Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children.
Human adults in diverse cultures, children, infants, and non-human primates relate number to space, but it is not clear whether this ability reflects a specific and privileged number-space mapping. To investigate this possibility, we tested preschool children in matching tasks where the dimensions o...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3334896?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818135111029227520 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria Dolores de Hevia Monica Vanderslice Elizabeth S Spelke |
| author_facet | Maria Dolores de Hevia Monica Vanderslice Elizabeth S Spelke |
| author_sort | Maria Dolores de Hevia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human adults in diverse cultures, children, infants, and non-human primates relate number to space, but it is not clear whether this ability reflects a specific and privileged number-space mapping. To investigate this possibility, we tested preschool children in matching tasks where the dimensions of number and length were mapped both to one another and to a third dimension, brightness. Children detected variation on all three dimensions, and they reliably performed mappings between number and length, and partially between brightness and length, but not between number and brightness. Moreover, children showed reliably better mapping of number onto the dimension of length than onto the dimension of brightness. These findings suggest that number establishes a privileged mapping with the dimension of length, and that other dimensions, including brightness, can be mapped onto length, although less efficiently. Children's adeptness at number-length mappings suggests that these two dimensions are intuitively related by the end of the preschool years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:19:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ebb7add24454c76bfeb4ef6296c09b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:19:19Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ebb7add24454c76bfeb4ef6296c09b32022-12-22T01:13:18ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0174e3553010.1371/journal.pone.0035530Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children.Maria Dolores de HeviaMonica VandersliceElizabeth S SpelkeHuman adults in diverse cultures, children, infants, and non-human primates relate number to space, but it is not clear whether this ability reflects a specific and privileged number-space mapping. To investigate this possibility, we tested preschool children in matching tasks where the dimensions of number and length were mapped both to one another and to a third dimension, brightness. Children detected variation on all three dimensions, and they reliably performed mappings between number and length, and partially between brightness and length, but not between number and brightness. Moreover, children showed reliably better mapping of number onto the dimension of length than onto the dimension of brightness. These findings suggest that number establishes a privileged mapping with the dimension of length, and that other dimensions, including brightness, can be mapped onto length, although less efficiently. Children's adeptness at number-length mappings suggests that these two dimensions are intuitively related by the end of the preschool years.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3334896?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Maria Dolores de Hevia Monica Vanderslice Elizabeth S Spelke Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children. PLoS ONE |
| title | Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children. |
| title_full | Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children. |
| title_fullStr | Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children. |
| title_short | Cross-dimensional mapping of number, length and brightness by preschool children. |
| title_sort | cross dimensional mapping of number length and brightness by preschool children |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3334896?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariadoloresdehevia crossdimensionalmappingofnumberlengthandbrightnessbypreschoolchildren AT monicavanderslice crossdimensionalmappingofnumberlengthandbrightnessbypreschoolchildren AT elizabethsspelke crossdimensionalmappingofnumberlengthandbrightnessbypreschoolchildren |