Servicenavigation

Project Details

Back

Projekt Print View

A motor-priming approach to embodied cognition: Forceful tests with numerical tasks

Subject Area General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
Term from 2015 to 2024
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 267306722
 
Final Report Year 2023

Final Report Abstract

Numerous studies have provided evidence of a close connection between numbers and space such that larger numbers are associated with the right side of space, while smaller numbers are linked to the left side. This phenomenon is referred to as Spatial-Numerical Association (SNA) and has been extensively documented. Additionally, vertical SNA effects have been reported in various studies. The connection between space, number, and action can be explained by "A Theory of Magnitude" (ATOM) proposed by Walsh (2003; 2014). According to this theory, magnitudes, including numerical magnitude, time, and quantities, are processed in common frontoparietal areas of the brain. As a result, numerical magnitude is closely linked to perceptual and motor magnitudes, effectively connecting number, perception, and action. An alternative view by Fischer (2012) introduced a conceptual framework that distinguishes between hierarchically organized grounded, embodied, and situated levels of number representation and processing, providing insight into different origins for spatial associations of numbers. While evolutionary constraints relate to grounding and sensory-motor experiences relate to embodiment, situated influences on SNAs reflect current task constraints such as body posture. Although SNAs are well-established for individual numbers, the interaction of number representations and space within mathematical tasks remains a topic of debate. Shaki et al. (2018) proposed the arithmetic heuristics and biases (AHAB) model, which identifies three competing mechanisms of numerical cognition: a more-or-less heuristic, a sign-space association, and an anchoring bias. These arithmetic biases are linked to the three-level hierarchy of embodied cognition mentioned earlier. This project aimed to explore the effects of directional isometric force on spatial-numerical associations across three conceptual levels, reflecting grounded, embodied, and situated cognition. The first objective of this project was to examine predictions about congruency effects derived from the hierarchical embodiment of cognition, following the AHAB model proposed by Shaki et al. (2018). This examination was carried out within the context of a single-digit arithmetic task (SDA). Secondly, the project also focused on random number generation (RNG) as a form of situated number processing. The sensitivity of this task to momentary constraints, such as the exerted force vector, was of particular interest. Prior to this study, no research had explored the effect of number production on force production. The comparison involved numbers generated under specific conditions, such as left/right and up/down, as well as force profiles for small and large numbers. The primary focus was on exploring how action, specifically isometric force, affects spatial-numerical associations along the horizontal and vertical cardinal axes. The force was measured using a force sensor that ensures heigh temporal resolution.

Publications

 
 

Additional Information

© 2025 DFG Disclaimer / Copyright / Privacy Policy

Textvergrößerung und Kontrastanpassung