The relation between spatial skills and mathematical abilities: The mediating role of mental number line representation

A growing body of research shows that the human brain acts differently when performing a task together with another person than when performing the same task alone. In this study, we investigated the influence of a co-actor on numerical cognition using a joint random number generation (RNG) task. We found that participants generated relatively smaller numbers when they were located to the left (vs. right) of a co-actor (Experiment 1), as if the two individuals shared a mental number line and predominantly selected numbers corresponding to their relative body position. Moreover, the mere presence of another person on the left or right side or the processing of numbers from loudspeaker on the left or right side had no influence on the magnitude of generated numbers (Experiment 2), suggesting that a bias in RNG only emerged during interpersonal interactions. Interestingly, the effect of relative body position on RNG was driven by participants with high trait empathic concern towards others, pointing towards a mediating role of feelings of sympathy for joint compatibility effects. Finally, the spatial bias emerged only after the co-actors swapped their spatial position, suggesting that joint spatial representations are constructed only after the spatial reference frame became salient. In contrast to previous studies, our findings cannot be explained by action co-representation because the consecutive production of numbers does not involve conflict at the motor response level. Our results therefore suggest that spatial reference coding, rather than motor mirroring, can determine joint compatibility effects. Our results demonstrate how physical properties of interpersonal situations, such as the relative body position, shape seemingly abstract cognition.

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The role of visual experience for spatial numerical associations

Seeing and Perceiving ◽

10.1163/187847612x648486 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 25 (0) ◽

pp. 222 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael J. Proulx ◽

Achille Pasqualotto ◽

Shuichiro Taya

Keyword(s):

Visual Experience ◽

Opposite Effect ◽

Random Number Generation ◽

Number Line ◽

Mental Number Line ◽

Generation Task ◽

Congenitally Blind ◽

Left And Right ◽

The Right

The topographic representation of space interacts with the mental representation of number. Evidence for such number–space relations have been reported in both synaesthetic and non-synaesthetic participants. Thus far most studies have only examined related effects in sighted participants. For example, the mental number line increases in magnitude from left to right in sighted individuals (Loetscher et al., 2008, Curr. Biol.). What is unclear is whether this association arises from innate mechanisms or requires visual experience early in life to develop in this way. Here we investigated the role of visual experience for the left to right spatial numerical association using a random number generation task in congenitally blind, late blind, and blindfolded sighted participants. Participants orally generated numbers randomly whilst turning their head to the left and right. Sighted participants generated smaller numbers when they turned their head to the left than to the right, consistent with past results. In contrast, congenitally blind participants generated smaller numbers when they turned their head to the right than to the left, exhibiting the opposite effect. The results of the late blind participants showed an intermediate profile between that of the sighted and congenitally blind participants. Visual experience early in life is therefore necessary for the development of the spatial numerical association of the mental number line.

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The Developing Mental Number Line: Does Its Directionality Relate to 5- to 7-Year-Old Children’s Mathematical Abilities?

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01142 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lauren S. Aulet ◽

Stella F. Lourenco

Keyword(s):

Number Line ◽

Mental Number Line ◽

Mathematical Abilities

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Order and Magnitude Share a Common Representation in Parietal Cortex

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn.2008.21181 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 2114-2120 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Michael S. Franklin ◽

John Jonides

Keyword(s):

Distance Effect ◽

Number Line ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Mental Number Line ◽

Numerical Magnitude ◽

Intraparietal Sulcus ◽

Ordinal Information ◽

Common Representation ◽

Distance Effects

The role of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) in the representation of numerical magnitude is well established. Recently, there has also been speculation that the IPS is involved in the representation of ordinal information as well. These claims, however, overlook the fact that all neuroimaging paradigms in which participants make judgments about either magnitude and/or order result in a behavioral distance effect (i.e., the comparison is easier when the stimuli span a greater distance). This leaves open two possibilities: It may be that activation of the IPS is due to the mechanism that yields distance effects, or it may be that the IPS is involved in the representation of information about both magnitude and order. The current study used fMRI to compare a magnitude task in which participants show distance effects to an order-judgment task that yields reverse-distance effects. The results reveal activation of the IPS for both the magnitude and order tasks that is based on participants' strategies as opposed to the actual distance between the numbers. This leads to the conclusion that the IPS represents a mental number line, and that accessing this line can lead to distance effects when participants compare magnitudes and to reverse-distance effects when participants check for order.

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Understanding Number Line Estimation in Williams Syndrome and Down Syndrome

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-019-04268-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 583-591 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

V. Simms ◽

A. Karmiloff-Smith ◽

E. Ranzato ◽

J. Van Herwegen

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Williams Syndrome ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

Number Line ◽

Mental Number Line ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Verbal Intelligence ◽

Spatial Skills ◽

Number Line Estimation ◽

Group Comparisons

Abstract Previous studies suggest that tasks dependent on the mental number line may be difficult for Williams Syndrome (WS) and Down Syndrome (DS) groups. However, few have directly assessed number line estimation in these groups. The current study assessed 28 WS, 25 DS and 25 typically developing (TD) participants in non-verbal intelligence, number familiarity, visuo-spatial skills and number line estimation. Group comparisons indicated no differences in number line estimation. However, the WS group displayed difficulties with visuo-spatial skills and the DS group displayed difficulties with number familiarity. Differential relationships between number line estimation and visuo-spatial/number familiarity skills were observed across groups. Data is discussed in the context of assessment of skills in neurodevelopmental disorders.

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EXPRESS: The Association of Basic Numerical Abilities and Math Achievement: The Mediating Role of Visuospatial and Arithmetical Abilities

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ◽

10.1177/17470218211040060 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174702182110400

Author(s):

Franziska Rebholz ◽

Jessika Golle ◽

Korbinian Moeller

Keyword(s):

Number Line ◽

Mathematical Achievement ◽

School Students ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Solution Strategies ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Numerical Abilities ◽

Visuospatial Abilities ◽

Number Line Estimation

Basic numerical abilities such as number line estimation have been observed repeatedly to be associated with mathematical achievement. Recently, it was argued that the association between basic numerical abilities and mathematical achievement is fully mediated by visuospatial abilities. However, arithmetical abilities have not yet been considered as influencing this association, even though solution strategies in number line estimation as well as mathematical achievement often involve arithmetical procedures. Therefore, we investigated the mediating role of arithmetical and visuospatial abilities on the association between number line estimation and mathematical achievement in a sample of n = 599 German elementary school students. Results indicated that arithmetical abilities as well as visuospatial abilities mediated the association between number line estimation and mathematical achievement. However, neither visuospatial nor arithmetical abilities fully mediated the association between number line estimation and mathematical achievement when considered in isolation. This substantiates the relevance of the intertwined development of visuospatial and arithemtical abilities as well as basic numerical abilities such as number line estimation (i.e. the combination of domain-specific numerical and domain-general abilities) driving mathematical achievement.

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Semantic numerical representation in blind subjects: The role of vision in the spatial format of the mental number line

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ◽

10.1080/17470210600598635 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 101-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Julie Castronovo ◽

Xavier Seron

Keyword(s):

Number Line ◽

Mental Number Line ◽

Numerical Representation

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The SNARC effect is associated with worse mathematical intelligence and poorer time estimation

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.172362 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (8) ◽

pp. 172362 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Peter Kramer ◽

Paola Bressan ◽

Massimo Grassi

Keyword(s):

Spatial Ability ◽

Mathematical Reasoning ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Number Line ◽

Mental Number Line ◽

Spatial Extent ◽

Snarc Effect ◽

Spatial Skills ◽

Large Sample ◽

Within Subjects

Interactions between the ways we process space, numbers and time may arise from shared and innate generic magnitude representations. Alternatively or concurrently, such interactions could be due to the use of physical magnitudes, like spatial extent, as metaphors for more abstract ones, like number and duration. That numbers might be spatially represented along a mental number line is suggested by the SNARC effect: faster left-side responses to small single digits, like 1 or 2, and faster right-side responses to large ones, like 8 or 9. Previously, we found that time estimation predicts mathematical intelligence and speculated that it may predict spatial ability too. Here, addressing this issue, we test—on a relatively large sample of adults and entirely within subjects—the relationships between (a) time: proficiency at producing and evaluating durations shorter than one second, (b) space: the ability to mentally rotate objects, (c) numbers: mathematical reasoning skills, and (d) space–number associations: the SNARC effect. Better time estimation was linked to greater mathematical intelligence and better spatial skills. Strikingly, however, stronger associations between space and numbers predicted worse mathematical intelligence and poorer time estimation.

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