Automatic Extraction of Meaning From Visual Number Symbols Detected by Frequency-Tagged EEG in Children.

automatic processing; number symbols; numeracy; Humans; Child; Child, Preschool; Male; Female; Semantics; Electroencephalography; Pattern Recognition, Visual/physiology; Child Development/physiology; Mathematical Concepts; Memory, Long-Term/physiology; Child Development; Memory, Long-Term; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health; Education; Developmental and Educational Psychology

Abstract :

[en] Acquiring robust semantic representations of numbers is crucial for math achievement. However, the learning stage where magnitude becomes automatically elicited by number symbols (i.e., digits from 1 to 9) remains unknown due to the difficulty to measure automatic semantic processing. We used a frequency-tagging EEG paradigm targeting automatic magnitude processing in children (N = 33, 5-10-year-old, predominantly of White or Mixed ethnicity). A stream of digits (1-9) was presented at 10 Hz with small digits as standards, and large digits as deviants at 1.25 Hz (and the reverse). Frequency-tagged responses to the deviants show that magnitude is a salient semantic feature associated with digits in long-term memory. Automatic access to magnitude can be measured with EEG in children at the end of preschool.

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Van Rinsveld, Amandine ; Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et Neuroimagerie Translationnelles, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium ; FRS-FNRS research associate, Bruxelles, Belgium

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 :

Automatic Extraction of Meaning From Visual Number Symbols Detected by Frequency-Tagged EEG in Children.

Publication date :

2025

Journal title :

Child Development

ISSN :

0009-3920

eISSN :

1467-8624

Publisher :

John Wiley and Sons Inc, United States

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

1777 - 1786

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://academic.oup.com/chidev/article-pdf/96/5/1777/65493300/cdev70002.pdf

Funders :

H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Funding text :

Funding: This research was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Grant 799171. This research was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Grant 799171. A.V.R. is a research associate at the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS-FNRS, Belgium). We thank Amandine Besnard and Matthieu G\u00E9rard for their assistance in data collection. APA ethical standards were followed in the conduct of this work. The analyses presented here were not preregistered.This research was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk\u0142odowska\u2010Curie Grant 799171. A.V.R. is a research associate at the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FRS\u2010FNRS, Belgium). We thank Amandine Besnard and Matthieu G\u00E9rard for their assistance in data collection. APA ethical standards were followed in the conduct of this work. The analyses presented here were not preregistered.

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