Numerical format integration in primary school children examined with frequency-tagged electroencephalography.

Humans; Child; Female; Male; Adolescent; Schools; Reaction Time/physiology; Electroencephalography/methods; Mathematics; Electroencephalography; Reaction Time; Multidisciplinary

Abstract :

[en] Mastering the relationship between different numerical formats (i.e., digits, number words, and non-symbolic quantities) is an important foundational skill for later math competencies. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms of this relationship remain poorly understood in children. Consequently, the current study examines the integration between digits, number words, and dots in a sample of 34 primary school children (aged 7 to 14 years) with an electroencephalography paradigm tagging the frequency of stimulus presentation. In an oddball paradigm, we presented children with mixed notation sequences (i.e., dots - words, digits - dots, words - digits) at a rate of 166 ms per stimulus while manipulating the magnitude of the deviant numbers in an experimental (rule = standards < 5, deviants > 5) and control conditions (no rule). We observed deviant responses in the experimental but not in the control condition, with the strongest responses for dots - words, followed by words - digits and finally, digits - dots. These findings suggest that, in children, numerical magnitude information is automatically extracted irrespective of the format at least under implicit and rapid presentation conditions.

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

MARINOVA, Mila ; University of Luxembourg ; Brain and Cognition, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. mila.g.marinova@gmail.com ; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven @Kulak, Kortrijk, Belgium. mila.g.marinova@gmail.com

SCHILTZ, Christine ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS) > Cognitive Science and Assessment

External co-authors :

yes

Language :

English

Title :

Numerical format integration in primary school children examined with frequency-tagged electroencephalography.

Publication date :

05 August 2025

Journal title :

Scientific Reports

eISSN :

2045-2322

Publisher :

Nature Research, England

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

28641

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11281-7.pdf

Funders :

Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg

Funding text :

MM: Luxembourg National Research Fund (C20/SC/14629532/SymNumDev). CS: Luxembourg National Research Fund (C20/SC/14629532/SymNumDev).

Available on ORBilu :

since 23 March 2026

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