Frontiers in Education (Jun 2021)

Non-Symbolic Numerosity and Symbolic Numbers are not Processed Intuitively in Children: Evidence From an Event-Related Potential Study

  • Anne H. van Hoogmoed,
  • Anne H. van Hoogmoed,
  • Anne H. van Hoogmoed,
  • Marije D. E. Huijsmans,
  • Evelyn H. Kroesbergen,
  • Evelyn H. Kroesbergen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.629053
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6

Abstract

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The approximate number system (ANS) theory and the ANS mapping account have been the most prominent theories on non-symbolic numerosity processing and symbolic number processing respectively, over the last 20 years. Recently, there is a growing debate about these theories, mainly based on research in adults. However, whether the ANS theory and ANS mapping account explain the processing of non-symbolic numerosity and symbolic number in childhood has received little attention. In the current ERP study, we first examined whether non-symbolic numerosity processing in 9-to-12-year-old children (N = 34) is intuitive, as proposed by the ANS theory. Second, we examined whether symbolic number processing is rooted in non-symbolic numerosity processing, as proposed the ANS mapping account. ERPs were measured during four same-different match-to-sample tasks with non-symbolic numerosities, symbolic numbers, and combinations of both. We found no evidence for intuitive processing of non-symbolic numerosity. Instead, children processed the visual features of non-symbolic stimuli more automatically than the numerosity itself. Moreover, children do not seem to automatically activate non-symbolic numerosity when processing symbolic numbers. These results challenge the ANS theory and ANS mapping account in 9-to-12-year-old children.

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