Automaticity for numerical magnitude of two-digit Arabic numbers in children.
This paper examines the automatic processing of the numerical magnitude of two-digit Arabic numbers using a Stroop-like task in school-aged children. Second, third, and fourth graders performed physical size judgments on pairs of two-digit numbers varying on both physical and numerical dimensions. To investigate the importance of synchrony between the speed of processing of the numerical magnitude and the physical dimensions on the size congruity effect (SCE), we used masked priming: numerical magnitude was subliminally primed in half of the trials, while neutral priming was used in the other half. The results indicate a SCE in physical judgments, providing the evidence of automatic access to the magnitude of two-digit numbers in children. This effect was modulated by the priming type, as a SCE only appeared when the numerical magnitude was primed. This suggests that young children needed a relative synchronization of numerical and physical dimensions to access the magnitude of two-digit numbers automatically.
Mussolin
Christophe
C
Cognition and Development Department, Louvain School of Psychology, Catholic University of Louvain, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. christophe.mussolin@uclouvain.be
Noël
Marie-Pascale
MP
D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention; D001332:Automatism / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D003210:Concept Formation; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011340:Problem Solving; D012858:Size Perception