TY - JOUR A1 - Sixtus, Elena A1 - Lindemann, Oliver A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Stimulating numbers BT - signatures of finger counting in numerosity processing JF - Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action N2 - Finger counting is one of the first steps in the development of mature number concepts. With a one-to-one correspondence of fingers to numbers in Western finger counting, fingers hold two numerical meanings: one is based on the number of fingers raised and the second is based on their ordinal position within the habitual finger counting sequence. This study investigated how these two numerical meanings of fingers are intertwined with numerical cognition in adults. Participants received tactile stimulation on their fingertips of one hand and named either the number of fingers stimulated (2, 3, or 4 fingers; Experiment 1) or the number of stimulations on one fingertip (2, 3, or 4 stimulations; Experiment 2). Responses were faster and more accurate when the set of stimulated fingers corresponded to finger counting habits (Experiment 1) and when the number of stimulations matched the ordinal position of the stimulated finger (Experiment 2). These results show that tactile numerosity perception is affected by individual finger counting habits and that those habits give numerical meaning to single fingers. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-0982-y SN - 0340-0727 SN - 1430-2772 VL - 84 IS - 1 SP - 152 EP - 167 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hartmann, Matthias A1 - Laubrock, Jochen A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - The visual number world BT - a dynamic approach to study the mathematical mind JF - The quarterly journal of experimental psychology N2 - In the domain of language research, the simultaneous presentation of a visual scene and its auditory description (i.e., the visual world paradigm) has been used to reveal the timing of mental mechanisms. Here we apply this rationale to the domain of numerical cognition in order to explore the differences between fast and slow arithmetic performance, and to further study the role of spatial-numerical associations during mental arithmetic. We presented 30 healthy adults simultaneously with visual displays containing four numbers and with auditory addition and subtraction problems. Analysis of eye movements revealed that participants look spontaneously at the numbers they currently process (operands, solution). Faster performance was characterized by shorter latencies prior to fixating the relevant numbers and fewer revisits to the first operand while computing the solution. These signatures of superior task performance were more pronounced for addition and visual numbers arranged in ascending order, and for subtraction and numbers arranged in descending order (compared to the opposite pairings). Our results show that the visual number world-paradigm provides on-line access to the mind during mental arithmetic, is able to capture variability in arithmetic performance, and is sensitive to visual layout manipulations that are otherwise not reflected in response time measurements. KW - Eye movements KW - Mental arithmetic KW - Mental number line KW - Visual world paradigm Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2016.1240812 SN - 1747-0218 SN - 1747-0226 VL - 71 IS - 1 SP - 28 EP - 36 PB - Sage Publ. CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhou, Yuefang A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Mimicking non-verbal emotional expressions and empathy development in simulated consultations BT - an experimental feasibility study JF - Patient education and counseling N2 - Objective: To explore the feasibility of applying an experimental design to study the relationship between non-verbal emotions and empathy development in simulated consultations. Method: In video-recorded simulated consultations, twenty clinicians were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (instructed to mimic non-verbal emotions of a simulated patient, SP) or a control group (no such instruction). Baseline empathy scores were obtained before consultation, relational empathy was rated by SP after consultation. Multilevel logistic regression modelled the probability of mimicry occurrence, controlling for baseline empathy and clinical experience. ANCOVA compared group differences on relational empathy and consultation smoothness. Results: Instructed mimicry lasted longer than spontaneous mimicry. Mimicry was marginally related to improved relational empathy. SP felt being treated more like a whole person during consultations with spontaneous mimicry. Clinicians who displayed spontaneous mimicry felt consultations went more smoothly. Conclusion: The experimental approach improved our understanding of how non-verbal emotional mimicry contributed to relational empathy development during consultations. Further work should ascertain the potential of instructed mimicry to enhance empathy development. Practice implications: Understanding how non-verbal emotional mimicry impacts on patients’ perceived clinician empathy during consultations may inform training and intervention programme development. KW - Mimicry KW - Non-verbal emotion KW - Empathy KW - Experimental design Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.08.016 SN - 0738-3991 VL - 101 IS - 2 SP - 304 EP - 309 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Clare ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Göbel, Silke M. A1 - McCrink, Koleen A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Observation of directional storybook reading influences young children’s counting direction JF - Journal of experimental child psychology N2 - Even before formal schooling, children map numbers onto space in a directional manner. The origin of this preliterate spatial–numerical association is still debated. We investigated the role of enculturation for shaping the directionality of the association between numbers and space, focusing on counting behavior in 3- to 5-year-old preliterate children. Two studies provide evidence that, after observing reading from storybooks (left-to-right or right-to-left reading) children change their counting direction in line with the direction of observed reading. Just observing visuospatial directional movements had no such effect on counting direction. Complementarily, we document that book illustrations, prevalent in children’s cultures, exhibit directionality that conforms to the direction of a culture’s written language. We propose that shared book reading activates spatiotemporal representations of order in young children, which in turn affect their spatial representation of numbers. KW - Counting direction KW - Cross-cultural KW - Mental number line KW - Reading KW - Spatial-numerical association KW - Preschool children Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2017.08.001 SN - 0022-0965 SN - 1096-0457 VL - 166 SP - 49 EP - 66 PB - Elsevier CY - New York ER - TY - GEN A1 - Jeglinski-Mende, Melinda A. A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Rezension zu: Varma, Sashank ; Schwartz, Daniel L.: The mental representation of integers : an abstract-to-concrete shift in the understanding of mathematical concepts. - Cognition. - 121 (2011), 3. - S. 363 - 385 T2 - Frontiers in psychology KW - cognitive development KW - mental number line KW - negative numbers KW - embodied cognition KW - abstract concepts Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00209 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Deconstructing spatial-numerical associations JF - Cognition : international journal of cognitive science N2 - Spatial-numerical associations (SNAs) have been studied extensively in the past two decades, always requiring either explicit magnitude processing or explicit spatial-directional processing. This means that the typical finding of an association of small numbers with left or bottom space and of larger numbers with right or top space could be due to these requirements and not the conceptual representation of numbers. The present study compares explicit and implicit magnitude processing in an implicit spatial-directional task and identifies SNAs as artefacts of either explicit magnitude processing or explicit spatial-directional processing; they do not reveal spatial conceptual links. This finding requires revision of current accounts of the relationship between numbers and space. KW - Go/no-go task KW - Implicit association task KW - Numerical cognition KW - SNARC effect Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.02.022 SN - 0010-0277 SN - 1873-7838 VL - 175 SP - 109 EP - 113 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kewenig, Viktor A1 - Zhou, Yuefang A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Commentary: Robots as intentional agents BT - Using neuroscientific methods to make robots appear more social T2 - Frontiers in psychology KW - intentionality KW - social robots KW - verbal reports KW - humanoid KW - turing test Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01131 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Number concepts: abstract and embodied JF - Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences N2 - Numerical knowledge, including number concepts and arithmetic procedures, seems to be a clear-cut case for abstract symbol manipulation. Yet, evidence from perceptual and motor behaviour reveals that natural number knowledge and simple arithmetic also remain closely associated with modal experiences. Following a review of behavioural, animal and neuroscience studies of number processing, we propose a revised understanding of psychological number concepts as grounded in physical constraints, embodied in experience and situated through task-specific intentions. The idea that number concepts occupy a range of positions on the continuum between abstract and modal conceptual knowledge also accounts for systematic heuristics and biases in mental arithmetic, thus inviting psycho-logical approaches to the study of the mathematical mind. KW - embodied cognition KW - mental arithmetic KW - mental number line KW - numerical cognition KW - SNARC effect Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0125 SN - 0962-8436 SN - 1471-2970 VL - 373 IS - 1752 PB - Royal Society CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ronasi, Golnoush A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Zimmermann, Malte T1 - Language and Arithmetic BT - a failure to find cross cognitive domain semantic priming between exception phrases and subtraction or addition JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - We examined cross-domain semantic priming effects between arithmetic and language. We paired subtractions with their linguistic equivalent, exception phrases (EPs) with positive quantifiers (e.g., "everybody except John") while pairing additions with their own linguistic equivalent, EPs with negative quantifiers (e.g., "nobody except John"; Moltmann, 1995). We hypothesized that EPs with positive quantifiers prime subtractions and inhibit additions while EPs with negative quantifiers prime additions and inhibit subtractions. Furthermore, we expected similar priming and inhibition effects from arithmetic into semantics. Our design allowed for a bidirectional analysis by using one trial's target as the prime for the next trial. Two experiments failed to show significant priming effects in either direction. Implications and possible shortcomings are explored in the general discussion. KW - cross-domain priming KW - language KW - arithmetic KW - information integration KW - cognitive module Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01524 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Miklashevsky, Alex A. A1 - Lindemann, Oliver A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Think of the future in the right way BT - Processing time activates the motor system T2 - Cognitive processing : international quarterly of cognitive science Y1 - 2018 SN - 1612-4782 SN - 1612-4790 VL - 19 SP - S46 EP - S46 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - GEN A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Commentary on: Elizabeth H. Toomarian; Edward M. Hubbard: On the genesis of spatial-numerical associations : evolutionary and cultural factors co-construct the mental number line. - In: Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews. - 90 (2018), S. 184 - 199 T2 - Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews : official journal of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.002 SN - 0149-7634 SN - 1873-7528 VL - 95 SP - 189 EP - 190 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bar, Hofit A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Algom, Daniel T1 - On the linear representation of numbers BT - Evidence from a new two-numbers-to-two positions task JF - Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action N2 - In the number-to-position methodology, a number is presented on each trial and the observer places it on a straight line in a position that corresponds to its felt subjective magnitude. In the novel modification introduced in this study, the two-numbers-to-two-positions method, a pair of numbers rather than a single number is presented on each trial and the observer places them in appropriate positions on the same line. Responses in this method indicate not only the subjective magnitude of each single number but, simultaneously, provide a direct estimation of their subjective numerical distance. The results of four experiments provide strong evidence for a linear representation of numbers and, commensurately, for the linear representation of numerical distances. We attribute earlier results that indicate a logarithmic representation to the ordered nature of numbers and to the task used and not to a truly non-linear underlying representation. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1063-y SN - 0340-0727 SN - 1430-2772 VL - 83 IS - 1 SP - 48 EP - 63 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Karsten A1 - Raab, Markus A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Moving arms BT - the effects of sensorimotor information on the problem-solving process JF - Thinking & Reasoning N2 - Embodied cognition postulates a bi-directional link between the human body and its cognitive functions. Whether this holds for higher cognitive functions such as problem solving is unknown. We predicted that arm movement manipulations performed by the participants could affect the problem-solving solutions. We tested this prediction in quantitative reasoning tasks that allowed two solutions to each problem (addition or subtraction). In two studies with healthy adults (N=53 and N=50), we found an effect of problem-congruent movements on problem solutions. Consistent with embodied cognition, sensorimotor information gained via right or left arm movements affects the solution in different types of problem-solving tasks. KW - Embodied cognition KW - eye movements KW - problem solving Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2018.1494630 SN - 1354-6783 SN - 1464-0708 VL - 25 IS - 2 SP - 171 EP - 191 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Repeating Numbers Reduces Results: Violations of the Identity Axiom in Mental Arithmetic JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Even simple mental arithmetic is fraught with cognitive biases. For example, adding repeated numbers (so-called tie problems, e.g., 2 + 2) not only has a speed and accuracy advantage over adding different numbers (e.g., 1 + 3) but may also lead to under-representation of the result relative to a standard value (Charras et al., 2012, 2014). Does the tie advantage merely reflect easier encoding or retrieval compared to non-ties, or also a distorted result representation? To answer this question, 47 healthy adults performed two tasks, both of which indicated under-representation of tie results: In a result-to-position pointing task (Experiment 1) we measured the spatial mapping of numbers and found a left-bias for tie compared to non-tie problems. In a result-to-line-length production task (Experiment 2) we measured the underlying magnitude representation directly and obtained shorter lines for tie-compared to non-tie problems. These observations suggest that the processing benefit of tie problems comes at the cost of representational reduction of result meaning. This conclusion is discussed in the context of a recent model of arithmetic heuristics and biases. KW - AHAB KW - cognitive bias KW - mental arithmetic KW - numerical cognition KW - operational momentum KW - SNARC KW - tie problems Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02453 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Miklashevsky, Alex A. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Commentary : The Developmental Trajectory of the Operational Momentum Effect JF - Frontiers in Psychology KW - embodied cognition KW - operational momentum KW - SNARC effect KW - mental arithmetic KW - numerical cognition Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02259 SN - 1664-1078 N1 - A Commentary on The Developmental Trajectory of the Operational Momentum Effect by Pinheiro-Chagas, P., Didino, D., Haase, V. G., Wood, G., and Knops, A. (2018). Front. Psychol. 9:1062 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01062 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Werner, Karsten A1 - Raab, Markus A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Moving arms BT - the effects of sensorimotor information on the problem-solving process T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Embodied cognition postulates a bi-directional link between the human body and its cognitive functions. Whether this holds for higher cognitive functions such as problem solving is unknown. We predicted that arm movement manipulations performed by the participants could affect the problem-solving solutions. We tested this prediction in quantitative reasoning tasks that allowed two solutions to each problem (addition or subtraction). In two studies with healthy adults (N=53 and N=50), we found an effect of problem-congruent movements on problem solutions. Consistent with embodied cognition, sensorimotor information gained via right or left arm movements affects the solution in different types of problem-solving tasks. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 488 KW - embodied cognition KW - eye movements KW - problem solving Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-420579 UR - urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-420579 SN - 1866-8364 IS - 488 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ronasi, Golnoush A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Zimmermann, Malte T1 - Language and Arithmetic BT - A Failure to Find Cross Cognitive Domain Semantic Priming Between Exception Phrases and Subtraction or Addition T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - We examined cross-domain semantic priming effects between arithmetic and language. We paired subtractions with their linguistic equivalent, exception phrases (EPs) with positive quantifiers (e.g., “everybody except John”) while pairing additions with their own linguistic equivalent, EPs with negative quantifiers (e.g., “nobody except John”; Moltmann, 1995). We hypothesized that EPs with positive quantifiers prime subtractions and inhibit additions while EPs with negative quantifiers prime additions and inhibit subtractions. Furthermore, we expected similar priming and inhibition effects from arithmetic into semantics. Our design allowed for a bidirectional analysis by using one trial's target as the prime for the next trial. Two experiments failed to show significant priming effects in either direction. Implications and possible shortcomings are explored in the general discussion. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 469 KW - cross-domain priming KW - language KW - arithmetic KW - information integration KW - cognitive module Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-417278 IS - 469 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ronasi, Golnoush A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Zimmermann, Malte T1 - Language and Arithmetic BT - A Failure to Find Cross Cognitive Domain Semantic Priming Between Exception Phrases and Subtraction or Addition JF - Frontiers in Psychology N2 - We examined cross-domain semantic priming effects between arithmetic and language. We paired subtractions with their linguistic equivalent, exception phrases (EPs) with positive quantifiers (e.g., “everybody except John”) while pairing additions with their own linguistic equivalent, EPs with negative quantifiers (e.g., “nobody except John”; Moltmann, 1995). We hypothesized that EPs with positive quantifiers prime subtractions and inhibit additions while EPs with negative quantifiers prime additions and inhibit subtractions. Furthermore, we expected similar priming and inhibition effects from arithmetic into semantics. Our design allowed for a bidirectional analysis by using one trial's target as the prime for the next trial. Two experiments failed to show significant priming effects in either direction. Implications and possible shortcomings are explored in the general discussion. KW - cross-domain priming KW - language KW - arithmetic KW - information integration KW - cognitive module Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01524 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Why Numbers Are Embodied Concepts T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 440 KW - arithmetic KW - numerical cognition KW - number concepts KW - embodied cognition KW - philosophy of science Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-412097 IS - 440 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Why Numbers Are Embodied Concepts JF - Frontiers in Psychology KW - arithmetic KW - numerical cognition KW - number concepts KW - embodied cognition KW - philosophy of science Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02347 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 8 SP - 1 EP - 3 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER -