Non-spatial neglect for the mental number line

Dijck, Jean-Philippe van; Gevers, Wim; Lafosse, Christophe; Doricchi, Fabrizio; Fias, Wim

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.05.005

Cited by 50 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Recently, van Dijck et al [17] presented a single-case study in which a clear dissociation between number and line bisection was present within the same patient. Moreover, the performance of the patient was informative for how a working memory deficit can give rise to a systematic deviation towards larger numbers.…”

Section: Dissociating the Number Interval Bisection Bias From The Linmentioning

confidence: 99%

How is Number Associated with Space? The Role of Working Memory

Fias

Dijck

Gevers

2011

Space, Time and Number in the Brain

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A large body of evidence demonstrates that the processing of numbers and space are tightly related.Today, the dominant explanation for this interaction is the number line hypothesis. This hypothesis claimis that the mental representation of numbers takes the form of a horizontally oriented line which is functionally homeomorphic to the way physical lines are represented. The aim of the present review is twofold. In a first step we review recent evidence on number bisection bias in neglect and on the SNARC effect challenging the homeomorphic relationship between numerical and spatial processing. For the bisection bias we present data that show a clear dissociation between number bisection and physical line bisection. Additionally, we present data on the SNARC effect showing that its origin is of a conceptual rather than visuospatial nature. In a second step, we present data that provide pointers towards a new theoretical framework which proposes that serial position in working memory may be an important determinant of the interactions between number and space. How number is associated with space? The role of working memoryIt is generally accepted that the cognitive representation and processing of number and space are tightly linked. This is evident from introspective reports, for instance by mathematicians who describe their mathematical thinking as hinging on visual imagery. Also, math instruction and education rely strongly on visuospatial tools and strategies. Remarkably, the involvement of spatial processing in mathematical cognition is not restricted to complex mathematics but even applies to the basic and elementary representation of number.Already in the 1880's Galton [e.g. 1] described the introspective reports of people who experience vivid mental number line images. Later, Seron et al. [2] showed that these were more than incidental observations and confirmed that about 14% of typical student population report mental number lines. Experiences of spatially defined mental number lines can be particularly strong and elaborated in synesthesia [3,4], a condition in which certain types of stimuli give rise to experiences in modalities that are normally not associated with such stimuli, for instance color sensations to number stimuli. Importantly, however, number-space interactions are not restricted to those who have the conscious experience of mental number lines. A number of empirical phenomena demonstrate that the involvement of space is a basic and essential aspect of number representation also in people who do not report having conscious experience of visuospatial number lines when they think about numbers.In a seminal paper, Dehaene et al. [5] showed that, when subjects respond to numbers by pressing a left or a right response key, for instance in a parity judgment task, small numbers are faster responded to with the left hand than with the right hand and that large numbers receive faster right hand than left hand responses. This effect (see Figure 1) indicating a Spatial Numerical Association ...

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Section: Dissociating the Number Interval Bisection Bias From The Linmentioning

confidence: 99%

How is Number Associated with Space? The Role of Working Memory

Fias

Dijck

Gevers

2011

Space, Time and Number in the Brain

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“…Partially overlapping regions in the parietal cortex are involved in both numerical and visuo-spatial tasks [11], [12], [13], and cortical areas associated to saccadic movements are recruited during arithmetical performance [14], suggesting that numerical processing drives participants' shifts of attention along a representational space [15]. Neuropsychological evidence shows that patients affected by spatial neglect show the same signature bias towards the right side of space for both visuo-spatial and numerical bisection tasks, i.e., identifying the centre of a physical line and the middle number in a numerical interval, respectively ([16], [17], [18]; but see [19], [20]). All in all, this body of research strongly supports the idea that, in human adults, numerical information and visuo-spatial processing share resources at both functional and neural levels [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Infants' Preference for Left-to-Right Oriented Increasing Numerical Sequences

et al. 2014

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While associations between number and space, in the form of a spatially oriented numerical representation, have been extensively reported in human adults, the origins of this phenomenon are still poorly understood. The commonly accepted view is that this number-space association is a product of human invention, with accounts proposing that culture, symbolic knowledge, and mathematics education are at the roots of this phenomenon. Here we show that preverbal infants aged 7 months, who lack symbolic knowledge and mathematics education, show a preference for increasing magnitude displayed in a left-to-right spatial orientation. Infants habituated to left-to-right oriented increasing or decreasing numerical sequences showed an overall higher looking time to new left-to-right oriented increasing numerical sequences at test (Experiment 1). This pattern did not hold when infants were presented with the same ordinal numerical information displayed from right to left (Experiment 2). The different pattern of results was congruent with the presence of a malleable, context-dependent baseline preference for increasing, left-to-right oriented, numerosities (Experiment 3). These findings are suggestive of an early predisposition in humans to link numerical order with a left-to-right spatial orientation, which precedes the acquisition of symbolic abilities, mathematics education, and the acquisition of reading and writing skills.

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“…For example, patients with hemi-neglect following brain damage show biases when asked to 'bisect' numerical intervals analogous to those shown when they bisect physical lines (Zorzi et al, 2002;Pia, Corazzini, Folegatti, Gindri, & Cauda, 2009;Priftis, Zorzi, Meneghello, Marenzi, & Umiltà, 2006; but, for an alternate view, see Doricchi, Guariglia, Gasparini, & Tomaiuolo, 2005;van Dijck, Gevers, Lafosse, Doricchi, & Fias, 2011). Similarly, neurologically healthy adults show small leftward biases ('pseudoneglect') when bisecting physical lines and underestimation when bisecting numerical intervals, consistent with the left-to-right organization of the mental number line (Göbel et al, 2006;Longo & Lourenco, 2007a;Loftus et al, 2009).…”

Section: Bisecting Approaching Numbersmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…Together with the results from our previous study , the present study converge to provide evidence that the distinction between near and far space has clear influences on the direction of attention over the mental number line, just as it does over physical lines. Further research should attempt to clarify the circumstances under which attention in physical and numerical space appears to be associated (e.g., Zorzi et al, 2002;Longo & Lourenco, 2007a) or dissociated (e.g., Doricci et al, 2005;van Dijck et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaching stimuli bias attention in numerical space

2012

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Increasing evidence suggests that common mechanisms underlie the direction of attention in physical space and numerical space, along the mental number line. The small leftward bias (pseudoneglect) found on paper-and-pencil line bisection is also observed when participants 'bisect' number pairs, estimating (without calculating) the number midway between two others. Here we investigated the effect of stimulus motion on attention in numerical space. A two-frame apparent motion paradigm manipulating stimulus size was used to produce the impression that pairs of numbers were approaching (size increase from first to second frame), receding (size decrease), or not moving (no size change). The magnitude of pseudoneglect increased for approaching numbers, even when the final stimulus size was held constant. This result is consistent with previous findings that pseudoneglect in numerical space (as in physical space) increases as stimuli are brought closer to the participant. It also suggests that the perception of stimulus motion modulates attention over the mental number line and provides further support for a connection between the neural representations of physical space and number.

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Non-spatial neglect for the mental number line

Cited by 50 publications

References 55 publications

How is Number Associated with Space? The Role of Working Memory

How is Number Associated with Space? The Role of Working Memory

Human Infants' Preference for Left-to-Right Oriented Increasing Numerical Sequences

Approaching stimuli bias attention in numerical space

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