Miklashevsky Alex, Lindemann Oliver, Fischer Martin H
Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2021 Jan 11;14:590508. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.590508. eCollection 2020.
The study has two objectives: (1) to introduce grip force recording as a new technique for studying embodied numerical processing; and (2) to demonstrate how three competing accounts of numerical magnitude representation can be tested by using this new technique: the Mental Number Line (MNL), A Theory of Magnitude (ATOM) and Embodied Cognition (finger counting-based) account. While 26 healthy adults processed visually presented single digits in a go/no-go n-back paradigm, their passive holding forces for two small sensors were recorded in both hands. Spontaneous and unconscious grip force changes related to number magnitude occurred in the left hand already 100-140 ms after stimulus presentation and continued systematically. Our results support a two-step model of number processing where an initial stage is related to the automatic activation of all stimulus properties whereas a later stage consists of deeper conscious processing of the stimulus. This interpretation generalizes previous work with linguistic stimuli and elaborates the timeline of embodied cognition. We hope that the use of grip force recording will advance the field of numerical cognition research.
（1）引入握力记录作为一种研究具身数字加工的新技术；（2）展示如何使用这种新技术来检验关于数字大小表征的三种相互竞争的理论：心理数字线（MNL）、量级理论（ATOM）和具身认知（基于手指计数）理论。在26名健康成年人以“是/否”n-back范式处理视觉呈现的单个数字时，记录了他们双手对两个小传感器的被动握力。与数字大小相关的自发且无意识的握力变化在刺激呈现后100 - 140毫秒就已在左手出现，并持续呈现系统性变化。我们的结果支持数字加工的两步模型，其中初始阶段与所有刺激属性的自动激活有关，而后期阶段则包括对刺激的更深入的有意识加工。这一解释推广了先前关于语言刺激的研究工作，并细化了具身认知的时间线。我们希望握力记录的使用将推动数字认知研究领域的发展。
