title: Dissociating number line estimations from underlying numerical representations.
abstract: Estimation patterns in the number line task are usually interpreted to indicate the (logarithmic or linear) nature of the underlying mental number line. However, indicators of the to-be-achieved linear representation may also be confounded with task requirements or strategies to achieve optimal task performance. In this study, we dissociated correct task performance from indices of a linear representation. Therefore, we designed an experiment in which adults and first graders had to learn number-to-space mappings of nonlinear functions. For adults, we found better fits of the corresponding functions than a linear function after just a few minutes of training. For most first graders, estimation patterns were not fitted better by a logarithmic function when they had to learn a logarithmic layout. Thus, estimation patterns produced in the number line estimation task do not necessarily allow for valid inferences on the underlying representation of number magnitude.
authors.affiliation: a KMRC-Knowledge Media Research Center , Tuebingen , Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Korbinian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Nuerk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Magnitude representation; Nonlinear layout; Number line task; Numerical cognition.