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Szczygieł M, Sarı MH. The relationship between numerical magnitude processing and math anxiety, and their joint effect on adult math performance, varied by indicators of numerical tasks. Cogn Process 2024; 25:421-442. [PMID: 38644404 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-024-01186-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
According to the hypothesis of Maloney et al. (Cognition 114(2):293-297, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2009.09.013), math anxiety is related to deficits in numerical magnitude processing, which in turn compromises the development of advanced math skills. Because previous studies on this topic are contradictory, which may be due to methodological differences in the measurement of numerical magnitude processing, we tested Maloney et al.'s hypothesis using different tasks and their indicators: numerical magnitude processing (symbolic and non-symbolic comparison tasks: accuracy, reaction time, numerical ratio, distance and size effects, and Weber fraction; number line estimation task: estimation error), math anxiety (combined scores of learning, testing, math problem solving, and general math anxiety), and math performance. The results of our study conducted on 119 young adults mostly support the hypothesis proposed by Maloney et al. that deficiency in symbolic magnitude processing is related to math anxiety, but the relationship between non-symbolic processes and math anxiety was opposite to the assumptions. Moreover, the results indicate that estimation processes (but not comparison processes) and math anxiety are related to math performance in adults. Finally, high math anxiety moderated the relationship between reaction time in the symbolic comparison task, reaction time in the non-symbolic comparison task, numerical ratio effect in the symbolic comparison task, and math performance. Because the results of the joint effect of numerical magnitude processing and math anxiety on math performance were inconsistent, this part of the hypothesis is called into question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Szczygieł
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Mehmet Hayri Sarı
- Faculty of Education, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Nevşehir, Türkiye
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Roth L, Jordan V, Schwarz S, Willmes K, Nuerk HC, van Dijck JP, Cipora K. Don't SNARC me now! Intraindividual variability of cognitive phenomena - Insights from the Ironman paradigm. Cognition 2024; 248:105781. [PMID: 38663115 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Two implicit generalizations are often made from group-level studies in cognitive experimental psychology and their common statistical analysis in the general linear model: (1) Group-level phenomena are assumed to be present in every participant with variations between participants being often treated as random error in data analyses; (2) phenomena are assumed to be stable over time. In this preregistered study, we investigated the validity of these generalizations in the commonly used parity judgment task. In the proposed Ironman paradigm, the intraindividual presence and stability of three popular numerical cognition effects were tested in 10 participants on 30 days: the SNARC (Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes, i.e., faster left-/right-sided responses to small/large magnitude numbers, respectively; Dehaene, Bossini, & Giraux, 1993), MARC (Linguistic Markedness of Response Codes; i.e., faster left-/right-sided responses to odd/even numbers, respectively; Nuerk, Iversen, & Willmes, 2004), and Odd (i.e., faster responses to even numbers; Hines, 1990) effects. We replicated the group-level effects; however, they were reliably present in only four to five (SNARC), six (MARC) or five (Odd) of 10 participants. Fluctuations seemed unsystematic, although the SNARC effect decreased over time along with reaction times. No correlation between the SNARC and MARC effects and sleep duration, tiredness, daytime, and consumption of stimulants were detected in most participants. These results challenge the frequent generalizations from group-level phenomena to individual participants and from single sessions to typical behavior. The innovative Ironman paradigm combined with bootstrap analyses permits unique insights into the intraindividual presence and stability of cognitive phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly Roth
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Verena Jordan
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
| | | | - Klaus Willmes
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Hans-Christoph Nuerk
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany.
| | - Jean-Philippe van Dijck
- Department of Applied Psychology, Thomas More University, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Krzysztof Cipora
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, United Kingdom.
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Fischer MH, Felisatti A, Li X, Shaki S. A cross-cultural comparison of finger-based and symbolic number representations. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 246:105979. [PMID: 38861807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The current study examined predictions from embodied cognition for effects of finger counting on number processing. Although finger counting is spontaneous and nearly universal, counting habits reflect learning and culture. European cultures use a sub-base-five system, requiring a full hand plus additional fingers to express numbers exceeding 5. Chinese culture requires only one hand to express such numbers. We investigated the differential impact of early-acquired finger-based number representations on adult symbolic number processing. In total, 53 European and 56 Chinese adults performed two versions of the magnitude classification task, where numbers were presented either as Arabic symbols or as finger configurations consistent with respective cultural finger-counting habits. Participants classified numbers as smaller/larger than 5 with horizontally aligned buttons. Finger-based size and distance effects were larger in Chinese compared with Europeans. These differences did not, however, induce reliably different symbol processing signatures. This dissociation challenges the idea that sensory and motor habits shape our conceptual representations and implies notation-specific processing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin H Fischer
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Arianna Felisatti
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Samuel Shaki
- Department of Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel 44837, Israel
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Hohol M, Szymanek P, Cipora K. Analogue magnitude representation of angles and its relation to geometric expertise. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8997. [PMID: 38637647 PMCID: PMC11026470 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59521-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The distance effect (comparing objects becomes easier with increasing differences in their magnitude) is observed in tasks ranging across domains, and its existence has been interpreted as evidence for analogue magnitude representation. Similarly, associations between response side and magnitude (faster left/right-sided responses to small/large objects, respectively) are observed across domains. We investigated the analogue processing of angles and the association between angle magnitude and response side in relation to geometric expertise. We compared the behavioural pattern of two groups-architects and controls-in a direct angle magnitude classification task (i.e., judge whether a presented angle was greater or less than 90°) and in an indirect task (i.e., judge whether an angle was drawn with a dashed or continuous line). We found a robust distance effect for reaction times and accuracy at the whole sample level and in each group separately. Architects revealed a smaller distance effect for accuracy than controls. This could be interpreted as an argument for a more precise analogue representation of angles in experts compared to non-experts. However, we did not find evidence for an association between angle magnitude and response side in any group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Hohol
- Mathematical Cognition and Learning Lab, Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Piotr Szymanek
- Mathematical Cognition and Learning Lab, Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Doctoral School in the Social Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Cipora
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
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Greenacre L, Garcia JE, Chan E, Howard SR, Dyer AG. Vertical versus horizontal Spatial-Numerical Associations (SNA): A processing advantage for the vertical dimension. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262559. [PMID: 36006955 PMCID: PMC9409557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have associations between numbers and physical space on both horizontal and vertical dimensions, called Spatial-Numerical Associations (SNAs). Several studies have considered the hypothesis of there being a dominant orientation by examining on which dimension people are more accurate and efficient at responding during various directional SNA tasks. However, these studies have difficulty differentiating between a person’s efficiency at accessing mental representations of numbers in space, and the efficiency at which they exercise motor control functions, particularly bilateral ones, when manifesting a response during an explicit directional SNA task. In this study we use a conflict test employing combined explicit magnitude and spatial directional processing in which pairs of numbers are placed along the diagonal axes and response accuracy/efficiency are considered across the horizontal and vertical dimensions simultaneously. Participants indicated which number in each pair was largest using a joystick that only required unilateral input. The experiment was run in English using Arabic numerals. Results showed that directional SNAs have a vertical rather than horizontal dominance. A moderating factor was also found during post-hoc analysis, where response efficiency, but not accuracy, is conditional on a person’s native language being oriented the same as the language of the experiment, left to right. The dominance of the vertical orientation suggests adopting more vertical display formats for numbers may provide situational advantages, particularly for explicit magnitude comparisons, with some domains like flight controls and the stock market already using these in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Greenacre
- Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University, Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Laboratory, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugene Chan
- Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University, Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia
- Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Scarlett R. Howard
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Laboratory, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Üstün S, Ayyıldız N, Kale EH, Mançe Çalışır Ö, Uran P, Öner Ö, Olkun S, Çiçek M. Children With Dyscalculia Show Hippocampal Hyperactivity During Symbolic Number Perception. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:687476. [PMID: 34354576 PMCID: PMC8330842 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.687476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyscalculia is a learning disability affecting the acquisition of arithmetical skills in children with normal intelligence and age-appropriate education. Two hypotheses attempt to explain the main cause of dyscalculia. The first hypothesis suggests that a problem with the core mechanisms of perceiving (non-symbolic) quantities is the cause of dyscalculia (core deficit hypothesis), while the alternative hypothesis suggests that dyscalculics have problems only with the processing of numerical symbols (access deficit hypothesis). In the present study, the symbolic and non-symbolic numerosity processing of typically developing children and children with dyscalculia were examined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Control (n = 15, mean age: 11.26) and dyscalculia (n = 12, mean age: 11.25) groups were determined using a wide-scale screening process. Participants performed a quantity comparison paradigm in the fMRI with two number conditions (dot and symbol comparison) and two difficulty levels (0.5 and 0.7 ratio). The results showed that the bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left fusiform gyrus (so-called “number form area”) were activated for number perception as well as bilateral occipital and supplementary motor areas. The task difficulty engaged bilateral insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, IPS, and DLPFC activation. The dyscalculia group showed more activation in the left orbitofrontal cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, and right anterior cingulate cortex than the control group. The dyscalculia group showed left hippocampus activation specifically for the symbolic condition. Increased left hippocampal and left-lateralized frontal network activation suggest increased executive and memory-based compensation mechanisms during symbolic processing for dyscalculics. Overall, our findings support the access deficit hypothesis as a neural basis for dyscalculia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sertaç Üstün
- Department of Physiology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.,Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nazife Ayyıldız
- Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.,Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emre H Kale
- Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Öykü Mançe Çalışır
- Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.,Program of Counseling and Guidance, Department of Educational Sciences, Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Pınar Uran
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Özgür Öner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bahçeşehir University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Sinan Olkun
- Department of Mathematics Education, Final International University, Kyrenia, Cyprus
| | - Metehan Çiçek
- Department of Physiology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.,Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.,Brain Research Center, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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Guida A, Mosinski F, Cipora K, Mathy F, Noël Y. Spatialization in working memory: can individuals reverse the cultural direction of their thoughts? Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1477:113-125. [PMID: 32978800 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A recent study based on the SPoARC effect (spatial position association response codes) showed that culture heavily shapes cognition and more specifically the way thought is organized; when Western adults are asked to keep in mind a sequence of colors, they mentally organize them from left to right, whereas right-to-left reading/writing adults spatialize them in the opposite direction. Here, we investigate if the spontaneous direction of spatialization in Westerners can be reversed. Lists of five consonants were presented auditorily at a rate of 3 s per item, participants were asked to mentally organize the memoranda from right to left. Each list was followed by a probe. Participants had to indicate whether the probe was part of the sequence by pressing a "yes" key or a "no" key with the left or right index finger. Left/right-hand key assignment was switched after half of the trials were completed. The results showed a reverse SPoARC effect that was comparable in magnitude to the spontaneous left-to-right SPoARC effect found in a previous study. Overall, our results suggest that individuals can reverse the cultural direction of their thoughts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Guida
- Laboratoire de Psychologie, Comportement, Cognition et Communication, Department of Psychology, Université Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Francis Mosinski
- Department of Life Sciences and the Environment, Université Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Krzysztof Cipora
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Fabien Mathy
- Bases Corpus Langage UMR 7320 CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Yvonnick Noël
- Laboratoire de Psychologie, Comportement, Cognition et Communication, Department of Psychology, Université Rennes, Rennes, France
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