Spatial representations of numbers in children and their connection with calculation abilities

Evidence for a connection between number and space processing comes from behavioural, patient, and brain imaging data, but only a few studies have addressed this issue in children. We asked children (n = 118) at the age of 8–9 years to decide which one of the two numerical distances in a visually presented number triplet was numerically larger. Numerical and spatial distances were manipulated independently, resulting in congruent, neutral, and incongruent conditions. The spatial distances between the numbers clearly affected the comparison of numerical distances: reactions times were faster and error rates smaller for congruent than for incongruent trials. These findings are in line with the assumption of a spatial layout of mental number representations in third graders. Correlations between the size of the congruity effect and calculation abilities were found to be differently marked for girls and boys: a positive correlation was found for boys, while a marginally negative correlation was obtained for girls.