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Cui Z, Hu Y, Wang X, Li C, Liu Z, Cui Z, Zhou X. Form perception is a cognitive correlate of the relation between subitizing ability and math performance. Cogn Process 2024; 25:321-331. [PMID: 38421459 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-024-01175-3] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
"Subitizing" defines a phenomenon whereby approximately four items can be quickly and accurately processed. Studies have shown the close association between subitizing and math performance, however, the mechanism for the association remains unclear. The present study was conducted to investigate whether form perception assessed on a serial figure matching task is a potential non-numerical mechanism between subitizing ability and math performance. Three-hundred and seventy-three Chinese primary school students completed four kinds of dot comparison tasks, serial figure matching task, math performance tasks (including three arithmetic computation tasks and math word problem task), and other cognitive tasks as their general cognitive abilities were observed as covariates. A series of hierarchical regression analyses showed that after controlling for age, gender, nonverbal matrix reasoning, and visual tracking, subitizing comparison (subitizing vs. subitizing, subitizing vs. estimation) still contributed to simple addition or simple subtraction but not to complex subtraction ability or math word problem. After taking form perception as an additional control variable, the predictive power of different dot comparison conditions disappeared. A path model also showed that form perception fully mediates the relation between numerosity comparison (within and beyond the subitizing range) and arithmetic performance. These findings support the claim that form perception is a non-numerical cognitive correlate of the relation between subitizing ability and math performance (especially arithmetic computation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijun Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Children's Health Care Center, Beijing Children's Hospital, Beijing, 100045, China
| | - Yuwei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Xinnan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chen Li
- College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China
| | - Zhengkui Liu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Zhanling Cui
- College of Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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Chen J, Paul JM, Reeve R. Manipulation of Attention Affects Subitizing Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104753. [PMID: 35772633 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104753] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Subitizing is the fast and accurate enumeration of small sets. Whether attention is necessary for subitizing remains controversial considering (1) subitizing is claimed to be "pre-attentive", and (2) existing experimental methods and results are inconsistent. To determine whether manipulations to attention demonstratively affect subitizing, the current study comprises a systematic review and meta-analysis. Results from fourteen studies (22 experiments, 35 comparisons) suggest that changes to attentional demands interferes with enumeration of small sets; leading to slower response times, lower accuracy, and poorer Weber acuity (p <.010; p <.001; p <.001; respectively)-notwithstanding a potential publication bias. A unifying framework is proposed to explain the role of attention in visual enumeration, with progressively greater attentional involvement from estimation to subitizing to counting. Our findings suggest attention is integral for subitizing and highlights the need to emphasise attentional mechanisms into neurocognitive models of numerosity processing. We also discuss the possible role of attention in numerical processing difficulties (e.g., dyscalculia).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- Institute for Social Neuroscience, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Jacob M Paul
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Robert Reeve
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Finding the subitizing in groupitizing: Evidence for parallel subitizing of dots and groups in grouped arrays. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 29:476-484. [PMID: 34671935 PMCID: PMC9038859 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-02015-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
‘Groupitizing’ refers to the observation that visually grouped arrays can be accurately enumerated much faster than can unstructured arrays. Previous research suggests that visual grouping allows participants to draw on arithmetic abilities and possibly use mental calculations to enumerate grouped arrays quickly and accurately. Here, we address how subitizing might be involved in finding the operands for mental calculations in grouped dot arrays. We investigated whether participants can use multiple subitizing processes to enumerate both the number of dots and the number of groups in a grouped array. We found that these multiple subitizing processes can take place within 150 ms and that dots and groups seem to be subitized in parallel and with equal priority. Implications for research on mechanisms of groupitizing are discussed.
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