title: Holistic representation of negative numbers is formed when needed for the task.
abstract: Past research suggested that negative numbers are represented in terms of their components--the polarity marker and the number (e.g., Fischer & Rottmann, 2005; Ganor-Stern & Tzelgov, 2008). The present study shows that a holistic representation is formed when needed for the task requirement. Specifically, performing the numerical comparison task on positive and negative numbers presented sequentially required participants to hold both the polarity and the number magnitude in memory. Such a condition resulted in a holistic representation of negative numbers, as indicated by the distance and semantic congruity effects. This holistic representation was added to the initial components representation, thus producing a hybrid holistic-components representation.
authors.affiliation: Achva Academic College, Israel. danaga@bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ganor-Stern
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinhas
authors.forename: Arava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kallai
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tzelgov
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012660:Semantics; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities