Effects of Non-Symbolic Approximate Number Practice on Symbolic Numerical Abilities in Pakistani Children.

ABSTRACT: Current theories of numerical cognition posit that uniquely human symbolic number abilities connect to an early developing cognitive system for representing approximate numerical magnitudes, the approximate number system (ANS). In support of this proposal, recent laboratory-based training experiments with U.S. children show enhanced performance on symbolic addition after brief practice comparing or adding arrays of dots without counting: tasks that engage the ANS. Here we explore the nature and generality of this effect through two brief training experiments. In Experiment 1, elementary school children in Pakistan practiced either a non-symbolic numerical addition task or a line-length addition task with no numerical content, and then were tested on symbolic addition. After training, child

SUBMITTER: Khanum S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5072670 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature