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Individual differences in non-verbal number acuity correlate with maths achievement

Author

Listed:
  • Justin Halberda

    (Johns Hopkins University, Ames Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA)

  • Michèle M. M. Mazzocco

    (Johns Hopkins University, Ames Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
    Kennedy Krieger Institute, 3825 Greenspring Avenue, Painter Building, Top Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21211, USA)

  • Lisa Feigenson

    (Johns Hopkins University, Ames Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA)

Abstract

Mathematical ability: safety in numbers The 'approximate number system' (ANS) is a rough-and-ready number sense that has been demonstrated in societies that have no verbal counting system, in human infants and even in monkeys. A new study reveals that a gift for more elaborate mathematics might also be linked to this evolutionarily ancient ability. Mathematically talented children, aged around 14 years, were found to perform ANS tasks more precisely than those less good with numbers, regardless of IQ or visual-spatial reasoning skills. This raises the question of whether a better background in mathematics has promoted better care at ANS tasks in those children, or whether early coaching in ANS might improve mathematical prowess.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin Halberda & Michèle M. M. Mazzocco & Lisa Feigenson, 2008. "Individual differences in non-verbal number acuity correlate with maths achievement," Nature, Nature, vol. 455(7213), pages 665-668, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:455:y:2008:i:7213:d:10.1038_nature07246
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07246
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    1. repec:cup:judgdm:v:8:y:2013:i:3:p:330-344 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Roger, Tristan & Roger, Patrick & Willinger, Marc, 2022. "Number sense, trading decisions and mispricing: An experiment," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    3. Jade Eloise Norris & Julie Castronovo, 2016. "Dot Display Affects Approximate Number System Acuity and Relationships with Mathematical Achievement and Inhibitory Control," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Luke F. Rinne & Michele M. M. Mazzocco, 2013. "Inferring uncertainty from interval estimates: Effects of alpha level and numeracy," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 8(3), pages 330-344, May.
    5. Julie Castronovo & Silke M Göbel, 2012. "Impact of High Mathematics Education on the Number Sense," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(4), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Fabio P. Leite & Roger Ratcliff, 2011. "What cognitive processes drive response biases? A diffusion model analysis," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 6(7), pages 651-687, October.
    7. Riccardo Williams & Silvia Andreassi & Marta Moselli & Fiorella Fantini & Annalisa Tanzilli & Vittorio Lingiardi & Fiorenzo Laghi, 2023. "Relationship between Executive Functions, Social Cognition, and Attachment State of Mind in Adolescence: An Explorative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    8. Michèle M M Mazzocco & Lisa Feigenson & Justin Halberda, 2011. "Preschoolers' Precision of the Approximate Number System Predicts Later School Mathematics Performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(9), pages 1-8, September.
    9. Fang, Shijia & Zhou, Xinlin, 2022. "Form perception speed is critical for the relationship between non-verbal number sense and arithmetic fluency," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    10. Ye, Jun & Zhou, Kun & Chen, Rui, 2021. "Numerical or verbal Information: The effect of comparative information in social comparison on prosocial behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 198-211.
    11. Kyungmin Lee & Soohyun Cho, 2019. "Visuo-spatial (but not verbal) executive working memory capacity modulates susceptibility to non-numerical visual magnitudes during numerosity comparison," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-16, March.
    12. repec:cup:judgdm:v:6:y:2011:i:7:p:651-687 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Anna A Matejko & Daniel Ansari, 2016. "Trajectories of Symbolic and Nonsymbolic Magnitude Processing in the First Year of Formal Schooling," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, March.
    14. Yulia Kuzmina & Tatiana Tikhomirova & Irina Lysenkova & Sergey Malykh, 2020. "Domain-general cognitive functions fully explained growth in nonsymbolic magnitude representation but not in symbolic representation in elementary school children," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-23, February.
    15. Carmen Brankaer & Pol Ghesquière & Bert De Smedt, 2014. "Children’s Mapping between Non-Symbolic and Symbolic Numerical Magnitudes and Its Association with Timed and Untimed Tests of Mathematics Achievement," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(4), pages 1-11, April.
    16. Tamara M J Schleepen & Hanneke I Van Mier & Bert De Smedt, 2016. "The Contribution of Numerical Magnitude Comparison and Phonological Processing to Individual Differences in Fourth Graders’ Multiplication Fact Ability," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, June.
    17. Liat Goldfarb & Sharon Levy, 2013. "Counting within the Subitizing Range: The Effect of Number of Distractors on the Perception of Subset Items," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-8, September.
    18. Lukowski, Sarah L. & Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam & Thompson, Lee A. & Hart, Sara A. & Willcutt, Erik G. & Olson, Richard K. & Petrill, Stephen A. & Pennington, Bruce F., 2017. "Approximate number sense shares etiological overlap with mathematics and general cognitive ability," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 67-74.

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