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. knops.andre@gmail.com
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Association Learning
Attention*
Choice Behavior
Discrimination Learning
Female
Humans
Male
Mathematics*
Memory, Short-Term*
Orientation
Pattern Recognition, Visual*
Problem Solving*
Psychomotor Performance
Reaction Time
Symbolism*
Young Adult

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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