TY - JOUR A1 - Belli, Francesco A1 - Felisatti, Arianna A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - "BreaThink" BT - breathing affects production and perception of quantities JF - Experimental brain research N2 - Cognition is shaped by signals from outside and within the body. Following recent evidence of interoceptive signals modulating higher-level cognition, we examined whether breathing changes the production and perception of quantities. In Experiment 1, 22 adults verbally produced on average larger random numbers after inhaling than after exhaling. In Experiment 2, 24 further adults estimated the numerosity of dot patterns that were briefly shown after either inhaling or exhaling. Again, we obtained on average larger responses following inhalation than exhalation. These converging results extend models of situated cognition according to which higher-level cognition is sensitive to transient interoceptive states. KW - breathing KW - embodied cognition KW - interoception KW - numerical cognition KW - situated cognition Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06147-z SN - 0014-4819 SN - 1432-1106 VL - 239 IS - 8 SP - 2489 EP - 2499 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Miklashevsky, Alex A1 - Lindemann, Oliver A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - The force of numbers BT - Investigating manual signatures of embodied number processing JF - Frontiers in human neuroscience / Frontiers Research Foundation N2 - The study has two objectives: (1) to introduce grip force recording as a new technique for studying embodied numerical processing; and (2) to demonstrate how three competing accounts of numerical magnitude representation can be tested by using this new technique: the Mental Number Line (MNL), A Theory of Magnitude (ATOM) and Embodied Cognition (finger counting-based) account. While 26 healthy adults processed visually presented single digits in a go/no-go n-back paradigm, their passive holding forces for two small sensors were recorded in both hands. Spontaneous and unconscious grip force changes related to number magnitude occurred in the left hand already 100-140 ms after stimulus presentation and continued systematically. Our results support a two-step model of number processing where an initial stage is related to the automatic activation of all stimulus properties whereas a later stage consists of deeper conscious processing of the stimulus. This interpretation generalizes previous work with linguistic stimuli and elaborates the timeline of embodied cognition. We hope that the use of grip force recording will advance the field of numerical cognition research. KW - ATOM KW - embodied cognition KW - finger counting KW - grip force KW - mental number KW - line KW - number processing KW - numerical cognition Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.590508 SN - 1662-5161 VL - 14 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Felisatti, Arianna A1 - Laubrock, Jochen A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - A biological foundation for spatial–numerical associations BT - the brain's asymmetric frequency tuning JF - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences N2 - "Left" and "right" coordinates control our spatial behavior and even influence abstract thoughts. For number concepts, horizontal spatial-numerical associations (SNAs) have been widely documented: we associate few with left and many with right. Importantly, increments are universally coded on the right side even in preverbal humans and nonhuman animals, thus questioning the fundamental role of directional cultural habits, such as reading or finger counting. Here, we propose a biological, nonnumerical mechanism for the origin of SNAs on the basis of asymmetric tuning of animal brains for different spatial frequencies (SFs). The resulting selective visual processing predicts both universal SNAs and their context-dependence. We support our proposal by analyzing the stimuli used to document SNAs in newborns for their SF content. As predicted, the SFs contained in visual patterns with few versus many elements preferentially engage right versus left brain hemispheres, respectively, thus predicting left-versus rightward behavioral biases. Our "brain's asymmetric frequency tuning" hypothesis explains the perceptual origin of horizontal SNAs for nonsymbolic visual numerosities and might be extensible to the auditory domain. KW - hemispheric asymmetry KW - numerical cognition KW - SNARC effect KW - spatial KW - frequency tuning KW - spatial-numerical associations KW - spatial vision Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14418 SN - 0077-8923 SN - 1749-6632 VL - 1477 IS - 1 SP - 44 EP - 53 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - GEN A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Miklashevsky, Alex A. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Commentary : The Developmental Trajectory of the Operational Momentum Effect T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 502 KW - embodied cognition KW - operational momentum KW - SNARC effect KW - mental arithmetic KW - numerical cognition Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-423169 SN - 1866-8364 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 IS - 502 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 - 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. 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 - 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. 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 - THES A1 - Sixtus, Elena T1 - Subtle fingers – tangible numbers: The influence of finger counting experience on mental number representations T1 - Der Einfluss von Fingerzählerfahrung auf mentale Zahlenrepräsentationen N2 - Numbers are omnipresent in daily life. They vary in display format and in their meaning so that it does not seem self-evident that our brains process them more or less easily and flexibly. The present thesis addresses mental number representations in general, and specifically the impact of finger counting on mental number representations. Finger postures that result from finger counting experience are one of many ways to convey numerical information. They are, however, probably the one where the numerical content becomes most tangible. By investigating the role of fingers in adults’ mental number representations the four presented studies also tested the Embodied Cognition hypothesis which predicts that bodily experience (e.g., finger counting) during concept acquisition (e.g., number concepts) stays an immanent part of these concepts. The studies focussed on different aspects of finger counting experience. First, consistency and further details of spontaneously used finger configurations were investigated when participants repeatedly produced finger postures according to specific numbers (Study 1). Furthermore, finger counting postures (Study 2), different finger configurations (Study 2 and 4), finger movements (Study 3), and tactile finger perception (Study 4) were investigated regarding their capability to affect number processing. Results indicated that active production of finger counting postures and single finger movements as well as passive perception of tactile stimulation of specific fingers co-activated associated number knowledge and facilitated responses towards corresponding magnitudes and number symbols. Overall, finger counting experience was reflected in specific effects in mental number processing of adult participants. This indicates that finger counting experience is an immanent part of mental number representations. Findings are discussed in the light of a novel model. The MASC (Model of Analogue and Symbolic Codes) combines and extends two established models of number and magnitude processing. Especially a symbolic motor code is introduced as an essential part of the model. It comprises canonical finger postures (i.e., postures that are habitually used to represent numbers) and finger-number associations. The present findings indicate that finger counting functions both as a sensorimotor magnitude and as a symbolic representational format and that it thereby directly mediates between physical and symbolic size. The implications are relevant both for basic research regarding mental number representations and for pedagogic practices regarding the effectiveness of finger counting as a means to acquire a fundamental grasp of numbers. N2 - Zahlen begegnen uns allerorts im täglichen Leben und variieren sowohl in ihrer Darstellungsform als auch in ihrer Bedeutung, sodass es verblüfft, wie unser Hirn sie mehr oder weniger problemlos und flexibel verarbeiten kann. Die mentale Repräsentation von Zahlen im Allgemeinen bzw. die Bedeutung des Fingerzählens für das mentale Zahlenkonzept im Speziellen sind Inhalt der vorliegenden Arbeit. Fingerposen, die sich aus der Fingerzählerfahrung ergeben, sind eine von vielen Arten, numerische Information zu vermitteln – und sie sind vermutlich diejenige, bei der der numerische Inhalt am greifbarsten wird. In den vier vorgestellten Studien wurde untersucht, inwiefern noch bei Erwachsenen deren Zahlenrepräsentationen „in den Fingern“ verankert sind. Die Grundlage bildet der Embodied Cognition-Ansatz, welcher vorhersagt, dass die körperlichen Erfahrungen (z.B. Fingerzählen), durch welche kognitive Konzepte (z.B. Zahlen) erworben wurden, stets Teil dieser kognitiven Konzepte bleiben. Der Schwerpunkt der vorgestellten Studien lag dabei auf unterschiedlichen Aspekten der Fingerzählerfahrung. Zunächst wurde erfasst, wie Personen Zahlen spontan mit ihren Händen zeigten und wie konsistent sie in der Wahl der Fingerkonfigurationen waren (Studie 1). Weiterhin wurde getestet, inwiefern Fingerzählposen (Studie 2), unterschiedliche Fingerkonfigurationen (Studie 2 und 4), Fingerbewegungen (Studie 3) und taktile Fingerwahrnehmung (Studie 4) numerische Konzepte zu primen vermögen. Die berichteten Effekte deuteten darauf hin, dass die Ausführung von Fingerzählposen und Bewegungen einzelner Finger sowie die taktile Stimulation von spezifischen Fingern das entsprechende sensomotorisch verankerte bzw. symbolisch assoziierte Zahlenwissen aktivierte und dadurch Reaktionen auf die entsprechenden Magnituden oder Zahlensymbole erleichterte. Insgesamt zeigten die Ergebnisse aller Studien, dass Fingerzählerfahrung in spezifischen Effekten in der mentalen Zahlenverarbeitung bei Erwachsenen wiederzufinden ist, was dafür spricht, dass sie ein fester Bestandteil von mentalen Zahlenrepräsentationen ist. Die Befunde werden weiterhin insbesondere im Lichte eines neuen Modells betrachtet. Das MASC (Model of Analogue and Symbolic Codes) beruft sich auf zwei etablierte Modelle der Zahlen- und Magnitudenverarbeitung und erweitert diese. Insbesondere ein symbolischer motorischer Code, welcher kanonische Fingerposen (also solche, welche üblicherweise zur Darstellung von Zahlen genutzt werden) und Finger-Zahl-Assoziationen beinhaltet, wird als wichtiger Bestandteil des MASC vorgestellt. Die vorliegenden Befunde weisen darauf hin, dass Fingerzählen sowohl als sensomotorische Magnitude als auch als symbolische Zahlenrepräsentation fungiert und auf diesem Wege direkt zwischen physikalischer und symbolischer Größe vermittelt. Die Ergebnisse und deren Implikationen betreffen sowohl die Grundlagenforschung bezüglich mentaler Zahlenrepräsentation als auch die angewandte Pädagogik bezüglich der Effektivität des Fingerzählens als Mittel zur Erreichung eines kompetenten Zahlenverständnisses. KW - numerical cognition KW - finger counting KW - mental number representations KW - Model of Analogue and Symbolic Codes KW - MASC KW - numerische Kognition KW - mentale Zahlenrepräsentation KW - Fingerzählen Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-420115 ER -