Research article summary (published 21 Sep 2009):

Nonabstract representation for number - evidence from event-related potentials.

Full Abstract

We investigated whether the mental representation of numbers was abstract amodal or modality-dependent by taking N270 as an index, the amplitude that represents the conflict between internal representation and perceptual input. Participants were instructed to justify whether the magnitude of the second number (S2) was similar to that of the preceding number (S1), whereas the surface formats of numbers between S1 and S2 were manipulated. The result indicated that N270 was elicited even when the two numbers were in the same magnitude but displayed in different surface formats. Therefore, our results supported an encoding-complex model for number representations, that is, there are no abstract amodal representations for numbers; instead, they are represented by surface-format-specific codes.

Author information

Author/s: Chen, Hui (H); Gao, Zaifeng (Z); Yin, Jun (J); Liang, Junying (J); Shen, Mowei (M);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuroreport (Neuroreport), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 20 (issue 14) : pp 1240-4

Dates: Created 2009/09/02; Completed 2009/10/30;

PMID: 19623092, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/30/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Analysis of Variance Brain - physiology Electroencephalography Evoked Potentials Humans Judgment - physiology

Mathematical Concepts Mental Processes - physiology Neuropsychological Tests Photic Stimulation Reaction Time Task Performance and Analysis

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