Options
Multiplication facts and the mental number line: evidence from unbounded number line estimation
Journal
Psychological Research
ISSN
0340-0727
ISSN-Digital
1430-2772
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2014-01-03
Author(s)
Abstract
A spatial representation of number magnitude, aka the mental number line, is considered one of the basic numerical representations. One way to assess it is number line estimation (e.g., positioning 43 on a number line ranging from 0 to 100). Recently, a new unbounded version of the number line estimation task was suggested: without labeled endpoints but a predefined unit, which was argued to provide a purer measure of spatial numerical representations. To further investigate the processes determining estimation performance in the unbounded number line task, we used an adapted version with variable units other than 1 to evaluate influences of (i) the size of a given unit and (ii) multiples of the units as target numbers on participants' estimation pattern. We observed that estimations got faster and more accurate with increasing unit sizes. On the other hand, multiples of a predefined unit were estimated faster, but not more accurately than non-multiples. These results indicate an influence of multiplication fact knowledge on spatial numerical processing.
Language
English
Keywords
unbounded number line estimation task
dead-reckoning strategy
multiplicativity effect
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Springer
Publisher place
Berlin
Volume
2014
Number
forthcoming
Start page
1
End page
9
Pages
9
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
228758