Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task
IntroductionA large body of work has identified a core sense of number supported by the Approximate Number System (ANS) that is present in infancy and across species. Although it is commonly assumed that the ANS directly processes perceptual input and is relatively independent from affective factors...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1175591/full |
| _version_ | 1797277204691812352 |
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| author | Marta K. Mielicki Rahma Mbarki Jinjing Jenny Wang Jinjing Jenny Wang |
| author_facet | Marta K. Mielicki Rahma Mbarki Jinjing Jenny Wang Jinjing Jenny Wang |
| author_sort | Marta K. Mielicki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionA large body of work has identified a core sense of number supported by the Approximate Number System (ANS) that is present in infancy and across species. Although it is commonly assumed that the ANS directly processes perceptual input and is relatively independent from affective factors, some evidence points at a correlation between ANS performance and math anxiety. However, the evidence is mixed. We tested whether giving participants active control in completing a numerical task would change the relationship between math anxiety on performance.MethodsAdult participants (N = 103) completed a novel four-alternative-forced-choice non-symbolic numerical comparison task. In a repeated-measures design, participants either passively viewed different dot arrays or actively chose to view each array (i.e., active information-seeking) before deciding on the largest quantity. Participants also provided confidence judgments during the passive version of the task.ResultsWe replicated the ratio-dependent signature in participants’ accuracy in both the passive and active versions of the task using this novel paradigm, as well as in trial-level confidence judgments and information-seeking behavior. Participants’ self-reported math anxiety significantly correlated with their accuracy on the passive version of the task. Critically, the correlation disappeared in the active version of the task. Gender also emerged as a predictor of confidence judgments and a moderator of the effect of task on overall accuracy and the effect of active information seeking on accuracy in the active version of the task. Exploratory analysis of estimated Weber Fraction suggests that these results may be driven by auxiliary factors instead of changes in ANS acuity.ConclusionThese findings have implications for understanding the relationship between math anxiety and performance on numerical tasks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:44:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-32f2a59137c14ac889d4d513d41bbb20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:44:18Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-32f2a59137c14ac889d4d513d41bbb202024-03-05T04:48:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-03-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.11755911175591Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison taskMarta K. Mielicki0Rahma Mbarki1Jinjing Jenny Wang2Jinjing Jenny Wang3Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesCenter for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesIntroductionA large body of work has identified a core sense of number supported by the Approximate Number System (ANS) that is present in infancy and across species. Although it is commonly assumed that the ANS directly processes perceptual input and is relatively independent from affective factors, some evidence points at a correlation between ANS performance and math anxiety. However, the evidence is mixed. We tested whether giving participants active control in completing a numerical task would change the relationship between math anxiety on performance.MethodsAdult participants (N = 103) completed a novel four-alternative-forced-choice non-symbolic numerical comparison task. In a repeated-measures design, participants either passively viewed different dot arrays or actively chose to view each array (i.e., active information-seeking) before deciding on the largest quantity. Participants also provided confidence judgments during the passive version of the task.ResultsWe replicated the ratio-dependent signature in participants’ accuracy in both the passive and active versions of the task using this novel paradigm, as well as in trial-level confidence judgments and information-seeking behavior. Participants’ self-reported math anxiety significantly correlated with their accuracy on the passive version of the task. Critically, the correlation disappeared in the active version of the task. Gender also emerged as a predictor of confidence judgments and a moderator of the effect of task on overall accuracy and the effect of active information seeking on accuracy in the active version of the task. Exploratory analysis of estimated Weber Fraction suggests that these results may be driven by auxiliary factors instead of changes in ANS acuity.ConclusionThese findings have implications for understanding the relationship between math anxiety and performance on numerical tasks.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1175591/fullmath anxietyapproximate number systeminformation seekingconfidence judgmentsgender |
| spellingShingle | Marta K. Mielicki Rahma Mbarki Jinjing Jenny Wang Jinjing Jenny Wang Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task Frontiers in Psychology math anxiety approximate number system information seeking confidence judgments gender |
| title | Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task |
| title_full | Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task |
| title_short | Understanding the social–emotional components of our “number sense”: insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task |
| title_sort | understanding the social emotional components of our number sense insights from a novel non symbolic numerical comparison task |
| topic | math anxiety approximate number system information seeking confidence judgments gender |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1175591/full |
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