title: Is order the defining feature of magnitude representation? An ERP study on learning numerical magnitude and spatial order of artificial symbols.
abstract: Using an artificial-number learning paradigm and the ERP technique, the present study investigated neural mechanisms involved in the learning of magnitude and spatial order. 54 college students were divided into 2 groups matched in age, gender, and school major. One group was asked to learn the associations between magnitude (dot patterns) and the meaningless Gibson symbols, and the other group learned the associations between spatial order (horizontal positions on the screen) and the same set of symbols. Results revealed differentiated neural mechanisms underlying the learning processes of symbolic magnitude and spatial order. Compared to magnitude learning, spatial-order learning showed a later and reversed distance effect. Furthermore, an analysis of the order-priming effect showed that order was not inherent to the learning of magnitude. Results of this study showed a dissociation between magnitude and order, which supports the numerosity code hypothesis of mental representations of magnitude.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chuansheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hongchuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xinlin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Leilei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhongyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001519:Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological; D011930:Reaction Time; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult