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Newborn infants perceive abstract numbers.

ABSTRACT: Although infants and animals respond to the approximate number of elements in visual, auditory, and tactile arrays, only human children and adults have been shown to possess abstract numerical representations that apply to entities of all kinds (e.g., 7 samurai, seas, or sins). Do abstract numerical concepts depend on language or culture, or do they form a part of humans' innate, core knowledge? Here we show that newborn infants spontaneously associate stationary, visual-spatial arrays of 4-18 objects with auditory sequences of events on the basis of number. Their performance provides evidence for abstract numerical representations at the start of postnatal experience.

SUBMITTER: Izard V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2700913 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Newborn infants perceive abstract numbers.

Izard Véronique V Sann Coralie C Spelke Elizabeth S ES Streri Arlette A

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20090611 25

Although infants and animals respond to the approximate number of elements in visual, auditory, and tactile arrays, only human children and adults have been shown to possess abstract numerical representations that apply to entities of all kinds (e.g., 7 samurai, seas, or sins). Do abstract numerical concepts depend on language or culture, or do they form a part of humans' innate, core knowledge? Here we show that newborn infants spontaneously associate stationary, visual-spatial arrays of 4-18 o ...[more]

PMID: 19520833

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