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Toward a Comprehensive Developmental Theory for Symbolic Magnitude Understanding

Park, Hyekyung
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu159136679184101

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Whether (and when) Arabic numerals are represented by the approximate number system (ANS) is a subject of long-standing interest in the field of numerical cognition, with seemingly contradictory results reported in studies of educated adults, school-aged children, and children too young to enter school. Here we tested a developmental framework that can reconcile these discrepancies in 186 4-year-olds to 12-year-olds and 66 adults. The framework posits that numerical understanding progresses through three continuous phases: (1) a phase in which an approximate sense of discrete number is present, but numeric symbols are meaningless, (2) a phase in which numeric symbols are mapped to the ANS, and (3) a phase in which numeric symbols seem to be estranged from the ANS, but are represented approximately and treated like continuous quantity. In addition, we tested if multiple phases coexist in a given age range. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to compare quantities ranged between 1-9, 10-99, and 100-999 which were presented in dot-dot and numeral-numeral formats. Consistent with the framework, we found evidence for all three phases, depending on age and numerical magnitude. Comparing numerals were slower than comparing dot arrays in the youngest age group (phase 1), but became similar (phase 2) or faster (phase 3) in the order of quantities 1-9, quantities 10-99 and quantities 100-999. This gradual change from small to large quantities yielded coexistence of multiple phases during childhood. We further provided support for the three-phase theory by using dot-numeral comparison task (Experiment 2). Comparing different formats of magnitudes was affected by the ratio, and the ratio effect increased with age and decreased in larger numeric range. The results from Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 illustrated that meanings of symbolic numerals are acquired by mapping symbols to the ANS and the different formats of magnitudes are processed by the ANS after the mapping. In addition, symbolic numerals are represented approximately until adulthood.
John Opfer (Advisor)
Vladimir Sloutsky (Committee Member)
Stephen Petrill (Committee Member)
60 p.
Psychology
Numerical cognition, magnitude comparison

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Park, H. (2020). Toward a Comprehensive Developmental Theory for Symbolic Magnitude Understanding [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu159136679184101

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Park, Hyekyung. Toward a Comprehensive Developmental Theory for Symbolic Magnitude Understanding. 2020. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu159136679184101.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Park, Hyekyung. "Toward a Comprehensive Developmental Theory for Symbolic Magnitude Understanding." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu159136679184101

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu159136679184101
105
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.