Fischer MH, Hartmann M. Pushing forward in embodied cognition: may we mouse the mathematical mind?
Front Psychol 2014;
5:1315. [PMID:
25477841 PMCID:
PMC4238369 DOI:
10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01315]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Freely available software has popularized “mousetracking” to study cognitive processing; this involves the on-line recording of cursor positions while participants move a computer mouse to indicate their choice. Movement trajectories of the cursor can then be reconstructed off-line to assess the efficiency of responding in time and across space. Here we focus on the process of selecting among alternative numerical responses. Several studies have recently measured the mathematical mind with cursor movements while people decided about number magnitude or parity, computed sums or differences, or simply located numbers on a number line. After some general methodological considerations about mouse tracking we discuss several conceptual concerns that become particularly evident when “mousing” the mathematical mind.
Collapse