The development of automatic numerosity processing in preschoolers: Evidence for numerosity-perceptual interference.

Abstract

Three experiments examined developmental changes in the automatic processing of numerosity and perceptual information using a nonsymbolic numerical Stroop paradigm. In Experiments 1 and 2 (E1 and E2), 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds had to compare the numerosities or the total filled areas of collections of dots (E1) or bars (E2) varying along both dimensions. Experiment 3 replicated E2's results in 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds. Results demonstrated the existence of reciprocal influences between numerical and perceptual information beginning at age 3. Moreover, the irrelevant perceptual influences remained stable throughout development, whereas the sensitivity to irrelevant numerical cues tended to increase with age despite children's growing inhibition capacities. No significant correlation could be found between these developmental changes and the acquisition of counting knowledge. Document type : Article de périodique (Journal article) Référence bibliographiqueRousselle, Laurence ; Noël, Marie-Pascale. The development of automatic numerosity processing in preschoolers: evidence for numerosity-perceptual

Mastery of the counting principles in toddlers: A crucial step in the development of budding arithmetic abilities?

“…A lot of possible powerful predictors besides the counting abilities were not taken into account in this research. Increasing evidence has been found for an important role of logic thinking abilities (e.g., Stock et al, 2007), numeracy (e.g., Desoete et al, 2004;Rousselle & Noël, 2008) and executive functions (e.g., Mazzocco & Kover, 2007;Van der Sluis, de Jong, & van der Leij, 2007) in the development of later arithmetic abilities. Fayol, Barrouillet and Marinthe (1998) found neuro-psychological tests to have good predictive value for performances on arithmetic tests in 5-to 6-year-old children.…”

Evidence of the impact of visuo-spatial processing on magnitude representation in 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome

“…Later on, the influence of parallel surface processing decreases (Rousselle & Noël, 2008) but even adults continue to be sensitive to perceptual dimensions in their numerical judgments (Gebuis & Reynvoet, 2012a, 2012bSzucs, Nobes, Devine, Gabriel, & Gebuis, 2013). Even if the majority of studies currently try to control the influence of perceptual variables when assessing non-symbolic magnitude processing Halberda, Mazzocco, & Feigenson, 2008;Mazzocco, Feigenson, & Halberda, 2011;Piazza et al, 2010;Piazza, Izard, Pinel, Le Bihan, & Dehaene, 2004), the visual stimulus properties (e.g., surface, density) cannot be controlled for in each individual trial (Gebuis & Reynvoet, 2011, 2012a.…”

“…Indeed, a large number of studies have shown that numerical judgments are highly influenced by the visual perceptual properties of the stimulus (e.g. density, sum of perimeter, surface area, length, size…) in children and adults (Dormal & Pesenti, 2007;Gebuis, Cohen Kadosh, de Haan, & Henik, 2009;Rousselle & Noël, 2008;Rousselle, Palmers, & Noël, 2004). Some studies even fail to find any evidence of a sensitivity to numerical differences when the perceptual variables, which naturally covary with numerosities, are strictly controlled for (Clearfield & Mix, 1999, 2001Feigenson, Carey, & Spelke, 2002;Mix, 2002;Rousselle et al, 2004).…”

Executive function effects and numerical development in children: Behavioural and ERP evidence from a numerical Stroop paradigm

“…Its existence has been shown consistently in number comparison or number discrimination tasks given to animals (e.g. Mechner, 1958;Platt & Johnson, 1971;Whalen, Gallistel, & Gelman, 1999;Gallistel & Gelman, 2000;Cantlon & Brannin, 2007), infants (Brannon, Abbot, & Lutz, 2004;Xu & Arriaga, 2007;Xu & Spelke, 2000), children (Rouselle & Noël, 2008;Sekuler & Mierkiewitz, 1977), and adults (for reviews see: Gallistel & Gelman, 2000;Feigenson, Dehaene, & Spelke, 2004;Dehaene, Molko, Cohen, & Wilson, 2004;Cantlon et al, 2008). The fact that the NDE is found across species and ages in number discrimination tasks suggests that we all share an evolutionary inherited, common representation of approximate numerical magnitudes.…”