What is it about?
20 years ago it was discovered that visual attention shifts to the left or right side when seeing small numbers (1 or 2) or large numbers (8 or 9), respectively. This foundational finding has inspired much follow-up research in mental arithmetic but was recently challenged in a large-scale replication. Here the possible reasons for this failure are identified.
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Why is it important?
It is important to understand that the attentional link between numbers and space depends BOTH on understanding the number meaning and on habiutal counting preferences (left-to-right or right-to-left). This will inspire more reliable research with practical implications in education and rehabilitation.
Perspectives
The result is particularly informative from an embodied cognition perspective because it showcases the importance of sensory-motor habits for all aspects of cognition.
MH Fisher
Universitat Potsdam
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: How do numbers shift spatial attention? Both processing depth and counting habits matter., Journal of Experimental Psychology General, October 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/xge0001493.
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