The association between number magnitude and space is dependent on notation: Evidence from an adaptive perceptual orientation task

Tianwei Gong,Baichen Li,Xuefei Gao,Ting Jiang,Zijun Zhou,Limei Teng

doi:10.5964/jnc.v5i1.169

Abstract

Research on adults' numerical abilities suggests that number representations are spatially oriented. This association of numbers with spatial response is referred to as the SNARC (i.e., spatial–numerical association of response codes) effect. The notation-independence hypothesis of numeric processing predicts that the SNARC effect will not vary with notation (e.g., Arabic vs. number word). To test such assumption, the current study introduced an adaptive experimental procedure based on a simple perceptual orientation task that can automatically smooth out the mean reaction time difference between Arabic digits and traditional Chinese number. We found that the SNARC effect interacted with notation, showing a SNARC effect for Arabic digits, but not for verbal number words. The results of this study challenged the commonly held view that notation does not affect numerical processes associated with spatial representations. We introduced a parallel model to explain the notation-dependent SNARC effect in the perceptual orientation judgment task.

Highlights

Research on adults' numerical abilities suggests that number representations are spatially oriented
The interaction between numbers and space (Sekuler, Rubin, & Armstrong, 1971) has been a major area of inquiry. Dehaene and his colleagues (Dehaene, Bossini, & Giraux, 1993; Viarouge, Hubbard, & Dehaene, 2014) found the Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Cognitive Development (Code) effect by using parity judgment tasks, in which they asked participants to indicate the parity of the digits 0-9 presented to them
Based on the summary above, with the improvements in experimental design and methods, this study aimed to find out whether the pattern of SNARC with traditional Chinese verbal numbers would match that pattern produced by Arabic digits with equal cross-notation response latencies

Summary

Introduction

Research on adults' numerical abilities suggests that number representations are spatially oriented. The interaction between numbers and space (Sekuler, Rubin, & Armstrong, 1971) has been a major area of inquiry Dehaene and his colleagues (Dehaene, Bossini, & Giraux, 1993; Viarouge, Hubbard, & Dehaene, 2014) found the Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes effect (the SNARC effect) by using parity (odd-even) judgment tasks, in which they asked participants to indicate the parity of the digits 0-9 presented to them. Nuerk et al (2005) used four different formats (Arabic digits, number words, auditory numbers, and dice patterns) and they found that there was no difference among different input notations and modalities of SNARC effects All these studies were conducted by using the parity judgment task. Assuming that notation type constitutes a manipulation that might modulate the visual complexity (e.g., simplicity vs. complexity) and frequency of use (e.g., high vs. low), one would expect that the SNARC effect did not appear to be sensitive to these characteristics (Dehaene et al, 1993, p. 380)

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