Non-verbal number acuity correlates with symbolic mathematics achievement: But only in children

Matthew Inglis, Nina Fay Attridge, Sophie Batchelor, Camilla Gilmore

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The process by which adults develop competence in symbolic mathematics tasks is poorly understood. Nonhuman animals, human infants, and human adults all form nonverbal representations of the approximate numerosity of arrays of dots and are capable of using these representations to perform basic mathematical operations. Several researchers have speculated that individual differences in the acuity of such nonverbal number representations provide the basis for individual differences in symbolic mathematical competence. Specifically, prior research has found that 14-year-old children’s ability to rapidly compare the numerosities of two sets of colored dots is correlated with their mathematics achievements at ages 5–11. In the present study, we demonstrated that although when measured concurrently the same relationship holds in children, it does not hold in adults. We conclude that the association between nonverbal number acuity and mathematics achievement changes with age and that nonverbal number representations do not hold the key to explaining the wide variety of mathematical performance levels in adults.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1222-1229
JournalPsychonomic Bulletin & Review
Volume18
Early online date7 Sept 2011
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2011

Keywords

  • Mathematical cognition
  • Mental arithmetic

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