Reinert Regina M, Huber Stefan, Nuerk Hans-Christoph, Moeller Korbinian
Center for Disability and Integration (CDI-HSG), University of St. Gallen, Rosenbergstrasse 51, 9000, St. Gallen, Switzerland,
Psychol Res. 2015 Jan;79(1):95-103. doi: 10.1007/s00426-013-0538-0. Epub 2014 Jan 3.
A spatial representation of number magnitude, aka the mental number line, is considered one of the basic numerical representations. One way to assess it is number line estimation (e.g., positioning 43 on a number line ranging from 0 to 100). Recently, a new unbounded version of the number line estimation task was suggested: without labeled endpoints but a predefined unit, which was argued to provide a purer measure of spatial numerical representations. To further investigate the processes determining estimation performance in the unbounded number line task, we used an adapted version with variable units other than 1 to evaluate influences of (i) the size of a given unit and (ii) multiples of the units as target numbers on participants' estimation pattern. We observed that estimations got faster and more accurate with increasing unit sizes. On the other hand, multiples of a predefined unit were estimated faster, but not more accurately than non-multiples. These results indicate an influence of multiplication fact knowledge on spatial numerical processing.
数字大小的空间表征，也就是心理数字线，被认为是基本的数字表征之一。评估它的一种方法是数字线估计（例如，在0到100的数字线上定位43）。最近，有人提出了一种新的无界版本的数字线估计任务：没有标记端点，但有一个预定义单位，据称这能提供更纯粹的空间数字表征测量。为了进一步研究在无界数字线任务中决定估计表现的过程，我们使用了一个除1以外有可变单位的改编版本，以评估（i）给定单位的大小和（ii）作为目标数字的单位倍数对参与者估计模式的影响。我们观察到，随着单位大小的增加，估计变得更快、更准确。另一方面，预定义单位的倍数被估计得更快，但并不比非倍数更准确。这些结果表明乘法事实知识对空间数字处理有影响。
