The development of numerosity estimation: Evidence for a linear number representation early in life
- Several studies investigating the development of approximate number representations used the number-to-position task and reported evidence for a shift from a logarithmic to a linear representation of numerical magnitude with increasing age. However, this interpretation as well as the number-to-position method itself has been questioned recently. The current study tested 5- and 8-year-old children on a newly established numerosity production task to examine developmental changes in number representations and to test the idea of a representational shift. Modelling of the children's numerical estimations revealed that responses of the 8-year-old children approximate a simple positive linear relation between estimated and actual numbers. Interestingly, however, the estimations of the 5-year-old children were best described by a bilinear model reflecting a relatively accurate linear representation of small numbers and no apparent magnitude knowledge for large numbers. Taken together, our findings provide no support for a shift of mentalSeveral studies investigating the development of approximate number representations used the number-to-position task and reported evidence for a shift from a logarithmic to a linear representation of numerical magnitude with increasing age. However, this interpretation as well as the number-to-position method itself has been questioned recently. The current study tested 5- and 8-year-old children on a newly established numerosity production task to examine developmental changes in number representations and to test the idea of a representational shift. Modelling of the children's numerical estimations revealed that responses of the 8-year-old children approximate a simple positive linear relation between estimated and actual numbers. Interestingly, however, the estimations of the 5-year-old children were best described by a bilinear model reflecting a relatively accurate linear representation of small numbers and no apparent magnitude knowledge for large numbers. Taken together, our findings provide no support for a shift of mental representations from a logarithmic to a linear metric but rather suggest that the range of number words which are appropriately conceptualised and represented by linear analogue magnitude codes expands during development.…
Verfasserangaben: | Janny C. Stapel, Sabine Hunnius, Harold Bekkering, Oliver LindemannORCiD |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2014.995668 |
ISSN: | 2044-5911 |
ISSN: | 2044-592X |
Titel des übergeordneten Werks (Englisch): | Journal of cognitive psychology |
Verlag: | Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group |
Verlagsort: | Abingdon |
Publikationstyp: | Wissenschaftlicher Artikel |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2015 |
Erscheinungsjahr: | 2015 |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 27.03.2017 |
Freies Schlagwort / Tag: | Bilinear models; Development; Number cognition; Number representation; Numerical estimation |
Band: | 27 |
Ausgabe: | 4 |
Seitenanzahl: | 13 |
Erste Seite: | 400 |
Letzte Seite: | 412 |
Organisationseinheiten: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Strukturbereich Kognitionswissenschaften / Department Psychologie |
Peer Review: | Referiert |
Name der Einrichtung zum Zeitpunkt der Publikation: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Psychologie |