Developing number–space associations: SNARC effects using a color discrimination task in 5-year-olds

in Journal of Experimental Child Psychology (2013), 116

Human adults’ numerical representation is spatially oriented; consequently, participants are faster to respond to small/large numerals with their left/right hand, respectively, when doing a binary ... [more ▼]

Human adults’ numerical representation is spatially oriented; consequently, participants are faster to respond to small/large numerals with their left/right hand, respectively, when doing a binary classification judgment on numbers, known as the SNARC (spatial– numerical association of response codes) effect. Studies on the emergence and development of the SNARC effect remain scarce. The current study introduces an innovative new paradigm based on a simple color judgment of Arabic digits. Using this task, we found a SNARC effect in children as young as 5.5 years. In contrast, when preschool children needed to perform a magnitude judgment task necessitating exact number knowledge, the SNARC effect started to emerge only at 5.8 years. Moreover, the emergence of a magnitude SNARC but not a color SNARC was linked to proficiency with Arabic digits. Our results suggest that access to a spatially oriented approximate magnitude representation from symbolic digits emerges early in ontogenetic development. Exact magnitude judgments, on the other hand, rely on experience with Arabic digits and, thus, necessitate formal or informal schooling to give access to a spatially oriented numerical representation. [less ▲]

Estimation abilities of large numerosities in preschool children

Poster (2013, October)

The approximate number system (ANS) is thought to be a building block for the elaboration of formal mathematics. However, little is known about how this core system develops and if it can be influenced by ... [more ▼]

The approximate number system (ANS) is thought to be a building block for the elaboration of formal mathematics. However, little is known about how this core system develops and if it can be influenced by external factors at a young age (before the child enters formal numeracy education). The purpose of this study was to examine numerical magnitude representations of 5-6 year old children at 2 different moments of Kindergarten considering children's early number competence as well as schools' socio-economic index (SEI). This study investigated estimation abilities of large numerosities using symbolic and non-symbolic output formats (8-64). In addition, we assessed symbolic and non-symbolic early number competence (1-12) at the end of the 2nd (N = 42) and the 3rd (N = 32) Kindergarten grade. By letting children freely produce estimates we observed surprising estimation abilities at a very young age (from 5 year on) extending far beyond children's symbolic explicit knowledge. Moreover, the time of testing has an impact on the ANS accuracy since 3rd Kindergarteners were more precise in both estimation tasks. Additionally, children who presented better exact symbolic knowledge were also those with the most refined ANS. However, this was true only for 3rd Kindergarteners who were a few months from receiving math instructions. In a similar vein, higher SEI positively impacted only the oldest children's estimation abilities whereas it played a role for exact early number competences already in 2nd and 3rd graders. Our results support the view that approximate numerical representations are linked to exact number competence in young children before the start of formal math education and might thus serve as building blocks for mathematical knowledge. Since this core number system was also sensitive to external components such as the SEI this implies that it can most probably be targeted and refined through specific educational strategies from preschool on. [less ▲]

Estimation abilities of large numerosities in Kindergartners

in Frontiers in Psychology (2013), 4

The approximate number system (ANS) is thought to be a building block for the elaboration of formal mathematics. However, little is known about how this core system develops and if it can be influenced by ... [more ▼]

The approximate number system (ANS) is thought to be a building block for the elaboration of formal mathematics. However, little is known about how this core system develops and if it can be influenced by external factors at a young age (before the child enters formal numeracy education). The purpose of this study was to examine numerical magnitude representations of 5-6 year old children at 2 different moments of Kindergarten considering children's early number competence as well as schools' socio-economic index (SEI). This study investigated estimation abilities of large numerosities using symbolic and non-symbolic output formats (8-64). In addition, we assessed symbolic and non-symbolic early number competence (1-12) at the end of the 2nd (N = 42) and the 3rd (N = 32) Kindergarten grade. By letting children freely produce estimates we observed surprising estimation abilities at a very young age (from 5 year on) extending far beyond children's symbolic explicit knowledge. Moreover, the time of testing has an impact on the ANS accuracy since 3rd Kindergarteners were more precise in both estimation tasks. Additionally, children who presented better exact symbolic knowledge were also those with the most refined ANS. However, this was true only for 3rd Kindergarteners who were a few months from receiving math instructions. In a similar vein, higher SEI positively impacted only the oldest children's estimation abilities whereas it played a role for exact early number competences already in 2nd and 3rd graders. Our results support the view that approximate numerical representations are linked to exact number competence in young children before the start of formal math education and might thus serve as building blocks for mathematical knowledge. Since this core number system was also sensitive to external components such as the SEI this implies that it can most probably be targeted and refined through specific educational strategies from preschool on. [less ▲]

The influence of language on exact additions in bilinguals.

Scientific Conference (2013, May)

To which degree is language involved in arithmetic and dependent on language proficiency? We investigated this question in a German-French educational bilingual setting in Luxembourg, where there is a ... [more ▼]

To which degree is language involved in arithmetic and dependent on language proficiency? We investigated this question in a German-French educational bilingual setting in Luxembourg, where there is a progressive transition from German to French as a teaching language. Due to this shift, students become increasingly more proficient in the non-dominant language (French) throughout the school years. Interestingly, the decades and units of two-digit number names follow the unit-decade order in German but the decade-unit order in French. Students from grades 7, 8, 10, 11, and German-French adults (total N = 200) solved simple and complex additions presented in different conditions: (1) visual Arabic digits, (2) auditory presentation, and (3) as a dual task in which visually presented additions were preceded by visually presented semantic judgements to indirectly activate a language context. Participants performed each condition in a German and a French testing session. Participants were asked to respond orally in the testing language. Measures include correct responses and response times. The results suggest that language proficiency is crucial for the computation of complex additions, whereas simple additions can be retrieved equally well in both languages. Furthermore, additional error analyses showed more errors on the decade or on the unit digit depending on the language of the task. However, providing a language context seems to enhance performances only in the non-dominant language. Taken together, these results support the view of a strong language influence on arithmetic. [less ▲]

The impact of inhibition capacities on number-space associations

Poster (2013, March 01)

Numerical and spatial representations are tightly linked (for a review see de Hevia et al., 2008). One specific instance of this link is the finding that when doing a binary classification judgment on ... [more ▼]

Numerical and spatial representations are tightly linked (for a review see de Hevia et al., 2008). One specific instance of this link is the finding that when doing a binary classification judgment on single Arabic digits, participants are faster to respond with their left/right hand to small/large numbers respectively. This observation has first been described by Dehaene and colleagues in the early 1990’s (Dehaene et al., 1993) and termed the SNARC effect (Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes). Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the SNARC effect has been extensively replicated (for a meta-analysis see Wood et al., 2008) but one of its characteristics remains its high inter-individual variability (Wood et al., 2006a; 2006b). The source of this variability can partly be ascribed to differences in mathematical proficiency (Hoffmann et al., submitted) but a more domain general hypothesis implicating general inhibition capacities warrants further investigation. For the present study a total of 77 participants have been evaluated with a SNARC paradigm as well as standard inhibition tests (Stroop, Incompatibility subtest of the TAP test). Results show that when age-appropriate inhibition tests are used, inhibition capacities are strongly correlated with the SNARC effect, in the way that very efficient inhibition capacities lead to weaker SNARC effects. Consequently this finding could at least partly explain the impact of arithmetical proficiency on the SNARC effect. A study combining both measures would be an appropriate next step. [less ▲]

Estimation abilities of large numerosities in preschool children: Do they depend on school grade and socio-economic background?

Poster (2013, March 01)

The approximate number system (ANS) is thought to be a building block for the elaboration of formal mathematics. However, little is known about how this core system develops and if it can be influenced by ... [more ▼]

The approximate number system (ANS) is thought to be a building block for the elaboration of formal mathematics. However, little is known about how this core system develops and if it can be influenced by external factors at a young age (before the child enters formal numeracy education). The purpose of this study was to examine numerical magnitude representations of 5-6 year old children at 2 different moments of Kindergarten considering children's early number competence as well as schools' socio-economic index (SEI). This study investigated estimation abilities of large numerosities using symbolic and non-symbolic output formats (8-64). In addition, we assessed symbolic and non-symbolic early number competence (1-12) at the end of the 2nd (N = 42) and the 3rd (N = 32) Kindergarten grade. By letting children freely produce estimates we observed surprising estimation abilities at a very young age (from 5 year on) extending far beyond children's symbolic explicit knowledge. Moreover, the time of testing has an impact on the ANS accuracy since 3rd Kindergarteners were more precise in both estimation tasks. Additionally, children who presented better exact symbolic knowledge were also those with the most refined ANS. However, this was true only for 3rd Kindergarteners who were a few months from receiving math instructions. In a similar vein, higher SEI positively impacted only the oldest children's estimation abilities whereas it played a role for exact early number competences already in 2nd and 3rd graders. Our results support the view that approximate numerical representations are linked to exact number competence in young children before the start of formal math education and might thus serve as building blocks for mathematical knowledge. Since this core number system was also sensitive to external components such as the SEI this implies that it can most probably be targeted and refined through specific educational strategies from preschool on. [less ▲]

Sensitivity to spacing information increases more for the eye region than for the mouth region during childhood

in International Journal of Behavioral Development (2013), 37(2), 169-174

Sensitivity to spacing information within faces improves with age and reaches maturity only at adolescence. In this study, we tested 6–16-year-old children’s sensitivity to vertical spacing when the eyes ... [more ▼]

Sensitivity to spacing information within faces improves with age and reaches maturity only at adolescence. In this study, we tested 6–16-year-old children’s sensitivity to vertical spacing when the eyes or the mouth is the facial feature selectively manipulated. Despite the similar discriminability of these manipulations when they are embedded in inverted faces (Experiment 1), children’s sensitivity to spacing information manipulated in upright faces improved with age only when the eye region was concerned (Experiment 2). Moreover, children’s ability to process the eye region did not correlate with their selective visual attention, marking the automation of the mechanism (Experiment 2). In line with recent findings, we suggest here that children rely on a holistic/configural face processing mechanism to process the eye region, composed of multiple features to integrate, which steadily improves with age. [less ▲]

The impact of inhibition capacities on number-space associations in young and elderly adults

Poster (2013, February 26)

Background: Numerical and spatial representations are tightly linked, i.e. when doing a binary classification judgment on Arabic digits participants are faster to respond with their left/right hand to ... [more ▼]

Background: Numerical and spatial representations are tightly linked, i.e. when doing a binary classification judgment on Arabic digits participants are faster to respond with their left/right hand to small/large numbers respectively (SNARC effect, Dehaene et al., 1993). The SNARC effect has been extensively replicated but one of its characteristics remains inter-individual variability (Wood et al., 2006). Different sources have been proposed to account for the reported inter-individual variability, namely response speed (Gevers et al., 2006), inhibition capacities (Wood et al., 2008) and age (Wood et al., 2008). The present study aims to investigate the impact of inhibition capacities on the SNARC effect in young and elderly adults, controlling for individual general processing speed. Methods: Two groups of participants were included: young adults, N=28, mean age: 23 years (SD=3.02) and elderly adults, N=46, mean age: 65.9 years (SD=3.9). Participants performed a parity judgment SNARC paradigm as well as inhibition tests (Stroop, Incompatibility). General processing speed was evaluated using a simple shape matching task. Results: The two age-groups differed in the strength of the SNARC effect, inhibition capacities and processing speed, with the elderly adults displaying stronger SNARC effects, weaker inhibition capacities and slower processing speed. Correlation analysis including all participants confirmed these findings on an individual level by showing relations between the SNARC effect and age, as well as relations between the SNARC effect and both inhibition capacities (i.e. the Stroop effect) and processing speed. When controlling for processing speed, the relations between the SNARC effect and both inhibition capacities and age remained. Conversely, when controlling for inhibition capacities, only the relation between the SNARC effect and age (but not processing speed) remained significant, even when controlling in addition for processing speed. Relevance: By combining the variables age, inhibition capacities and individual processing speed, the present data are the first to reveal a strong link between inhibition capacities and number-space associations. Importantly, we demonstrate that this link is not mediated by general processing speed. Interestingly, the robust relation between the SNARC effect and age remains after controlling for processing speed and inhibition capacities, pointing to a new source of inter-individual differences in the strength of the SNARC effect that will need to be clarified in future research projects. [less ▲]

The SNARC effect and its relationship to spatial abilities in women

Poster (2013)

A classical demonstration of number-space associations is the so-called SNARC (Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes) effect. It consists in faster reaction times to small/large digits with the ... [more ▼]

A classical demonstration of number-space associations is the so-called SNARC (Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes) effect. It consists in faster reaction times to small/large digits with the left/right hand respectively. To get a better understanding of the well-documented inter-individual variability in the SNARC effect, we investigated the relationship between the classically used parity SNARC and spatial abilities, as indexed by visuo-spatial working memory capacity (WMC). The study population consisted of female university students (n=20; mean age=23.79; SD=2.50) recruited in the fields of humanities and educational sciences. Since systematic studies on the reliability of the SNARC effect are still lacking, we first measured the internal consistency, as assessed by split-half reliability, as well as test-retest reliability of the parity SNARC. Split-half and test-retest correlation coefficients were (r(19)=0.41; p<0.05) and (r(19)=0.25; p=0.14) respectively, indicating a trend towards consistency. In the present female population, a significant negative correlation was revealed between the strength of the parity SNARC effect (mean slope=-10.04; SD=8.66) and visuo-spatial WMC (mean WMC=2.85; SD=1.12; r(19)=-0.51; p<0.05). This finding thus indicates that number-space associations as measured by the parity SNARC effect tend to be stronger in young female adults with higher spatial abilities. [less ▲]

How the human brain discriminates numerosities: A steady-state visual-evoked potentials study

Poster (2013)

This study aimed at measuring rapidly and objectively human adults' sensitivity to (non)symbolic numerical stimuli, using the steady-state visual-evoked potentials (1) response in the context of ... [more ▼]

This study aimed at measuring rapidly and objectively human adults' sensitivity to (non)symbolic numerical stimuli, using the steady-state visual-evoked potentials (1) response in the context of repetition suppression (2). It aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of the method and evaluate its potential to tap into the basic numerical representation systems that can be assumed to underlie symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparisons. Following a short duration experiment, we observed a large reduction of signal specifically at the 3.5 Hz response, over the occipito-temporo-parietal cortex. This reduction was greater for symbolic than non-symbolic control stimuli. This first observation of repetition suppression to fast periodic stimulation of symbolic and non-symbolic numerosities in the human brain offers a promising tool to study the sensitivity to numerosities in the human brain in adults, but also especially in children. [less ▲]