The role of working memory in the association between number magnitude and space

Herrera, Amparo; Macizo, Pedro; Semenza, Carlo

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2008.01.002

Cited by 107 publications

(124 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The role of WM for the SNARC effect was further investigated with secondary tasks that loaded specific components of WM. Herrera, Macizo, and Semenza (2008) found that a visuospatial WM load abolished the SNARC effect in a number comparison task. Van Dijck, Gevers and Fias (2009) A plausible hypothesis is that serial position in WM rather than number magnitude is associated with space.…”

Section: The Snarc Effect: Driven By Serial Position In Working Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assuming that even while performing simple classification tasks on number (like parity judgment or number comparison), participants encode the numbers that are used in the experiment in WM as part of the task-set that stores stimuli and responses to facilitate efficient task execution (Monsell, 2003) and that they spontaneously make use of the inherent ordinal structure of the number system and systematically map numbers to the temporary task-set store as a function of numerical magnitude, this provides a unitary explanation for a whole variety of SNARC phenomena that have been reported. First, the dilution of the SNARC effect under WM load (Herrera et al, 2008;van Dijck et al, 2009) naturally follows. Second, the fact that the SNARC effect has been observed when number magnitude is irrelevant for the task (e.g.…”

Section: The Snarc Effect: Driven By Serial Position In Working Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The temporary nature of number—space interactions.

Fias¹,

Dijck²

2016

Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne

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It is commonly accepted that the mental representation and processing of number and of space are tightly linked. This is evident from studies showing relations between math ability and visuospatial skill. Also, math instruction and education rely strongly on visuospatial tools and strategies. The dominant explanation for these number-space interactions is that the mental representation of numbers takes the form of a mental number line with numbers positioned in ascending order according to our reading habits. A long-standing debate is whether the link between numbers and space can be considered as evidence for a spatial number representation in long-term semantic memory, or whether this spatial frame is a temporary representation that emerges in working memory (WM) during task execution. Here we give an overview of our recent work that indicates that basic number processing tasks do not operate on a long-term spatial memory representation, but on a representation constructed in serial order WM, where the elements are spatially coded as a function of their ordinal position in the memorized sequence.Implications for a new theoretical framework linking serial order WM and basic number processing are discussed.

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Section: The Snarc Effect: Driven By Serial Position In Working Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Snarc Effect: Driven By Serial Position In Working Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

The temporary nature of number—space interactions.

Fias¹,

Dijck²

2016

Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne

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“…This has been tested by evaluating the effect of working memory load on the SNARC effect. Herrerra et al [37] and van Dijck et al [38] showed that the SNARC effect in magnitude comparison disappears when visuospatial working memory is loaded (by Corsi block configurations). Van Dijck et al additionally showed that in parity judgement it is verbal working memory load that abolished the SNARC effect.…”

Section: The Snarc Effect: a Crucial Role For Working Memorymentioning

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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“…Pourtant, alors que les voyants et les aveugles tardifs manifestent un effet SNARC classique dans les tâches de comparaison de nombres et de jugement de parité, les personnes aveugles précoces manifestent un effet SNARC classique dans la tâche de jugement de parité (Figure 2B), mais un effet SNARC inversé lorsqu'ils réalisent la tâche de comparaison de nombres avec les mains croisées ( Figure 2A) [36]. Cette nuance par rapport à l'étude de Castronovo et Seron [32] est importante dans la mesure où elle soutient l'idée selon laquelle différentes informations spatiales pourraient être engagées dans des tâches numériques spécifiques [37,38] : une information visuospatiale dans la tâche de comparaison de nombres versus une information verbale-spatiale dans la tâche de jugement de parité. En accord avec ce cadre théorique, la privation visuelle précoce aurait un impact sur la nature du cadre de référence visuo-spatial impliqué dans la tâche de comparaison de nombre mais n'aurait, au contraire, aucun impact sur la nature du cadre de référence verbalspatial impliqué dans la tâche de jugement de parité (voir aussi [39] pour des résultats similaires avec une tâche de congruité espace-temps).…”

Section: Chez Les Non-voyantsunclassified

Cognition numérique : que peuvent nous apprendre les personnes non-voyantes ?

Crollen

Collignon

2016

Med Sci (Paris)

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> Deux fonctions visuo-motrices jouent un rôle important dans le développement des compétences numériques : (1) La vision joue un rôle fondamental dans le traitement des informations environnementales chez la personne voyante en permettant une analyse extrêmement pré-cise de l'espace et des objets qui l'entourent. Depuis fort longtemps, les conséquences de la perte de la vision et les interrogations quant aux mécanismes pouvant pallier l'absence de celle-ci alimentent les débats et passionnent les chercheurs. Qu'arrive-t-il lorsque la vision n'est plus disponible et que nous devons modifier notre utilisation des autres modalités sensorielles afin d'en compenser la perte ? Quelles sont les incidences cognitives réelles de la cécité ? Telle est la question à laquelle nous allons essayer de répondre dans cette revue. Nous étudierons plus particulièrement la façon dont la privation visuelle influence la représentation que nous avons des nombres. Centré sur le développe-ment et la compréhension du système numérique, cet article n'aborde pas tous les aspects de la cognition. Cependant, nous pensons qu'il peut être utile aux cliniciens et aux chercheurs en sciences cognitives. Étudier Vignette (Photo © Inserm -Christophe Baudouin).

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The role of working memory in the association between number magnitude and space

Cited by 107 publications

References 28 publications

The temporary nature of number—space interactions.

The temporary nature of number—space interactions.

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

Cognition numérique : que peuvent nous apprendre les personnes non-voyantes ?

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