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Numeral order and the operationalization of the numerical system
Citation
Muñez, D., Orrantia, J., Matilla, L., & Sanchez, M. R. (2021). Numeral order and the operationalization of the numerical system. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 75(3), 406–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218211041953
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed an increase in research on how numeral ordering skills relate to children’s and adults’ mathematics achievement both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Nonetheless, it remains unknown which core competency numeral ordering tasks measure, which cognitive mechanisms underlie performance on these tasks, and why numeral ordering skills relate to arithmetic and math achievement. In the current study, we focused on the processes underlying decision-making in the numeral order judgement task with triplets to investigate these questions. A drift-diffusion model for two-choice decisions was fit to data from 97 undergraduates. Findings aligned with the hypothesis that numeral ordering skills reflected the operationalization of the numerical system, where small numbers provide more evidence of an ordered response than large numbers. Furthermore, the pattern of findings suggested that arithmetic achievement was associated with the accuracy of the ordinal representations of numbers.
Date Issued
2021
Publisher
Sage
Journal
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology